Stitch and bitch thread #12. We’re in stitches!

[NutellaEllaElla]

Welcome and welcome back oldies and newbies!

Whatcha doin? What are your plans? I need some inspo. It's been a long time since i've approached my machine for various reasons.My favourite ever make has been a stretch dress, i'd wear it all the time if I could. I live in fear of the day I try to go to Barry's fabrics and it's gone. The Birmingham fabric scene is being decimated. What'll I do?!

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I've just cut out the pieces for Burda Style 5724, which is a lovely looking faux wrap style dress. But so unbelievably complicated with minimal instructions. I love the look of the dress on the packet, but I am not looking forward to putting it together.

My original plan was to make a version to wear to a wedding next year. I might need a few attempts to get it right...

@Hiddendoor I’m sure you’ve already thought of it, but I always google to see if there are reviews in blogs or anything else. Or videos on YouTube. Or anything on pattern review website.

That has helped me sometimes…

The other thing I do is I follow the instructions but don’t sew it on the machine - pin or tack instead. Which I know sounds a bit obvious, but when one has done something lots of times without tacking or pinning, one can forget it as an option!

@TragicMuse I think I might make extensive use of my new mannequin and tack pieces together and put on that.

I haven't found any blogs or reviews on this, which i thought strange. It's a lovely looking frock! Definitely time for a much more patient approach than my usual "ah, it'll be fine"!

@Hiddendoor I remember a tricky collar which made NO sense at all until I picked up the pieces and began actually folding the fabric! It was surprisingly revelatory!

I’ve made an adjustment to the Bob pants. I just felt so scruffy and dumpy in them, I knew I’d never wear them. I’ve straightened off the barrel-iest part of the leg, and I think they are much better now. Before and after pics attached as & when approved.

I did the same with the Closet Core Morgan jeans. Just awful on me, don’t know why but I narrowed the legs a bit and they were much better. I passed them on to a friend in the end though.

I mean, I still don’t love them, but I would actually throw them on on a hot day, and would go to the supermarket in them, which I wouldn’t have before. And it has used up a tiny portion of the stash, so all in all, a win.

You’ve been brave making them @Castlerigg and great save. I know Bob pants would look dreadful on me.

Simply sewing mag just arrived and for the second month running it’s missing the pattern I’d possibly make (although I’ve already got similar). The Zara trousers. I have to say that the model is doing well to smile in the pic of the blouse pattern. It’s absolutely hideous

Ooh that’s awful. I’m not a fan of massive collars anyway but that one looks like a pair of deflated boobs.

I seem to have lost my sewjo a bit. I was doing a toile for the Coe trousers a while ago but I have forgotten where I got to. My best sewing friend is in hospital and I’m missing chatting all things patterns and fabric with her. Need to get back on track and start making things again.

Perhaps I should make it. The deflated boobs collar may detract from my actual deflated boobs.

Sewing happened! I managed to cut a LN summer basics dress out of just over 1.5m of ITY from Abakhan which has been in my stash for ages. My last summer basics was in viscose elastane and although I do like it I prefer the fit of this one as the weight and stretch of the fabric lengthens the dress perfectly. The viscose one is more empire line. You never get the same result in sewing but especially in stretch fabric.

This is my first ITY garment but it won’t be the last as I have a lot stashed away from mystery boxes.

Yep, that blouse fits her like a sack and the collar is lumpy and hideous. It looks home made, rather than handmade, IYKWIM. The pics of the trousers don't look great, either.

I treated my machine to a 4mm and 6mm rolled hem foot. I have used the 4mm and so much easier than the 2mm that came with the machine and most of the time I was unable to get a full roll!

I could probably do with one of those, I think I only have a 2mm one.

I’ve done a half toile of the French Navy Jupiter jeans (which I then abandoned as too tired to think about the fit) and am now cutting out the Elbe Textiles Cornell shirt which needs no fitting as it’s a unisex shirt. Also going to cut out the Megan Nielsen Dawn jeans for a toile and see how they fit - I have made the Ash jeans many times but the Dawns are rigid denim so a bit harder to get the fit right.

Halfway through the Cornell shirt and really enjoying it! In my wisdom I decided to make it in linen, which shifted everywhere during cutting, but I seem to have mostly got away with it. I have made quite a few shirts but I’m making the version with the front placket and plackets give me the fear. There are sleeve plackets too, but the front one has gone OK and hopefully the sleeve ones will too. I can see why it’s such a popular pattern.

My next project is sorted and I’m going to use some stash rigid denim and make a Winter Wear designs Fashionista jacket which I picked up for £3 as the sale pattern last week.

I’ll be doing it slowly alongside some quick projects and I’ll be using my new brother heavy duty machine for the first time so a lot could happen.

It really appealed as something a bit different but with plenty of interesting features so fingers crossed

That's a really interesting pattern @Jins, I like the detail and the double pockets.

I have started to piece together my burdastyle 5724. It's confused me quite a bit and I think I have put the waistband together incorrectly.

There's a draped effect waistband, all good, made the pleats correctly. But then there's another set of waistband which you attach the draped bit to so that it is the front, then a double internal layer that you put together and pretend is one layer of fabric. I attached the draped to double layer and stitched all the way around but I think I should have just attached at either side as then it looks like, from the confusing minimal instructions, when you attach to bodice and then to the skirt, you can enclose all the seams. I won't have that in this version. My patience won't hold up to me unpicking not least because I had to gather the double layer to fit the draped layer and I can't face unpicking and regathering...

That is lazy of me though. I will think on.

Otherwise I went a bit mad in vinted and have approx 8 metres of fabric coming to me. I should be selling unused stash and not buying though!

I love the fashionista jacket @Jins 😎
Too ambitious for me but it's very inspiring to see all the photos from others who have made it.

I have spent most of summer getting everything sorted out. Matching patterns with fabric/notions etc.

It looks like I need some more storage. I do not have a dedicated sewing room (as yet) so need to find somewhere to put my all my dressmaking bits. I had a look in Ikea and I was thinking about getting an additional wardrobe (Brimnes/Radmanso).

Does anyone have any storage from Ikea that they use (not a Kallax)? I need something with slightly wider shelves.