The Sewing Room

Justamum

PootleFlump wrote: »

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.

I wasn't getting at you! I was just pointing out that by not putting the darts in the skirt was no longer a size 8. When I did dressmaking at school it was never pointed out that it was necessary to make clothes a size or two bigger than you would buy ready made, and it took me years to work out why whatever I made was a bit tight. Likewise with the bust sizes - I'm much, much bigger than a B cup, so bust darts ended up elsewhere on my body :rotfl:.

I'm just getting back into dressmaking again now as my previous experiences put me off, so I'm making a dress in a fabric which I've had for years and probably wouldn't find another use for (it's got a bit faded from being stored in a conservatory for ages) - if it works then I'll have a dress, if not then it's got me back into dressmaking anyway!

I'm a size 14/16, but am making this dress in a size 20 :eek:. But nobody is going to see the size label so it doesn't matter - I just want something which fits properly.

Georgiabay

Hart, that's so annoying. Was this the one that was supposed to take two hours?
Good job you've got a back up for the wedding do.

Bunny200

hart44 wrote: »

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

If you want to go one step further you could try drafting your own patterns to your own measurements! I use Cal Patch's book and found it great, if a little scary! So far I've made 2 basic a-line skirts but they fit better than anything I could buy or I believe any pattern as they are specific to me! I'm quite curvy so I can adjust the darts to accomodate the 'junk in my trunk'! I bought a New Look shirt pattern the other day thinking it I could make loads of great shirt so I made a muslin first to check it as it had loads of darts and parts of it were ok but others weren't; it was baggy across my shoulders so I've got the book back out and gonna draft a shirt pattern and see if I can do a better job. I think the critical factor about drafting your own pattern is to be prepared for a few fittings before the pattern is perfect, therefore I bought a double sheet from a charity shop for £2 for this purpose!

hart44

Thank you everyone for your kind comments and yes it is a good job I have a back -up for tonight :rotfl:

Justamum thank you for your advice, I do value all help sometimes typing something doesn't always come across the same way as talking and it sometimes gets mis-interpreted.

I went with Pootle in the end as she had used a New Look pattern and it was a baggy dress anyway and I thought next time when I make a fitted dress I would take your advice as the other pattern I have is a McCalls and might be a different fit
I am grateful to everyone on here as you are all great

rosalie-lavender

If anyone is interested the book Jo_Rourke mentioned is on the book people website quite cheap.

http://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10051_183856_100_48144__category_

One job on my list is to make myself some new blocks so I can cut my own patterns again. I had a set of blocks but they were my old college ones and not specifically for me so I threw them out. The trouble was I never got around to making some new ones.

Justamum

hart44 wrote: »

I went with Pootle in the end as she had used a New Look pattern and it was a baggy dress anyway and I thought next time when I make a fitted dress I would take your advice as the other pattern I have is a McCalls and might be a different fit
I am grateful to everyone on here as you are all great

It might be helpful to go on this site http://sewing.patternreview.com/news. On the left hand column you click on pattern reviews and you can type in the pattern name and number you are using. You can find some helpful advice on different patterns that people have tried - whether the instructions are easy, what alterations they made etc, whether the finished garment looked like it should. For some older reviews you have to register (which doesn't cost anything). A lot of people make a trial pattern (which they often end up wearing anyway) so they can make alterations before cutting out on their intended material.

hart44

Justamum wrote: »

It might be helpful to go on this site http://sewing.patternreview.com/news. On the left hand column you click on pattern reviews and you can type in the pattern name and number you are using. You can find some helpful advice on different patterns that people have tried - whether the instructions are easy, what alterations they made etc, whether the finished garment looked like it should. For some older reviews you have to register (which doesn't cost anything). A lot of people make a trial pattern (which they often end up wearing anyway) so they can make alterations before cutting out on their intended material.

That brill thank you

Wee_Jo

Wow. Looking at sewing machines online now. Totally confused! :huh: Any advice on what the must have features are and what are the "nice to haves"?

I think that I will using it for making purses, bags, cushions and also dresses, tops, skirts, etc.....is there a clever website that I haven't heard of that tells you which machines are good for what? Should I just go with whatever is the entry level Janome? Sorry to bombard with questions - need to "borrow" your expertise (I'll give it back, honest!)

Thank you for any advice you have.

Jo

no.1swimmum

Just finished making two fathers day cards - took the idea from an origami card that i saw but made them in fabric and sewed them down below the tie to hold in place, really pleased with how they turned out, now I am off to start on two passport covers with the help of my boys - not too sure if that is a good idea but I want to be able to say that they helped to make them, dare I let my 14 yr old loose on my sewing machine

rosalie-lavender

Jo_Rourke wrote: »

Wow. Looking at sewing machines online now. Totally confused! :huh: Any advice on what the must have features are and what are the "nice to haves"?

I think that I will using it for making purses, bags, cushions and also dresses, tops, skirts, etc.....is there a clever website that I haven't heard of that tells you which machines are good for what? Should I just go with whatever is the entry level Janome? Sorry to bombard with questions - need to "borrow" your expertise (I'll give it back, honest!)

Thank you for any advice you have.

Jo

I don't know what your budget is but earlier in the thread someone was looking at this machine and more than one person has recommended the site. There might be something on there that suits your needs and budget.

http://www.sewingmachines.co.uk/Janome525_info.htm

My essentials for a sewing machine to be used for dressmaking would be a one step buttonhole, zig zag stitch which the majority have now anyway and a variety of different feet including a zipper foot. A drop feed is handy if you are ever likely to want to do free machine embroidery. A variety of other stitches is also useful but not essential.

If you want to give the "expertise" back you can explain to me how you quoted more than one person in one post.:)