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?!

@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie
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@Twobluechickens
@Jins
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@Commontern

Not that one, but I have made similar bags. My advice would be to check what width of zip they suggest, zips are not created equal. Check the seam allowance vs the zip width and if they don’t match, it can affect how the various pieces come together. I made a bumbag where they didn’t specify zip width so I just used a standard dress zip and then the length of the front of the bag didn’t match the back because the pattern was intended for chunky metal bag zips. So just worth thinking about so that you sew your zip seams at the seam allowance. I have described that really badly but I hope it makes sense.

Thanks. The zip was supplied with the kit, so hopefully it's the right kind!

Doh, I missed the all-important info about it being a kit 😂 I am terrible for skim reading. Sorry, ignore me.

No need to apologise!

Well so far I’ve stitched the triangular gusset and hand stitched the facings back in place. I’ve fixed the rip in the fabric below the fly by backing it with a strip of the ponte and hand stitching the tear in place on to it. That took ages but it’s not very noticeable and people shouldn’t be looking at his crotch anyway 🤣. Today is the day for bodging the back waistband with elastic in a casing then it’s done bar the buttons and bar for the hook. It’s been a challenge but quite enjoyable and I’ve definitely learned from it.

Next up is tracing the Sinclair Helens and as I’ve got the fit of the Sinclair metro sorted I’m reasonably happy to go ahead without a toile. The planned fabric isn’t expensive so no real issue if it doesn’t work well.

Then I need to figure out ways to use up a French Terry stash I never planned. I don’t really wear joggers, sweatshirts or hoodies but I might have to start. I’ve also got a reasonable pile of scuba and Liverpool with no plans yet. Might go with a jacket of some sort.

I need to re-find my sewjo.

I tried on some khaki/olive corduroy barrel trousers in M&S yesterday but the fit was slightly off and they didn’t have the other sizes in store or online.

BUT!

I do have some olive thick wale corduroy in my stash. So I could make some…I need to choose a pattern and get to it. At some point.

I’ve made the Arthur pants, love them. But I think they’re a bit too wide and I don’t want the front seam with a corduroy. So it’s going to be a decision about Style Arc Bob vs Barry vs Ethel. Decisions decisions!

Do you want an elasticated waistband? If not you could look at the Papercut Sera pants or the Fibre Mood Gizeh pants.

I've made the bestie bag and have a couple more in progress @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie there is a YouTube tutorial you can follow but I found that it's pretty forgiving really. I love making them.

Thanks @Frumpyunicorn
I haven’t started it yet but I will definitely check the video out.

I am happy to have a structured waistband so thank you!

Or I sometimes alter to make it flat-front and half elasticated.

I need a better pattern for trousers in thicker fabrics. My go to patterns are meant for lightweight fabrics and while I’ve had some success with the LN Allegros in a suiting weight they weren’t ideal. I must have something in the box of paper patterns that I rarely look at.

Couldn’t face the continued repair project yesterday but DH is very impressed with the work so far. It’s such a great feeling to get positive reactions on a task like this. I need to do a lot more hand sewing before I tackle the waistband as tidying it up afterwards won’t be as easy.

I’ve reached a critical point with the Sinclair Helens as I’m ready to put the front and back together. I have a suspicion that the legs will be too wide and the hips too tight but it’s impossible to tell until they are on. Great pattern though and a really good feature on the front pockets as you stitch elastic to the seam allowance to stop them stretching out. I’m going to baste them at the smallest possible seam allowance and see how they are

I need to find my sew-jo too @TragicMuse. My quest to get Atelier Jupe's Frankie trousers to fit perfectly appears to have annihilated it.

I tried a smaller size, which fit fine around the waist but I initially thought may have been too tight around the legs. The larger size solved that problem, but was too large around the waist. I made a toile combining the two sizes and concluded that may be the 1st pair were fine after all. If I want to make it again, I'll need to retrace the pattern and possibly lengthen the rise... I just can't be bothered at the moment 😂

So I've done the 'sensible' thing and bought a new pattern - Maison Fauve Andrea. At this rate, I'll have so many toiles and not a single pair of actual trousers!

I made myself a trousers block years ago, I could have a winter project to do a new one…

Actually, yes. I might think about that!

I am still scared of trousers - I have some cotton twill ready to be cut out, but I am terrible at zips so reluctant to start.

Current work in progress is a belted cape, I have an etsy pattern with limited instruction, what could go wrong?! I want to line it (obvs no lining instructions either) so will just have a crack and see how i get on.

I am v impressed with alterations @Jins that's excellent work!

Check your deliveries sewists!
Pound Fabrics, 2 lots of 3m, of corduroy ordered, in bottle green and mauve. The green is great, the mauve is actually dark purple (lovely but not what was ordered) and only 2m sent! Luckily I noticed before I put it in the wash, let’s see what they do to sort it out 🤞🏻!

How’s this for colour discrepancy. . . .
(Fabric received on left, next to invoice with colour displayed from website - they were never the same!)

Looks like they sent you the Aubergine @WWomble

Which would be OK, if I hadn’t already ordered the 4.5 whale purple from Higgs & Higgs!!
Arghhh!!

@Hiddendoor have you tried whipstitching the zip in place before sewing it?
(I'm assuming that the difficulties you're having with zips are to do with the zip moving when you're sewing it down, which may be wrong. In which case, please ignore!)

@WWomble that is so frustrating. I wouldn't describe the colour Pound Fabrics show on their website as 'mauve'. I'm wondering if they're showing the wrong picture on their website, but PickaChew may also be onto something. Either way, you definitely did not get what you thought you ordered, so fingers crossed you get it sorted.

@TragicMuse I'm starting to wonder about a trouser block too. Can you remember if it was a lot of work to make one?

I have used sewing tape in the past to secure zips before sewing them but now I just baste them first. Do a practice run first with a portion of the trouser front cut from scraps.

I definitely need to do practice @CrimsonAlligator and @twobluechickens to try and figure out what to do. I have just really struggled to figure out in my head what the instructions ask me to do. I have made 3 pairs of zipped trousers and only 1, the first, was successful. The other two pairs I have somehow ended up with the zips sort of back to front and somehow in the fly incorrectly. No idea how I did what I did!

I really struggle with knowing which way round it needs to go. I have made multiple pairs of trousers and jeans but I still have to read the instructions several times before I start.

I would also say that some zip insertion instructions are really unclear and difficult to follow. I tend to make jeans-style trousers so can highly recommend Megan Nielsen’s instructions for those, but I had lots of trouble with a Daughter Judy pattern recently (though the end result is really good). I recall the Atelier Scammit trousers I made some years ago being very straightforward but she has very detailed sewalongs on YouTube which are well worth a watch (they are in French but you can add subtitles). I also remember Lucy from Sew Essential doing some helpful zip insertion videos, I’ll try to find them.

https://blog.megannielsen.com/2018/05/ash-jeans-sewalong-sew-fly-front/

(Allure trousers sewalong)

https://www.sewessential.co.uk/blogs/sewing/how-to-sew-an-invisible-zip

The only zips I’ve seen for decades have been the ones in the Claudia cubic bag. I’m not a big fan of zips in clothing and the only clothes I can tolerate them on are coats and jackets. I’ve done one zip on a toile of the real deal jeans which went ok ish but I’ve switched to a pull on style with a faux fly. I do own some bought jeans with zips but rarely wear them.

Sinclair Helens now complete and ready to hem and Sinclair hasn’t let me down on the fit yet again. I made a size 2 (bloody ridiculous sizing) without any adjustments and the fit is pretty good. The only issue is that if I put elastic in the waistband I get a lot of overspill but the fabric has enough recovery to be used without the elastic and it looks ok. As expected the straight leg version is heading towards being wide leg but I can live with it. Great pattern - highly recommend Sinclair for trousers as the different height files make fitting a doddle.