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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Perhaps I should start looking at tailoring videos…..

Sewing has not gone so well this week. I took more care with my chambray shorts than usual so I can’t explain why I sewed the inseams together the wrong way. Or why I caught the front of the waistband in the overlocker causing a large hole. Both fixed now although the waistband looks awful and I’m having a break from sewing for a while.

I’ve given up with the strapless bralette. As I expected the level of elastication required gave me a double boob and I looked like a farrowing sow. I’ll have a look at them in Matalan.

I’ve done a quick review of my wardrobe for my hols and don’t need to make anything. If I feel inclined I might make another swimsuit and a black cami wouldn’t hurt

I'm a bit narked with the fabric I made my enormo-pants in - it was a printed scuba on a white base fabric not a textured self coloured one... so the cats have clicked it in a couple of places, and where it's bobbled it's showing as white marks. Will continue wearing for working at home as I have no shame, but I think they will be going to the giant rag bag in the sky soon (possibly cut into strips and used to crochet a bath mat)

Anyway, that's a lesson on 'buy online, sometimes regret later'. While the Abakhan rummage bins are not a super bargain always, you can at least give the fabric a good look before you buy it.

Anyone made the arum dress from deer and doe? It says for beginners but am hoping it has shape rather than a trapeze type dress. There's princess seams at the back. I have 1.5m of fabric for it but looking at the requirements it says 2m, that seems a lot!
I'd quite like to make a simple shift like this for wearing with dark tights, does anyone know of any other patterns, free ones would be great!

I made the Arum a few years ago when I was thinner - definitely not too difficult a sew. It has some shape from the back princess seams, but there is a limit to how much waist it can put in while still letting you get it over your head/boobs. All in all, a nice pattern and I should dig it out again. I seem to remember there was a neck facing, but it wasn't too faffy to do.

I've made the Arum dress (and as a top). The princess seams give a nice shape, but overall just flattens my bust. I might try it again with a Fuller bust adjustment, but not sure how that would affect the princess seams...

(I sew a lot of Jersey these days to accommodate my more stately shape.)

I am rethinking the arum dress as I don't want to risk buying it then be a bit too short with my fabric. I'm safer just going with a top. Considering the peppermint Paddington top with puff sleeves or the fabric store chelsea raglan top. Both for wovens.
I struggle with which size to make as I generally need a fba or the top is huge all over. First top was a tatb stevie and it came out so big. I was taking the sides in straight away.
If you are calculating an fba, I know you use your high bust measurement but do you use it on the body or finished garment measurements?
With the Paddington top there seems to be so much ease it'd be huge if I go off the body measurements. It's about 5 inches ease.
But then this fabric is so large, 148cmx150cm, surely I could squeeze a dress out of it! Seems a waste not to! It wraps around like a maxi dress!

None of the patterns you mentioned seem to have any shaping around the bust @Sewliketosew. That’s always going to result in relatively shapeless garments. Look for patterns with darts, princess seams or gathers if that’s not the look you’re going for.

Dresses take a lot of fabric. You might be able to squeeze something sleeveless and short out of 1.5 meters, but that’s about it.

Re, ease, if you have any shop bought tops that fit you well, you can use those to work out how much ease you like. 5 inches doesn’t seem excessive to me, but it’s obviously not super fitted either.

I have finished my estuary skirt and a remy raglan in double gauze. I am happy with the skirt, but prefer the remy in viscose as I don't think the double gauze has enough drape

This is a good blog post about the arum dress. It has grown on sleeves which are very fabric hungry and it's clear from one of the pictures that it's not sitting that well over her bust, with some drag lines.
https://www.makeat140.co.uk/blogs/make-at-140-blog/the-arum-dress-by-angela-devon-threadtales

I’ve been to the Abakhan in North Wales today and hit the bargain bins for three lots of viscose print - about 9 metres of fabric for £30. Not sure of the quality but they feel quite nice.

@Frumpyunicorn I think your Remy looks lovely.

@Sewliketosew you use the body measurement that corresponds to your high bust. My full bust is 42” and high bust is 38.5” so I choose whichever bust size is closest to that and do an FBA (assuming the pattern is drafted for a B cup). I have narrow shoulders too and prior to doing FBAs I was swamped by tops I made.

That’s Angela, she has a YouTube channel called Devon Thread Tales with lots of helpful experience and advice. I have had a quick search of her channel and can’t find any vlogs about the arum, but that could just be because it isn’t mentioned in the title. She’s worth a watch either way!

She is, she has great style and makes some lovely things. I also like Seam Stressed Ruth and Ruan the Yorkshire Sew Girl.

I’ve made some adjustments to the already adjusted swimsuit pattern that came with Simply Sewing and tested it today with some scrap swim Lycra. An additional 5 cm body length made a world of difference to comfort! I’ve done the neck elastic so only the arms and legs to do.

So now I have a very basic one piece pattern that fits I can use it to make colour blocked versions and I can add extra compression for a training suit. No more bought swimsuits for me!

Where do you ladies buy your fabric from?

My fabric shopping is split into 'taking a punt' and 'really want to make x'

'taking a punt'

poundametre.com (random as hell)
poundfabrics.com (slightly more expensive, much more reliable)
ebay

'really want to make x'

minerva.com (alright, reasonable descriptions etc. )
fabricland.co.uk (expensive postage!)
Abakhan in person rummaging

I buy quite a bit from Rainbow fabrics, they have recently had some extra wide quilt backs that I would normally expect to pay around €25 per m for and I paid around £12 per m. They often have quite nice dressmaking fabric too. You have buy what's there though, if you have an exact thing in mind then it's not the best place.

That’s brilliant @Jins. Sewing wise, not much beats having a basic pattern that just works for you.

@Lifesingflowers until recently most of what I bought came from Minerva, but lately they’ve gone from “we aim to dispatch within 48 hrs” to “you’re lucky if you see your order within a week”. I’m not paying premium prices for that!

I now use a combination of Abakhan’s fabrics by weight section (in person), Croftmill and Guthrie & Ghani. I’m sure there’s others too. My most recent order was from Dalston Mill and I was very impressed with that one in terms of quality, price and delivery speed.

Nice one @Jins ! I’m perusing swimming costume patterns at the moment.

For fabric shopping I mostly use my local fabric shop (am blessed/cursed to have an amazing place within walking distance) but I also use 1st For Fabrics, Rainbow Fabrics, Higgs & Higgs, Fabrics Galore, Dalston Mill, Stitch Fabrics, Bornella and quite a few others I can’t remember right now.

I've used Pound Fabric, Dalston Mill, Minerva and Fabricland.

With all of them, you generally get what you pay for, so don't expect top quality for an absolute bargain, but I've always found the descriptions to be fair.

If you're lacking confidence in what type of fabric to choose, Minerva has lots of photos of things people have made in the same fabric, so it's good for working out how drape-y a fabric is and what type of clothing it would work for, but it always feels to me like there is almost too much choice.

As someone who is still very much a beginner, I tend to go with Pound Fabric because then I won't waste too much money if it goes wrong

Thank you for the link to the blog, that was interesting. I may hold off on dresses until I get into doing zips. So many makes are very boxy, and while I like the look I don't think it particularly suits me. I like the puff sleeve Paddington pattern but again, it's very boxy.
An alternative may be one on itch to stich, very similar but with princess seams in the fron and back. Plus cup sizes.
I was hoping to try a free pattern but no good if it doesn't quite suit!
I've bought an itch to stitch pattern before but not made it yet, no matter what I do I can't get the pattern to print to scale, not had a problem with others. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'd want that right before I bought another.

Itch to stitch lemont, that's the one.

I’m mainly a stretch stitcher. My go to retailers are all online, Little Legs Fabrics, 1st for Fabrics, Higgs and Higgs (member of their craft club and have definitely had my money’s worth in the last 10 months), Poppy Bear Fabrics, Pound a Metre, Fabrics Galore, Sew Me Sunshine, Fabric Godmother . . .
um . . . Am reminded that buying craft supplies and using them are different hobbies!

I was a bit disappointed with my order from Rainbow fabrics. I bought some black polka dot viscose and it has faded considerably after just two washes.

Guthrie and Ghani and Lady McElroy both excellent but spendy.

For cotton, Rose and Hubble is decent quality for the price.

My go to for stretch fabrics is Northern Monkey Makes - only just started buying from them since my favourite closed down during covid , but pleased at quality and price so far . For woven , anywhere that I can feel the material . So Boyes ( a bit hit and miss , need to go in when there has been a new season delivery ), and a wonderful shop not too far for me to go called Bugweeds , which has the most amazing selection of cottons. I have bought from Dalston mills and Fabworks too