Stitch and bitch thread #9. I have pressing concerns

[NutellaEllaElla]

Welcome welcome!

I've not made anything for ages after I screwed up the same thing twice. I'm gonna have another blimmin crack at it though! I've reconnected with another hobby and work is seriously getting in the way of everything I want to do, darn it.

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@CrimsonAlligator oh I love that blouse, can I ask how the instructions are? Still very much at the stage where I need to be told what order to sew things together in. Buttons are next on my to learn list

Thanks for the warning @PickAChew - I am reading up on it - think I may have to cut very generous seam allowances , and overlock before making up!
@OperationalSupport - from a local 'allsorts' shop called Boyes - the sort of place where if you see it , you need to buy it , as it wont be there next time 😂( thats my excuse , whilst also being true) . They have a lot of branches here in Yorkshire and maybe down to the MIdlands ?

I’ve just made a LN Sunday romper (shorts version) which I’d hoped would be a poolside coverup but it’s so unflattering on my apple shaped body.

Atelier Jupe’s instructions are pretty good @Allthegoodnamestakken . Having said that, I couldn’t get my head round the instructions for the half placket, having never sewn one before. I ended up following someone else’s instructions instead and still ended up unpicking it twice! (https://blog.closetcorepatterns.com/sewing-a-tunic-or-popover-placket-tutorial/). I’m not sure I’d recommend it for a first garment with buttons for that reason.

I also made Atelier Jupe’s Frida a few weeks ago, which has a similar vibe, but a full placket. That may be worth having a look at? That one came together a lot more smoothly for me.

@bookbook ah, I used to live up north but sadly where I am now there’s no Boyes and I suspect mum or grandma won’t be enabling my fabric hoarding!

@CrimsonAlligator that is a lovely top!

I do love Boyes. We have a newish one in walking distance and it has a huge selection of gutermann thread.

Gorgeous blouse, @CrimsonAlligator even with the slightly too big buttons. (there is a dearth of proper shirt sized buttons out there)

yes , I love Boyes too - I get nearly all my haberdashery from there , from cord for drawstrings , to webbing for handles and all my interfacing .(Plus a fair amount of yarn ) Its a little treasure trove of stuff , some of which you never knew you needed 😂Came out with a butter dish , and a top up carex pouch yesterday along with the material !

I made some Style Arc ethel pants. Clown trousers, Mc Hammer... they have many crimes against fashion

Here they are hoiked up a bit, if they're on my waist I look very unusual

Thanks @twobluechickens I made some shorts today out of the remaining fabric. It’s lovely to work with.

I reduced the rise on my second pair of SA Bobs and they look much better. I could tuck my boobs in my first pair.

They look suitably comfortable.

@CrimsonAlligator Thankyou, the Frida blouse is also lovely so going to give that a go whenever I can next get to the print shop. I have some lovely lightweight patterned cotton I think it would suit

also now down a rabbit hole of Atelier patterns and I can't believe I haven't found these before. I love many of them.

@Allthegoodnamestakken I made my Frida with lightweight cotton lawn, which worked really well. Atelier Jupe have really nailed that “not too fussy, but still with a bit of interest” aesthetic that I associate with the Low Countries. I’m originally from there, so not completely talking out of my backside!

I kind of confused myself the first time I read their instructions, because I understood the words, but not the technical sewing terms…it took me a few minutes to realise I was reading the Dutch version 😂

My favourite Frida is also in a cotton lawn, but I’ve also made it in a thicker brushed cotton and a viscose. I haven’t actually worn the viscose one yet; perhaps that’s tomorrow’s work top sorted!

I’ve cut out the pattern for the Paola jacket but not the fabric. Also got some fabric to cut out a couple more Aiko tops now that I’ve got the fit nailed. FBA for the win!

@CrimsonAlligator I have quite a collection of lightweight cotton I have bought the Fridah and Zoey Patterns. I am in a conservative developing country which is hot so lightweight but sleeves are an essential part of my wardrobe for work and surprisingly hard to find so I revert to linen shirts which get a bit boring. These will be perfect in some colourful patterns.
I made a vest top over the last few days using the top half of a dress pattern, its not perfect but wearable and the fabric is a lovely patterned viscose, first time sewing with viscose and it was bloody slippy but worth the headache.

Cut out two more Aiko tops and most of the Paola jacket at sewing club tonight. I’m free at the weekend so will be putting aside some sewing time as a reward for doing boring life admin.

I’ve had my head turned by some Merchant & Mills linen. It’s both lovely and ghastly, which is an interesting combination. I’ve ordered a metre of it and expect to have lots of fun trying to work out how to fit this into my wardrobe of mainly sludgy colours.

I’ve been slowly working my way through a book on how to create a capsule wardrobe (Forever Wardrobe by Anna Cascarina). It’s really interesting. I always assumed that capsule wardrobes had to be full of neutrals & classic pieces, but this book has opened my eyes a bit and made me a bit more mindful about what to make…this lovely/ghastly linen is not a good example of that, but according to the book it’s important to have a bit of fun too, so I’ll just file this purchase in that category 😂

I knew it would be the checked M&M! I have been coveting it, especially the pinkish colour way. I am too chunky to get anything out of a metre though and too tight to pay for the quantity I need! I might one day if I find a perfect pattern I want to re-make.

That is lovely but far too orange for me!

I need to stay away from M&M after this purchase @Chewbecca. Some of their colour combos are a pure dopamine hit and clearly I’m not strong enough to resist!

Hello, please may I join in? I’m a beginner who last sewed dresses and skirts in my teens. After a false start with an old Janome At Home machine that needed a repair I bought a basic John Lewis (Janome) and so far have made bunting, a cushion cover, a pinafore dress and two M&M Trapeze dresses. I’m tempted to go for a third Trapeze dress but going to push myself to do the M&M Dress Shirt with some very discounted linen from Abakhan (so more of a toile that I’ll be pleased if it comes out right and wearable!).

I love that checked linen! I absolutely forbid myself from buying any though, as I’ll only be tempted to make another Trapeze

All welcome, @MorriganManor - the dress shirt, shortened to tunic length, in Alte Mare linen 185 (much less blue than the photo), was one of my first return to sewing projects. It comes up huge and I've lost weight in the almost 4 years since I made it so I'm contemplating another one made from this.

Thanks @PickAChew, that’s lovely and in my head I’m going to make a khaki linen version that looks that good but we shall see. Agree, from my limited experience, that M&M seem to come up quite large, so I’m steering clear of very expensive fabric until I have the expertise to alter patterns after cutting out the one I think I need.

I love that linen! I think it will look lovely against dark denim also so perfect for a top to go with jeans.
I accidentally purchased more fabric this morning and I have now put myself on a buying ban but at £2 a meter I couldn't say no! (not in the UK)
It's lightweight printed cotton, I have 3m of the dark blue and white and 1m of the pink patterned one so perhaps a dress and a top.