Stitch and bitch #7. Hanging by a thread

@NutellaEllaElla duck canvas might be the way to go - it's a denser weave than a standard canvas. Good luck with bag making, I struggle to be precise enough.

Lots of lovely makes and fabrics already on this thread. I do love the petrol colours.

My sewing machine is an entry level Pfaff bought last year. So far so good except that it can't wind bobbins for toffee so DS gave me a bobbin winder for Christmas.

For fabric marking I buy chalk pencils which without fail I drop on the floor so breaking the chalk. I then have to sharpen them until they are about an inch long.

I made the pictured bag over the weekend. Fabric matches a top I made last year. Going to youngest's graduation next week in Sheffield. Clothing needs to cover all potential weather conditions plus we are going for dinner afterwards. The fabric is brilliant as I can spill my dinner down it and it just adds to the pattern!

Got my machine working! Total dismantle of the bobbin area produced a tiny piece of fabric wedged in the mechanism. This viscose is not only slippery but frays! So it was full steam ahead and all machine stitching is finished. I am going to sew the bottom hem by hand (I've changed how it looks so not confident about machine sewing it....)

@NutellaEllaElla the problems I find are:

• thicker fabric makes all the points of connection that bit thicker.
• less space to play with when you have catches and zips to get round
• smaller items mean that lack of precision in stitching shows up

On the other hand if you are making a larger bag and not looking to line it these probably won't be problems for you.

The bag I made had a lining and batting so I used jeans needles but still managed to blunt a couple on the way.

I just realised I’ve never done any shirring on my new machine. My trusty old Toyota handled it well. It’s taken nearly an hour to get it right on the new one 😳

Now I’m looking through my wardrobe for things that need shirring 🤣

Hello ! ( lurker here )
I make quite a lot of bags of various styles and sizes - almost all for selling for charity . I find good quality curtaining material works really well , which also gives you a big range of patterns to choose from too .
Depending on what you are wanting , webbing is probably one of the best things for straps . I use this sort of pattern mostly , which can be used for craft projects or shopping bags etc . I haven't had any problems with getting through thick layers , but I tend to use a heavier duty needle

That's more shirring than I've ever done @Jins 😅

I'm OK with a bit of a gather, here and there on my clothes, but shirring isn't my thing at all.

Um , meant to say- I was given an absolute load of curtain samples , so I try to use these where I can . So these are made with said donated material one large , one small

@PickAChew I'm not a fan of shirring either (I think having a rather large bust might be part of it!) At my parents house there is a picture of me aged 4 in a dress with a shirred top- I know the dress was 1970s polyester (or worse) as I referred to it as the lightning dress 🤣

(I also don't understand the love of jumpsuits! I'm utterly the wrong shape now but when younger, and slimmer, always hated the need to undress to go to the toilet!)

I wasn’t keen on shirring but I’ve a few patterns that call for it. I’ve made two tempo sundresses with a shirred back panel and there’s a blouse I want to make with shirred cuffs.
Anyway it might be academic because I don’t think I’ll be making the sewmag Rosie any more. Turns out that I can’t stand the feeling of shirring round my waist 🤣. I’m looking at adapting it but there are very few examples online and I don’t have the time or inclination for a full rebuild from toile up.

So I’m pondering McCalls M8104 in view C. There’s a few nice insta examples with DawnMcCalls hashtag. It would solve the shoulder fitting issue as the sleeves look like dolmans with tweaks

I've made that Jins - I found it didn't have as much ease as I have come to expect from the big 4 patterns and so it was a bit tight when I did my usual size down but otherwise had a nice shape

I love those bags with the draw string liner!

They are really useful , aren't they GnomeDePlume 🙂. I like to put loads of pockets inside too . I made my daughter one , which she uses as a weekend bag. I make much smaller ones for craft project bags , as things cant fall out !

@pastabest Thanks - that’s good to know. I’ll probably start by cutting my size then. It looks easy enough to toile as well

Those are great @bookbook !@bookbook ! I have a similar sort of bag (shop bought) that I use to keep together my hams, odd needles and balls of wool that I need for a project but aren't currently using and so on. (no Idea why this tagged you twice but I can't delete the duplicate!)

I intended to sew all weekend. Inspired by episode 1 of this year’s Sewing Bee, I was going to make the Noodlehead Buckthorn backpack. I didn’t, I had a very chilled, no sewing weekend.
Today started by changing a pair of Solene Culottes into knee length shorts. They have been on my To Do list for 3 years, made them last month but they were slightly too short and I preferred the others that I’d made, so today they became shorts and they’re much better!
Then I made a Rebecca Page Olivia top from navy double gauze, itks a T and T for me. It’s lovely, so comfy.
Then I went out for lunch, got drenched and cold in a downpour and have come home and traced a Phinney Ridge cardigan, I’m about to cut it from burgundy Broderie anglaise jersey. I have decided to sew it on my machine and not serge it as I don’t have the right colour threads, so now I need to get some Maraflex!
So a productive day, not sure when I’ll have time to get the cardi cut or sewn!

I've never done shirring...

I'm making a toile of the Style Arc Richmond Utility skirt. Hopefully a wearable toile as I'm using an old duvet cover which is pink with huge white polka dots.

late to the party: what's an overcasting foot/stitch?

@Brefugee it's a foot which is like an overlock foot, it wraps thread around the edge of the fabric using a zigzag stitch. It can't cut the fabric though. Neater than just using a zigzag.

You can also use an overlock foot to sew a rolled hem and as it has a little fabric guide, it can be used to sew a line that stays the same distance from the edge of the fabric. A bit like a 1/4 inch foot.

My machine came with one and I love it. It’s one of my most used feet 😊

NutellaEllaElla mine gives a really nice seam finish. I used to french seam or bind all my seams as I have an irrational dislike for untidy seams, but I’ve had to do that much less since discovering what the overlock foot is for!

Sorry I meant overcast, not overlock. Or at least that’s the one that I have is called (see picture).

I used to use mine all the time but not since I bought my overlocker.

Talking about sewing machines the other day inspired me to have a look at my vintage trestle machine. It’s more than vintage, it’s antique!!! The serial number dates it to 1888. I’m going to clean it up first and then decide if I can get it working. It definitely needs a belt but I’m not sure if I need to find any other parts

Good winter project

ah thanks - i have used them in the past but i have an overlocker now, so i guess it's obsolete.