The Sewing Room

hart44

Kandipandi wrote: »

You lot have been busy! I would love a girl to make for, my boys just won't wear those skirts

I have 3 boys and a girl and she wouldn't wear a skirt after the age of 2 in fact she is now coming up to 16 and has only just started to act like a girl :rotfl:

PootleFlump_3

Justamum wrote: »

The darts are there for shaping, so if you had made the size 12 and put the darts in it would have fitted perfectly too. By not making the darts you made the skirt bigger than the size 8!

You should go by the measurements on the pattern and ignore the size you would buy clothes from a shop.

Yeah I know what darts are for (and had I made a 12 like it suggested, it would have been huge even with all the darts.) I should have made a 10 despite what the pattern said.)
I went by the pattern size for the dress Im making based on my measurements and (as my sewing teacher confirmed) its at least one size too big.

I was only trying to help by telling Hart what I thought based on my experience of New Look patterns. I thought thats what this forum was for.

hart44

PootleFlump wrote: »

Yeah I know what darts are for (and had I made a 12 like it suggested, it would have been huge even with all the darts.) I should have made a 10 despite what the pattern said.)
I went by the pattern size for the dress Im making based on my measurements and (as my sewing teacher confirmed) its at least one size too big.

I was only trying to help by telling Hart what I thought based on my experience of New Look patterns. I thought thats what this forum was for.

Thank you Pootle

rosalie-lavender

PootleFlump wrote: »

Yeah I know what darts are for (and had I made a 12 like it suggested, it would have been huge even with all the darts.) I should have made a 10 despite what the pattern said.)
I went by the pattern size for the dress Im making based on my measurements and (as my sewing teacher confirmed) its at least one size too big.

I was only trying to help by telling Hart what I thought based on my experience of New Look patterns. I thought thats what this forum was for.

You have helped me Pootleflump. I don't use New Look patterns very often and because you have posted that they come up big I will be very careful to check the measurements when I next use one.:) As patterns can vary, I measure the actual pattern before I cut it out rather than just go by what they say on the back. When I skip it is usually when I get caught out but I will be careful with New Look patterns.

Another thing to watch out for is Burda patterns didn't used to include any seam allowances, I think they do now. If anyone picks up any old Burda patterns second hand check whether the pattern needs seam allowances added before you cut it out.

rosalie-lavender

hart44 wrote: »

I have 3 boys and a girl and she wouldn't wear a skirt after the age of 2 in fact she is now coming up to 16 and has only just started to act like a girl :rotfl:

My daughter lives in jeans and converse most of the time. When she was in primary school she was in the football team and spent large amounts of time up the local trees. People used to say that it was because she had two brothers but they both hate football.

What gets my daughter into dresses is her passion for singing, she likes to have nice dresses for her shows. We spent a hilarious half hour in Primark after she landed the lead role in the school musical. She had to learn how to walk in high heels and needed some shoes to practise in. She found a bright pink pair and tottered around wobbling all over the place saying "how do you walk in these things?" whilst me and about 3 other mums that had gathered to watch killed ourselves laughing. She did master it in the end and the show was very good but it is back to converse and plimsolls for most of the time again.

jasmine_lotus_flower

xxvickixx wrote: »

I bought some lovely fabrics yesterday on the market. Kandi, they had the strawberry fabric too with the same print on a navy, white or pale yellow background. I ended up choosing white but now wish I'd gone for the yellow. It's such a pretty print and so Summery.

Now need to decide what to make.

How i envy you lovely ladies getting fabrics off the market stalls, nothing like that where i live anymore, though we have a Boyes. Remember Chesterfield market was good but not been there in 25 years. There was a fab stall there i used a lot.

Georgiabay

danables wrote: »

I need a hug, Iv had such a bad day my 1 year old broke my sunglasses and my 4 year old just wont listen to a word I say, im so stressed, anyway rant over, I managed to make a peg bag. Please feel free to leave me a comment on my blog otherwise I feel like im talking to myself!

Hope you're feeling better today.
Your peg bag is great - I was going to make one with a washing line on but I don't need to now. My daughter was throwing away a pvc coated tote bag so I'm using that. I like it as I've got certain pegs that I only use as a last resort and ones that are coloured which I can't use with articles that don't match (where's the roll eyes symbol when you need it?) With this I can look down into it and see what's there.

Oh, and I read your blog all the time and love all the things you make but don't know how to leave a comment. I have commented on here, but looking back at your blog I realised that I never said at the time that your hobby horses are amazing. Such bright colours.

xxvickixx

Ah Danables, what did you use for your hobby horse stick? I'm thinking of asking on Freecycle for an old broom!

hart44

Hi everyone
realy ticked off, I spent ages doing my dress, I cut it to size 12 as I thought it would be better than the 14 (as sugested on the pattern) so I played it what I thought was safe as Pootle had said New Look patterns come out big and boy did it I can fit 2 of me in it :rotfl: now got to unpick it (I should have done a 10).
Oh well I will know next time to do New Look patterns to my size 10/12.
I going to get that book Rosalie sugested and have a go at altering patterns to fit me

Wee_Jo

dizzytina wrote: »

Jo welldone:T That clutch purse is fab Did you follow a tutorial at your class? i would love to make one if you have instructions:D

Thank you Dizzy T! I have the pattern for the bag and Libby, my teacher is hopefully forwarding the instructions to me - which I can give you, no probs. I would like to make another one as a pressie and also to tackle it on my own! We had 2 choices, the type of clutch purse that I made or a rectangular, flatter type of purse, so I am going to try and make that one too.

Kandipandi wrote: »

Jo your purse is fantastic! I am not suprised you were delighted with it, do you know what else they have planned for you to make?

Thanks Kandi! I think I am going to be making a bag next ( I can choose which class I go to based on what I want to make. I think next week is a hat, but I am not going to that one, as I think I'd like to tackle a bag. I think I will also be doing a cushion too.

rosalie-lavender wrote: »

I was busy most of last weekend making my daughter another dress. She has a big thing for checks and tartan at the moment and a slight punky streak.

and the back

Wow!!! This is amazing! I would loved to have had this dress! I'm not sure if your daughter is into it, but I think it is very Gossip Girl

Thank you for everyone who commented on my clutch purse...I am still very excited about it! Have been shamelessly showing it off!

Yesterday I went to my friend R's house to have lessons from her, which was brill. My new project is a knee length skirt. So far I have made a block for it, my friend taught me how to do this, so we took my measurements and then used those to size my block (I am sorry if I am not using the terminology properly or getting it totally wrong!:o) so we drew it out, then cut it out. I used this to make a mock up of my skirt, which I made in a sort of thin lining-y type material. So I hand sewed it together (which was great as I have never done that either) and then I put it on to see if we needed to alter it at all. We didn't have to, so then I was able to start on my "real" skirt! We did out the pattern for it and cut the material and the lining for it. Then I started to machine sew all round the edges, which R told me was to prevent it fraying. This was quite tricky as I had to get it right at the edge and do a zig zag stitch looping over the edge, so it was hard to keep it straight! But I got better as I went on! The last thing I did was to stitch the darts in (which I had also had to do for my purse). So that's as far as I've got with the skirt, I shall be going back not next week to continue with it!

I find it so exciting that I am actually making something! R also gave me a book that she had found really helpful which is "How to use a sewing machine" by Simplicity (who I think do patterns?) so I am looking forward to getting stuck into that when I finish this epistle of a post!!! (Sorry everyone!) I think I have also decided that I am going to get my sewing machine quite soon, as I have now had the benefit of trying some out and also having some impartial advice on the different brands from people who are not trying to sell one! I think I am going to get a Janome, I am going to hunt around online to get an idea of prices, and also I might look into a second hand one....would you guys recommend that route?

Okay I think I have bored all of you QUITE enough for now (well, for at least 5 minutes!) so I am going to go now and read my new book!! Sorry for the mammoth post!!!

Jo