Stitch and bitch #7. Hanging by a thread

It’s easy enough to toile tbh as you just use the facing pieces. It’s really hard to measure patterns like this as you’ve no fixed shoulder position. There’s loads of scope to adjust the fit with longer or shorter straps.
This is my final version to show the shape round the waist. It’s the short version without gathering. The next one I make will be longer and gathered

Love Notions must have been listening because the Allegra bottoms pattern is feature Friday for $5 today

Here

I’ve made the shorts in denim and linen and it’s a useful basic pattern. Looks better made up than any of the testers versions tbh. Don’t fancy the woven joggers much but I’ll be making the trousers at some point.

@Jins yes I remember you posting that photo. Looks great. I have bought bright pink double gauze for it. We’ll see!

That’s radical kittykarate 😮 I have often wondered how much of a difference different needles make and if they really need to be changed for every single project…

Picture here is my latest Ogden cami, which is now hemmed and ready to wear. I love the colour of this one!

I made the straps wider & shorter, added darts, increased the seam allowance for french seams, lengthened the cami and lengthened the lining even more. It’s almost a perfect fit now 😊

Now off to work out what size to make the Melilot shirt and if I need to make any adjustments before cutting that one out.

Oh that is a nice colour! I’ve just finished wearable toile of the Ogden. My first go at learning darts. I did find turning the straps very fiddly and had to unpick both having twisted them. I too will be increasing the overall length, I think.

Here

@Rosenspants the sauvie sundress is A-line, isn't it, so you only really need to take your bust into account, unless the rest would hang off you or be too tight. Your waist almost definitely doesn't need to be taken into consideration. You might be better off using your upper bust +3" as your bust size then doing a FBA, if you're particularly busty.

@CrimsonAlligator a microtex needle will be best for tencel as the fibres tend to be very fine so you don't want to snap too many of them with a blunter needle or cause snag lines if it has a very smooth finish.

That’s what I worry about @PickAChew Typically things have fitted over the bust (not small but narrowish back size) and waist but were always too tight over the hips. I generally like A-line dresses though. It’s why the TATB Stevie dress works so well for me, grading up one size to accommodate hips.

@Rosenspants you should be fine with the Sauvie. It’s pretty generous round the hips. There’s no harm in grading up though and it’s a really easy shape to grade. Double gauze sounds great for it.

The first dress that I made the fabric was a bit unstable, I should really have cut it on a single layer because it moved a bit as it was cut. I had naively assumed that everything would match and was a bit shocked at how much the hem didn't (one of my friends told me to worry about the top part and deal with the hem later). Plus the sides of the dress weren't on the straight of grain anyway because it was quite full in the skirt and they dropped a bit. So I bought one of these for levelling the hem. The dress needs to be on the person who will be wearing it so you do need a second person to help, but it was easy enough that my DH could do it. https://www.wawak.com/cutting-measuring/marking-chalk-pens/marking-tools/skirthem-marker-29/#sku=sm1

I made my second Fibre Mood Gabby. I'm really pleased with it, I made a few modifications and they worked out, it fits well and it's very comfortable to wear. Things I would do differently/things I have learned: I would use less crispy/firm fabric, this is cotton and it creases easily which is not great when the construction of the puffy sleeves makes them nearly impossible to iron. I also wouldn't do it in grey, I do wear grey a bit but I think this particular grey is too cold for my complexion. I've also learned that I'm broader across the back than my chest measurement would suggest, which is a surprise as I'm an E-cup so I would have thought that I was quite broad across the front. So the pattern that fitted my chest measurement pulled a little across the shoulder blades when I tried it on. The skirt wasn't as full as I wanted anyway so I added a triangular piece to the middle of the back with the strip going horizontally instead of vertically. Lastly I learned not to use pink chalk on the right side of the fabric you can still see it where I marked the pinch pleats on the bodice.

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar i have the same fitting issue. If I choose a size based on bust measurement it’s often a wee bit tight across the back and shoulders and rather baggy at the front.
I learned this fairly recently.

Do you find that with all patterns or does it different by designer? I generally don't have any trouble with ready to wear so the back thing caught me by surprise a bit.

I guess as I go on with different dresses I will be able to measure the pattern piece and know whether to insert a bit extra or not.

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar I do have it a bit with ready to wear. I need to go up a size for jackets to accommodate my shoulders.

I found simplicity and vogue the worst, McCalls are better and New Look aren’t too bad. Of the independents I’ve had no trouble with SH7 and True Bias but Love Notions tops need work or they can look like racer backs. I haven’t made a top by Sinclair. I started having suspicions that things weren’t right when I was working out my sewing cup size and found that some tops I made were baggy at the front yet too tight across the bust at apex.

I need to make a sloper really

Thanks everyone! I think I'm going to do a casing and elastic. Easiest and we'll see how it goes.

If it's terrible I'll make t-shirts instead!!

Thank you for the new thread! I'm wondering what sewing machines you all use?

I have a Janome CMX30. It’s about 8 years old. I really like it. I had a borrowed Brother before, the one that’s about £80, and the Janome is miles better.

I've got a Brother FS210. I don't hate it but I do wish I'd been able to try out a few others as well.

I've always had Janomes, started off with an entry level one which I bought at the Knitting and Stitching show about 30 years ago, then upgraded to a mid-level one with extra functions and a quieter motor. Now I have this one which is great for quilting. https://www.sewingmachines.ie/shop/quilting-machines/janome-q/janome-horizon-8200qcp-special-edition/

My main machine is a Janome 8050XL. It does almost everything I want apart from twin needle top-stitching. It fucks that up every time.

My first machine was a Brother which I still have as my backup.

But then someone at work gave me their wife's spare when she upgraded so I have a second backup! That's an 80s metal-bodied Singer. Weighs a TON!

Ummm I also have an overlocker

I love my Janome though.

Yes, I want to try a few! But I don't know where that would be possible.

Ooh, I'm thinking of going to the Knitting and Stitching Show this year. But don't think I can hold off buying a machine until October!

@rivercobbler hobby craft or John Lewis should have machines you can try. Or a local sewing machine shop if you have one?