Stitch and bitch thread #11. Where the puns are only sew-sew

[NutellaEllaElla]

For sewists old and new. Join the fun, let us know what you're working on.
I apologise for not having been around at all. I've been away all footloose and fancy free but now i'm back and have NO NEED TO BUY NEW FABRIC. I must use what I have.

@PickAChew
@Hiddendoor
@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie
@OperationalSupport
@Daffyyellow
@ShoAndSew
@kittykarate
@RainbowWife
@GnomeDePlume
@Twobluechickens
@123ZYX
@BlackAmericanoNoSugar
@CrimsonAlligator
@Just4thisthreadtoday
@Frumpyunicorn
@Jins
@Lifesingflowers
@Yalz
@sewsewsewyourboat
@bookbook
@YellowAsteroid
@MarmiteWine
@Castlerigg
@IDareSay
@NotMeNoNo
@Toyotatallula
@Crispynoodle
@Hiddendoor
@Rosenspants
@TashaTudor
@InMySpareTime
@Isabelle70
@SpryCat
@Funnelfa
@OperationalSupport
@ChoccyJules
@Mygreyhair
@Marcipex
@DiggoryVenn
@ClearHoldBuild
@50IsTheNew21
@Heavybuthopeful
@HollyBerryz
@Chuchoter
@Placemats
@TorturedParentsDepartment
@PrincessDonut
@Shirtyllama

Bargain alert!

100% cotton king size duvet colour reduced from £35 to £10.50 in Tesco. It’s pale lilac but hasn’t photographed well in artificial light. I’ll get a few garments out of this.

They call it muslin. It’s not.

Back home from a work trip and looking forward to reacquainting myself with my sewing machine (and finishing off this Jade shirt). Just got the M&M Trapeze dress printed so I might cut that out this evening.

Just sitting here about to start some Meriam trousers and I got side tracked by the news that the Big 4 have gone into liquidation and if you want particular paper patterns, you should order them now as no one is sure if they go out of stock whether the only option will be a PDF or worse case scenario nothing at all!

How did this happen? And more importantly. Pls let me know about any go to patterns that I should grab now. I do prefer a paper pattern and have zero desire to print out patterns. I would rather draft my own.

Ooh, the likelihood of that was mentioned a few months ago. So it's happened, now?

I send pdf patterns off for A0 printing. Far less stressful.

sorry, big 4? who? what?

@Brefugee The main companies that print sewing patterns.

Simplicity, McCall's, Butterwick and Vogue.

oh blimey! must have a quick shufty around to see if i need anything. (tbh i usually buy burda or cobble my own together from patterns, magazines i already have)

@PickAChew What company do you use? Doesn't it end up more expensive or have I missed something.

Relatively, new to sewing so I have been using paper patterns.

I use CLC prints, @OnlyTheBravest but there's a few good companies out there. Lots of pdf patterns are layered, too, so you can ask them to just print 3 or 4 sizes. I get a few printed off at a time to combine postage and one of the patterns I've earmarked for my next batch has just a big, frilly sleeve on its 3rd page that I will never, ever use, so I shall ask them not to print that page.

They come folded to a size that fits in a large envelope or an extra capacity A4 pocket file so are much easier to store than stuck together ones. I tried one company, Flamingo prints, I think, that folded them to all different sizes, so they didn't get used again!

I use Flamingo regularly and the folding seems to be uniform. I think they’re still the cheapest and I’ve been pretty happy with them (quick turnaround and dispatch).

I used to use CLC prints and was very happy with them but I’ve switched to PlanPrinting24 now. (I do try to use my projector first though)

PP24 is part of the Hobs reprographics group and I’ve used them for tech drawings for decades.

edit - cheaper than flamingo - 75p +vat per A0 sheet

Crikey! Half the price! I’ll have a look at them - thanks!

Seeing as I’ve now got masses of double gauze I’m rifling through my patterns to find one suitable.

I’m thinking probably a top as it’s all very pale colours and I’m a messy bugger. So far the LN Rhapsody is heading the list but I’d be keen to see other suggestions

I would like to add a waist to this playsuit and I am thinking of taking a piece of elastic my waist measurement and pinning it in place. I did think about adding a channel but the elastic seems a quick option. I could also wear a belt but fear that will just end up being a faff.

@Isabelle70would shirring work as an alternative. I wonder if it might be a bit more comfortable than thicker elastic?

Finished my Jade shirt. Oversized?? LOL, it would fit the Incredible Hulk. The sleeves are 3” too long. I only went up one size!

Despite all that, I am still pretty pleased with it and it will get a lot of wear. Next time I will use a tried and tested pattern.

Unexciting sewing this week, shortening school trousers. I used my blind hem foot for the first time, bit of a challenge to start with but by the 4th trouser leg I'd got the hang of it. In previous years I've used hemming web, some pretty awful hand stitching and a fair bit of swearing to get the job done. I'm actually quite pleased with my latest efforts.

I’ve made two more Luellas, one in cotton and one in viscose. The cotton is so much easier to sew, but this viscose one is my favourite. Excuse the silly picture.

Fairly quiet on the sewing front here as I’ve been away quite a lot. Did a couple of toiles of the M&M trapeze dress and just have minor adjustments to make before I cut out the final version.

I was all set to make summer clothes and now it’s gone cold and damp and I’m thinking about warmer items!

I've just been doing odd bits of finishing while my overlocker is at the spa. I have some Esmond pants cut out and another trouser pattern ready to toile.

Love that Luella @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie. I’ve got so used to sewing viscose now that it feels strange when I use cotton. My wardrobe is 90% viscose nowadays.

The last ‘proper’ sewing I did was the Mississippi avenue dress but I’ve been busy on repairs, alterations and hemming. I’ve done a couple of swimsuit toiles, I had high hopes for the Helen’s closet sunstar as a good basic and spent an awful long time grading it through an awful lot of sizes but when I did a toile of the bottom half it was cut too high on the thigh and far too skimpy in coverage so I’ve shelved it. It doesn’t photograph that way on the models so I was surprised. It’s going to need an awful lot of adjustment and I don’t think I can be arsed with it when I could spend the time more productively on adapting my basic swimsuit pattern that fits perfectly.

Yet again I need more trousers but don’t have the right fabric and I need to burn through some mystery box jersey fabrics so I’ll focus on that for now.

have not done much sewing. Made a curtain to put in front of a cupboard that the door keeps falling off (and the sides are wrecked so no opportunity to put a new door on or move it)

Am now debating about using velcro to hold it in place.

All I’ve done over the last 4 months is trace a pattern for a jacket… but I lost interest half way through.

I ended up buying something vaguely similar from the shops. The horror! It’s a little too short, the shoulders are just that little bit too wide and I’m outraged it isn’t lined. I was always a fussy customer, but sewing turned me into a proper nightmare 😂

This week I’ve started thinking about making some trousers. I’ve previously had success with Closet Core Mitchell’s, but I don’t want to make another pair in wool suiting. I’m pondering if it could work in some twill I’ve had lying around for a while, or if I should find a different pattern for that 🤔

Thanks @Jins - viscose can be a bit of a sod to gather because it flops around so much, but I do like the way it flows. This one was fine, but I’ve given up in disgust on some super floppy chalis from Lady Mcleroy, on which I was doing absolutely everything wrong. I’m hoping to return to it on a day when I have more patience.

@CrimsonAlligator I’m eyeing up the Mitchells too. I’ve got quite a few trouser-weight fabrics ready to go, just need to decide which one and cut them out.