Stitch and bitch thread #10. There’s a pattern here

[NutellaEllaElla]

Time for a new thread as the weather starts to turn.
Welcome back oldies and come on in newbies!

@Brefugee
@PickAChew
@BlackAmericanoNoSugar
@Bookbook
@Allthegoodnamestakken
@SewingBees
@Twobluechickens
@kittykarate
@Jins
@Chewbecca
@CrimsonAlligator
@InMySpareTime
@MeAgainAndAgain
@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie
@Rosenspants
@OperationalSupport
@Twobluechickens
@Frumpyunicorn
@Hiddendoor
@PrincessofWells
@Isabelle70
@Daffyyellow
@Sewliketosew
@Lifesingflowers
@123ZYX
@Faffadoodledo
@MorriganManor
@GnomeDePlume
@Isabelle70
@DiggoryVenn
@Wilma55
@ZebraD
@Frankincenseandoranges
@Catnipcupcakes
@Tinuviel
@Karatema
@Nameohnameohname
@Outandabout43
@Thesugarbumfairy
@DuchessNope
@ShoAndSew
@Notthatcatagain
@Spaceman101
@Karatema
@Twwodoorsaway

Daylight Company definitely live up to their name! I have another much smaller, foldable one that I use when painting. It’s so light and portable, I’ve even taken it with me on holiday!

Gosh I really sound obsessed with daylight lamps 😂

I've never managed the pull-through method with the overlocker.

I find it easier to thread mine from scratch than fiddle about with knots. Makes it easier to clean, as well.

How fortuitous - I’ve been thinking of buying a lamp for sewing and had seen Lauren from last year’s Sewing Bee doing an ad for a particular company whose name now escapes me, so it’s good to see suggestions here! I want a warm light rather than the stark blueish light from LEDs.

The daylight lamps seem harsh but they show colours far more accurately and make your stitches much easier to see, particularly with dark fabrics.

Happy with bright, just don’t want it like an old-fashioned strip light 😂

Didn’t quite finish my shirt, but seams and cuffs are done, just buttonholes and buttons to do. It was too narrow on the hips so I’ve raised the side seams a bit to make more room.

Oh, it isn't like those horrible strip lights (which give a green cast) it's literally the closest you can get to being like it's not as dark, dismal and cloudy.

Sold! Might treat myself this weekend.

I've some how managed to get de-tagged and have missed everything for weeks! I am going to enjoy catching up after work and update myself with all your posts ...meanwhile... has anyone seen a straightforward (advanced beginner level) pattern for what I call a 'flippy' skirt? I really don't want waist gathers or I'd use tried and tested TATB Clemence skirt pattern...the Delphine skirt adjusted to be a bit longer hasn't got gathers and is better but needs a more structured fabric than the lighter weight one I want for the 'flippyness' iyswim. In the winter I like wearing a knee length or slightly above, floral flippy skirt with a sweater, opaques, clumpy boots etc. There are very few in the shops at the moment that aren't gathered at the waist. Any ideas of patterns welcome!

Hi, @Rosenspants by flippy do you mean A line or bias cut?

Tessuti patterns have a couple that are worth a look as do style arc The Sussex seamstress. Big 4 patterns are a good bet for this sort of thing.

Fit and flare skirts are quite easy to self draft, using slash and spread, if you know how to construct the waistband you want.

Are any of these along the right lines @Rosenspants?

Closet Core Fiore
Style Arc Gorgeous Gore
True Bias Salida
Jalie 2681

I searched for “gored skirt pattern” but not sure if that is what you have in mind.

I think a lot of the commercially sold, ready to wear ones are bias cut, yes @PickAChew
Something like this https://www.fatface.com/style/su371549/e50173#e50173 but preferably without gathers at the waist.

I will look at all the suggestions, thank you @CrimsonAlligator @PickAChew

I think the Style Arc one might be perfect shape wise, I'd make it very slightly shorter...hopefully not too tight over the hips! Bit worried that it's for a knit fabric, though...

Hi all!
What sewing is everyone doing today if any?

I'm currently crocheting a jumper, knitting a jumper and sewing christmas toys. First though I want to sort out my sewing corner to be more inspiring!

I'm about to finish pressing some patchwork strips before I assemble them into a bigger strip that will be a section of a quilt I'm making.

@Rosenspants I’m not sure I like idea of making a skirt from jersey fabric either.

The skirt you shared looks like an a-line skirt to me, with the drape mainly coming from the fabric, rather than the way it’s cut. I could be totally wrong though as it’s hard to see clearly with a print like that.

I’d pick an a-line skirt pattern and see what happens. The simple view of the Closet Core in a more drapery fabric looks like it would do what you want. Or any other a-line pattern, if you already have some in your collection?

@TashaTudor I’ve just finished cutting out a shirt (started it yesterday. I am sloooow!) and am trying to talk myself out of topstitching it in a contrasting colour. I rate the chances of it ending up looking terrible as quite high, but there’s just something so appealing to me about dusky pink top stitching on bottle green fabric 😋 May be I’ll go subtle and just use it for the button holes on the cuffs

I’m off to IKEA later this evening to see if I can pick up any good storage ideas for my future sewing room.

I've just been to sewing class, at which I did precisely no sewing but had lovely chats. I had a bit of a health scare a couple of weeks ago so I'm still recovering but I have decided that life is short so I'll do only the sewing that I love the best. Which, for me, is buying fabric and making quilt tops. I had been trying to slow myself down by doing some of my own quilting as well but I think I'll just send all my tops out to be quilted and focus on the bit that's fun for me.

That sounds like a great approach, @BlackAmericanoNoSugar and I hope you are on the mend 💐

I'm glad you're on the mend.
I've recently given up quilting as I made 12 lovely pumpkin blocks, sewn them together and everything is wonky and looks terrible. I'll try again at some point maybe but for now I'm too frustrated at myself

I'm not actively sewing anything at the minute - I went on a bit of spend frenzy in the Love Notions pattern sale so I have a lot of things to print, tape and cut. My evenings in front of the telly are spent making a crochet blanket with wool from stash.

I should be doing stuff from my stash, but I accidentally went and bought some more fabric...

What might be next...

1. A fleece 'twosie' consisting of some trousers and a hoody (existing pattern)
2. A stretch velvet dress. #So80s. Wavering between a few patterns, I have a Deer and Doe one, a Jalie one and a few others...
3. A pinafore in corduroy (depends if I buy the pattern coming soon for that)

@CrimsonAlligator Brilliant...I didn't realise that the Closet Core Fiore skirt had the simple version A, which is the closest I've seen and is suitable for lighter weight fabric. Having looked at all the Insta posts on it, I've now ordered the paper version from The Fold Line. Thank you all for the helpful responses!

If it's any consolation, @TashaTudor i was at the Newcastle quilt show, last week, and took a break from the retail madness to look at the show quilts. There were a lot of mismatched seams and chopped off points! I know people on another forum who make some gorgeous quilts but they're just the same. Even with precise measuring and careful stitching, cutting and pressing, fabric can have a bit of a mind of its own.

This is what I was up to, this afternoon. I got 10 of the 14 small strips sewn together. For the pink one. I have 2 more big strips to make, one orange, one blue.

No sewing for me today, been travelling for work and completely wiped out. Almost finished my Phen shirt so thinking about what to sew next - might do something for my friend’s kid as a palate cleanser.

am at my very elderly mum's and trying, diplomatically, to steal her ancient pfaff and possibly any sewing related gubbins she still has lying around. She swings between "yes, that will make space in the attic" and "oh i could set it up on the dining table permanently" (reader: there is a) no room and b) it would gather dust)

Any clue how to tackle this?

(my long-term goal is to declutter and downsize her, but she is resistant to change and is a bit of a hoarder, so it is a very long term project for me, unfortunately. She does want to downsize though, she says this nearly every day)

In other news: I managed a trip to hpbbycraft and only bought 4 fat quarter bundles and a half-yard of some other fabric (to make daughter a draft excluder - anyone have any good patterns/designes for one?)