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
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@ShoAndSew
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@Twobluechickens
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@Jins
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@Castlerigg
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@PrincessDonut
@Shirtyllama

Thanks for the heads up about Love Sewing @Jins. Because I need more patterns, obvs. Tempted by another Knighton box too, but have literally nowhere to put it! Still haven’t done the leg hems & waist elastic on the pyjama shorts!

I’m going to have to hide this box when it arrives. I spent an awful lot of time telling myself that I’ve got far too big a stash then bought it anyway. When I get into my new sewing space I’ll be stashbusting knits into T shirts for everyone and I’ll not be playing pattern jenga. Minimising wastage is not something I need to focus on

Good plan. Most of my existing Knighton fabrics fall into the “ok for a smart-ish work top” category, so that’s what I plan to do with them.

I decided to make a sewing corner in the lounge, so spent part of the weekend dragging furniture around. As yet I haven’t put the books back on the shelves etc, so it’s a pigsty in there, but I’ll get it tidied tonight, and take the opportunity to look at my craft books and see if there’s anything I should declutter.

Another update on my LN Classic tee mission. Made size small with a FBA and it’s swimming on me. Weirdly the shoulders seem bigger on the size S than size M. So I’ve run the overlocker down the side seams and straightened them out and I’ve got a far less wrinkly result. However this fabric is potentially a bit stretchier than my normal choices so I’m going to have to be careful with different fabrics.

I’m finding the variations in results fascinating I’m going to give up soon because I now have 5 extremely wearable T-shirts and I don’t wear them that often. I’m starting to feel the urge to make a start on spring and summer clothes.

I suspect it won't be too long before I also succumb to the temptation to order another Knighton mystery box 🎁
I know that their rule is only two boxes per customer. Does this mean that each customer can only have two boxes ever, or is it per customer per year?

I think it’s two in one order @MO0N. I’m not quite at the stage of mystery box addiction to order two thank goodness

Oh thank you 😁
And there I was thinking that I'd be banned from Knighton if I ordered more than one, ever! 😄

Haha- I wish they’d ban me! This will be my fourth mystery box in the last 12 months. To be fair I’ve used a lot of the stuff I’ve had and the rest is more summery fabric so will get used soon. I’ve only had a couple of pieces that don't appeal, even for toiles, and I don’t think that’s bad at all.

I popped into Abakhan yesterday for cuffing and a pair of knitting needles and managed to stick pretty much to that if I ignore some cotton yarn that threw itself at me. No fabric though so I’m incredibly proud of myself

Am I the only one who ends up cutting things out on the floor?
I constructed a sewing bench, worktop height and 1.5 m x .75 meters, but I'm still finding it much easier to lay fabric out on the floor.

I cut out on the floor most of the time although my knees aren’t keen. I think it’s because it’s how mum taught me. I have started to use my cutting mat for smaller items but breaking the floor habit will be hard

My mother was an industrious and accomplished dressmaker but I have no idea how she did her cutting out. She had a volcanic temper and it wasn't safe to be in the room with her most of the time 🤣🤭

My mum cut out on the kitchen table, with scissors. I can’t get on with that method, the scissor blade lifts the fabric so the cut isn’t accurate. (Curious to hear how scissor users get around this because I seem to be the only one that has this problem.) I usually use a rotary cutter, but that’s also tricky because my cutting mat isn’t very big.

I'm left handed but was never taught to use left handed scissors so until I learnt about rotary cutters I never thought I would be able to learn to sew as my cutting is so inaccurate. @Castlerigg my best Christmas present a few years ago was an A0 cutting mat it has made such a big difference

Dining table with two A0 cutting mats and a rotary cutter. The one thing I’d change is the height of the table because I am 5’10 and I get backache. Have tried the floor but I have wooden floors and my knees can’t take it, even using my kneeling pad.

I’ve been making a trouser block following instructions in How To Make Sewing Patterns by Donald McCunn. Supposedly it should fit pretty well straight off but I must have gone terribly wrong somewhere because the resulting trousers are absolutely enormous. Still, better that than too small I suppose. Lots of adjustments to make.

This is yet another year in which I will nail trouser fitting 😂

@twobluechickens making a trouser block & drafting a trouser pattern are still on my to do list, so props to you for doing it.
I'm planning on following these tutorials from a youtuber that I like, I wonder if you might find them useful?

(feel free to ignore if you think they will just confuse matters further!)

@MO0N all suggestions very gratefully received - thank you! I will give those a watch. I think part of the problem is me having to take my own measurements but even so, there is way too much ease around the hips and waist. I need to re-measure the pattern pieces to see where I went wrong.

If I manage to make it work I’ll pass on my tips! Disastrous so far though 😂

@twobluechickens it can be such a hard slog with so much trial & error, so much fiddling about! I stick to loose fitting when it comes to trousers, mostly stretch dungaree type things for wearing indoors.
I'm working on a pattern for a 'one piece loungewear sleeveless jumpsuit'. By one piece I mean the front & back are one pattern piece so there is no seam down the outside leg. Quicker to sew😁

Ooh what witchcraft is this?!

For some reason I’ve found trouser fitting ok. I’ll hold my hands up to jeans fitting issues recently but I think that’s been down to them having a yoke. I think I was lucky with pattern choices early on which helped me visualise where problem areas are likely to be. My problem fitting areas are shoulders and upper bust and I need to work on that.

I’ve started my plans for warm weather wear and holiday clothes. I’ve got a hankering for a sleeveless jumpsuit but haven’t found the one yet. Current leader is E&M south shore romper but I want it baggier.

My issue is the combo of no bum (37" low hip) and a belly apron (39" high hip) - I nailed the bit of a belly and tilted crotch curve for loose fitting trousers but haven't got Jeans to work without looking weird.

I really want to try trousers this year, the closet I have got is Winslow's and zadies and neither required much fitting

I’d been pondering an A0 cutting mat. That’s going on my birthday present list, thanks all.

I may bring myself to attempt trousers again at some point, but I’m not over the summer trouser attempt yet. They were gigantic.