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!

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Well my delinquent machine is finally back from the repair man - so I have gone from a little Hobbycraft thing to a mahoosive quilting Bernina!

Not having much luck! I made a Tilly Indigo today with some fabric that I was given. It was a sod to sew, kept fraying, and it looks awful on me.

It’s so frustrating when that happens. I’m not a great TATB fan, I think a lot of the patterns are quite shapeless, especially in plus sizes (which I am).

I'm a 14 and the Indigo usually works well for me, especially if I add waist ties. This one is awful though!

I'm very new to sewing and like T&B because they're so simple and the instructions are good.

There will be a reason why the fabric was given away. What a shame.

Most of the indie design companies have excellent instructions. Closet Core are always excellent and have some simpler designs (plus they're Canadian, if you happen to be looking looking for ways to support them).

Thanks @PickAChew My sister bought the fabric, some for her and some for me. I think the problems are threefold: dress needed a drapier fabric; the colour doesn’t work well on me; I tried pleating the skirt because I hate gathering and it’s too bulky.

Are Canadian patterns complicated to work sizing out for?

Closet Core patterns are pretty good on the size charts matching reality. I made a couple of their patterns when I was in that sewing subscription and they all came out looking pretty close to the picture on the envelope. I seem to remember they didn't have much FBA adjustment help, but not many do.

I’ve been wanting to make a patchwork skirt for ages, and have recently been cutting up all my scraps into 4.5” squares, but yesterday I started laying them out and now I’m paralysed by decisions. All the colours, or just the blues and greens? Grouped in colour layers, or total random? Also, will I look like a four year old when I wear it? I guess a lot depends on the number of squares I have, and I don’t think I have enough to do just blues and greens, although that would be my preference. I’m hoping to actually get as far as joining some squares today, assuming I don’t waste the day dithering.

The sizing is easy enough to work out as they give lots of measurements, including for the finished garment.

I was gifted some fabric that I made into a storage bag for the garden sofa cushions. My shed is also my workshop so everything gets covered in sawdust! I put 2 handles/hanging loops so I can hang the bag and save on storage space.

Great idea - keeps it off the floor and from the fate our cushions had of being the nest for a little mousey family the other year. At least they had a warm cosy winter I guess.

I'd try to go for some coherence or sort of pattern. how about laying out all the squares according to colour going side to side, then colour saturation going from bottom to top (so pale tones at the top, dark at the bottom)?

@ShoAndSew I don’t really have the space to lay them out properly, unfortunately, I’ve just got the dining table, which is where I’m sitting to sew. I have just been doing the maths to calculate how many squares I’d need, and it seems insane, so I’m now questioning whether it needs to be quite as flared as the pattern says! Apparently each tier needs to be 1.5 times the length of the one above, but that will mean the bottom one needs to be 200+ squares!

blimey, that is a LOT of squares!

I would make it something like 110% or 120% of the previous, max 125% of the previous row.

I'm not a fan of completely random fabrics, but it is only a personal preference. Can you divide to light/dark and do a light row followed by a dark row if you don't want it to be completely random? or just... chuck all the squares in a bag, pull them out at random without looking?

You'll know within a few rows if it's going to be ok

You could reduce the work required with a solid tier or two. It would have at least as much visual impact, maybe more if you think about how the right sashing and binding really draw your eye to in interesting quilt block.

yep, agreed that it would work fine as a tiered skirt. I'm always quite the fan because i (used to) have a definite waist, and so used to fit the first tier properly, with a zip and waistband / darts, then just add 2 or 3 tiers to make a lovely swishy skirt.

I think I will go with each row being 120% of the previous. I can’t get my head around that many squares in one tier!

I think I prefer a “carefully planned random” pattern rather than obvious bands of colour, but I am liking the idea of a sashing-type band in between… I’ll ponder that. I’ve started joining squares in pairs, and I’ll plan as I go, I reckon.

looking forward to seeing the finished skirt!

Each tier doesn’t have to be one row - you could do two or three rows the same, then another tier of 3 rows and a final one of 4 rows? Recently someone on instagram did a post about how to calculate tiers and sizes for a gathered skirt, let me see if I can find it. Then you’d be able to use the squares to make up the panels to the size you’ve calculated.

I suppose I’m doing a patchwork of sorts, sewing together long strips of fabric from which I’ll cut the pattern pieces for my jacket. It looks really good so far; I just need to find something to line it with - time for a mooch round the charity shops for a dress as I don’t think I have enough scraps in my stash to make the interior.

I made a shirt! First item of clothing this year.

It was a free magazine simplicity pattern from the early days of my return to sewing. I made it back then, carefully measured myself and the pattern pieces and went for size 14. Too small - went in the bin.

Measured myself again, size 14 possibly too small but smaller seam allowance may be enough. It’s too big. Even with the correct seam allowance. Both attempts made in viscose, body measurements within a whisker of each other. Neither attempt fit particularly well.

I’ll wear this one and it’ll be straightforward to take in as there aren’t any darts but I’m a bit puzzled

Omission corrected and photos below. It looks like a rag on the hanger but fine when on and will be quite useful. Oh and it was McCalls not Simplicity

That looks very useful and wearable Jins, and your buttons look neat, something I am still working on!

Thanks @Chewbecca. The machine does nice buttonholes but I treated myself to an expanding buttonhole guide which has been a game changer for placement

www.minerva.com/mp/GBP/1/H258.E?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADuPPIVD4Jiy_91PrOIA0kuUmP4sM&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_JzABhC2ARIsAPe3ynrXCasO7iaWMSapLGpc084VXdLbEElesDNhpGigTMFvjACWo_iOpZgaAnKzEALw_wcB

I have been putting off buying one of those but I think I might give in. Hate working out button placement.