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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Thanks @twobluechickens, that’s encouraging. Hope you manage to sort your button issue somehow.

I decided life is too short for handmade buttonholes and swapped the big buttons for some smaller ones from my stash. All done, but when I buttoned it up I realised that all my pockets are wonky. I am not going to redo them, because as above, life is too short and I want to get on with something else. And frankly nobody will notice. I also can’t quite work out if I look like I’m on day release from the local prison in it - perhaps pale blue denim wasn’t the best choice.

Now in bed wearing my new PJs. The shorts are a great fit but the neckline on the top is enormous. Will have to adjust that next time I make it. Very comfy though, and really nice to have a matching set (all my pyjamas are ancient).

Does anywhere here have a favourite jeans sewing pattern? I’m so fed up of jeans that fit badly! I’m currently looking at the Closet Core Morgan, but the one thing going against it is the button fly. I just don’t have enough fly sewing experience to quickly work out how to change that to a zip.

Do I recall you’re tall? I swear by Megan Nielsen’s Ash jeans, which are for stretch denim, but she also has the Dawn jeans pattern for rigid denim. It’s drafted for 5’10 although I still add a couple of inches to the leg. I’ve made four pairs and love them. It’s also not difficult to switch from button to zip fly - I think Anna Allen has a tutorial, and Closet Core may have one too. I’ve made the Morgans but didn’t like the fit on me.

Ash is a zip fly; don’t know about the Dawns.

I’ve bought and downloaded two patterns now

Winter Wear designs. For stretch denim

Love Notions For a small amount of stretch.

I don’t really wear jeans anymore so haven’t made either of them. I both them on special deals in one of my impulse buying phases. Love Notions include an accompanying jeans fitting booklet which is useful.

I did a tiny bit of sewing at the weekend - an Etty camisole in black viscose. I traced the stitching line on the scallops by using a card template I made. I do like the Etty but it’s taken an awful lot of faffing to get the fit right. (And if I’m honest the straps as they turned through at a weird angle and I ended up poking them through a gap in the seam). I’m pleased with it and I think the neckline makes it more interesting in plain black. I must remember to wear it only at night on my hols as I don’t fancy scalloped tan lines much.

I’ve also bought the Sewing Masin Heidi jeans but haven’t made them yet. I love bootcut jeans and the style is quite 70s which I love.

https://www.sewingpatternsbymasin.com/sewing-patterns/heidi-pants-pdf-sewing-pattern

Thanks for these suggestions @twobluechickens and @Jins. I’m laughing at the thought of a scalloped tan. Probably best avoided, but it would definitely be eye catching…

I really like the look of those Heidi pants. Very 70s indeed! Unfortunately wide leg styles is what I’ve been “forced” to wear my entire adult life and I really fancy a change. Might still add them to my wish list though. Love a high waistband !

I tried on some slightly slimmer fitting, lightly tapered styles in the shops yesterday (a couple of sizes too big so that I can get them over my hips). Some of those looked pretty good if I ignored the excess around the waist. It was a bit of a revelation tbh. I’ll have a look through the suggestions tonight and see if anything aligns with my “vision” and body measurements. I’m quite excited about this 😂

I’m in awe at all the Jean makers! I wouldn’t know where to start. Last weeks project was a baby quilt which is almost done just the hand stitching for the back of the binding left I’m really happy with how it looks, quite a few wonky bits but overall pleased.

I also cut out atelier jupe Zoey blouse and watched a sew along. Looks a bit more complicated than anything I’ve done before thanks to the sleeves but I’ve used some cheap thin cotton to make a hopefully wearable toile before trying it in viscose

The hardest thing with jeans is getting multiple layers of denim through a domestic sewing machine, but a hammer and a denim needle are your friends! Otherwise it’s just like sewing trousers, but more pieces and with top stitching. Yes they take a while, but it’s so satisfying and there’s lots of ways to adjust the fit. I would recommend Johanna from The Last Stitch’s guide to sewing jeans for lots of tips.

www.thelaststitch.com/sewingjeans/

Finding time to get started on a hoodie for my DGS birthday today . He is a big marvel fan , and I found this on a destash group . Its french terry , and due to the flaw ( ! ) It was only £6 . I think I will use the all over pattern inside the hood , and the flaw ( stripes) as wrist cuffs . Everything other than the front panel in plain black . Just getting the position of the panel right is the faffy bit 😊

That’s a bargain @bookbook. There’s going to be a very happy DGS!

I found a great free bralette pattern during my search for a suitable strapless one.
Mysa bralette

I’ve linked the smallest cup sizes but there are three versions going to a KK cup.

I have a plisse jumpsuit I got from Next in the sale. It's regular rather than petite so I need to shorten the legs.
The leg have not been hemmed, do I leave the fabric in its crinkled state and cut with a rotary cutter and ruler?

I would try first to pin up the hem first to the right length for you , give a light press to the very edge , and unfold before cutting - I suspect it may be like the double gauze I used recently - it is very hard to cut straight due to the texture !

I’m still hand binding, I’m sure this takes longer than the rest of the quilting process put together.

once this is finished I’m working on some clothes and I might go wild and start Christmas stocking making

It looks a much nicer finish than machining though.

@Allthegoodnamestakken that looks beautiful, your quilting lines are so even and neat too.

I made a Fibremood Frances top yesterday. It sewed up really quickly, and it’s been so long since I made anything in a plain cotton - I’d forgotten how nice it is to sew something stable and well behaved 😂
Unfortunately Ive worn it today and I think it’s a size too big, but I can’t remember which size I made as I printed the pattern ages ago. I do think it’s worth redoing though, it turned out super cute and I feel like a t-shirt style but in woven fabric is smart enough for work.

@PrincessofWells it is so much neater which is why I do it, not a quick process though. The next quilt I plan to make will be queen size and I think it will take me months to bind it, this baby size one has taken 4 evenings so far and still another 1 or 2 to go probably.

A 'meh' weekend of sewing for me. Another pair of enormo pants, this time in plain black textured scuba (all good - even busted out the twin needle to do the hems and waisband sewing) , a pair of Jalie Renee pants in same black scuba (I tried hacking to add side pockets, kinda worked, but can see why they don't come with them. Wearable).

I bought one of the pound a metre pre-printed kaftan lengths to make up in a kaftan using the simplicity pattern I got ages ago. Ooof. So the kaftan fabric is slightly printed off centre so if you're not careful it will look weird. The neck on the simplicity pattern is enormous, a slight breeze and it would be everywhere. Lots of learning, but nothing actually wearable at the end.

I spent this weekend sewing pockets for a pair of trousers. I was cocky, I was over confident and the double welt back pockets beat me. I've done them twice before, first time went OK, second time went well so I assumed it would be a doddle this time.

Nope.

I just could not get the welts to turn through neatly. It's done now, slightly messy but done. I just need to tackle the zip (last time it went very, very badly.)

I spent the time at my sewing social taking up the hem of some curtains. I decided to do them by machine so I could play qith the blind hem stitch and foot on my machine and got in a big muddle trying to fold it over the right way but got there in the end and am happy with the results

Hello all, i've been away from my machine for months now and am telling myself i'll get back to it when the weather turns cold.

The SewBrum free event is back btw, 26th October. Register for a free ticket here: https://visitbirmingham.com/event/sewbrum-2024/161920101/

No sewing here either (am on hols next week) although I have my sewing social tomorrow night so am going to cut out another pair of Assembly Line pyjamas and sew them up in a cotton lawn with French seams. Not going to bother with pockets this time.

I bought some fabulous bright floral swim lycra from Abakhan the other day so I’ve been making a bikini using the pattern I’ve used for my most comfortable one. I did measure the stretch before starting but it’s come out too small. I can use the bottoms but the top is in the ragbag. Luckily it wasn’t a fabric hungry pattern. So I’m having another think.

I’ve just ordered some prints from CLC. Not only has the per page price gone up but postage isn’t free over £5 any more. I regret not making a bulk order last time now. I think they are still the cheapest and they do a great job so I’ll stick with them