The Sewing Room

PootleFlump_3

HMO, I absolutely love your choice of fabrics. They look brilliant together.

Thanks to all who replied about my quilting dilemma. Very helpful so thanks.

ISOM thanks for posting your tips. I was hoping you would! Did you just cut up your calico and do charm packs already come in 5" squares when you buy them? Wondering if they would be better for me than a jelly roll. x

In_Search_Of_Me

PootleFlump wrote: »

HMO, I absolutely love your choice of fabrics. They look brilliant together.

Thanks to all who replied about my quilting dilemma. Very helpful so thanks.

ISOM thanks for posting your tips. I was hoping you would! Did you just cut up your calico and do charm packs already come in 5" squares when you buy them? Wondering if they would be better for me than a jelly roll. x

yes - all 5 inch squares and just had to cut the calico so did make it much easier...if you want to add some difference you could chop them diaganolly to get a three pointed thingy-whose name eludes me...triangle?!! The best thing i found when trying to decide was to find a quilt that I loved and then go from there...I dont like too froofy which is good cos Id have taken 3 years me thinks! There are some yummy ones here
http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/products/free_patterns.php
http://www.plainandsimplequilts.com/
http://www.google.co.uk/images?q=simple+quilt&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&sa=X&ei=9W5tTcfUNtSbhQetlLWPDA&ved=0CDgQsAQ&biw=1355&bih=560

I must admit mine was total emotional "thats the one" feeling - I just hunted online (for ages!!) and eventually found her! Enjoy the development - looking back I know that I would have to love it to spend so long on it so its worth the initial investment. The same with my currect quilt which is a bit more complex than the first but still squares - just lots more and smaller!!
hth?:D btw-moda are the ones who deserve the credit for the matching of patches - minus a few ikky stripy browny ones that I took out!!

Bunny200

Need advice
After a very painful and awkward session with OH trying to fit a muslin for me (lots of pin pricks and frustration trying to explain something to OH I don't understand myself!) I'm thinking of getting a dress form but I'm conscious that they are very expensive, I'm also conscious that I have lots of wobbly bits, esp tummy & saddlebags (TMI?) and unsymmetrical sides and I don't know how easily this will be reflected on a dress form. I've seen on lots of blogs people making duct tape dress forms which I guess would display these 'characteristics' better but are they worth it?

Does anyone have a dress form, either purchased or home made

Are they helpful or are they a bit of a white elephant?

I'm determined to get the hang of fitting patterns to my personal shape so I feel I would use it but I've just not had any experience of using one.

Thanks

wendym

A friend who worked in theatre wardrobe let me play with hers, and I could not get on with it. I don't think they cope well with asymmetry. She (stick thin, of course) was a trained cutter, and used the dress form just as a padded coathanger.

I bought a secondhand copy of the Vogue Sewing Book, and painstakingly followed the rules for alterating a pattern to accommodate narrow(ish) shoulders and a large bust, on a basic dress.

These days I am lazy, and don't really try to fit. I make mainly loose shirts, and a couple of favourite skirts. But I used the adapted dress pattern again for my daughter's wedding. You need to be patient, and do a lot of measuring, then slash the pattern as illustrated.

This is the book (but with horrific P&P from America):

http://cgi.ebay.com/1970-VOGUE-SEWING-BOOK-ILLUSTRATED-1st-HB-/250779279344?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item3a639c1ff0

hart44

nykied wrote: »

My sister has cushions similar to those - they're lovely. Bargain buy on the curtains!

I have twin needles too, no idea I needed a pintuck foot too...

hmo, your bag is gorgeous

Hi nykied you can use the needles without a pintuck foot but it makes it easier to keep the tucks at an equal distant from each other (if that makes sense :rotfl:)
This may help
http://www.ehow.com/how_4947949_sew-pintucks.html

This video shows how to use the foot, you can get a 5 or 7 pintuck foot, I went for the 5
http://www.sewingmachine-sales.co.uk/sewing_machine_info/video/57/pintuck-foot-with-decorative-stitch-guide.html

Hope this will help

jemtom

hi all, haven't been on in a while, here is one of my seat cushions for dinning chairs:

everyones makes are lovely, i love the quilt still not made a start on ds's but do have some fabric towards it, read that the best thing to use is fleece so going to go asda's for them as i saw some relly cheap and dunelm mill for the wadding.

Savvy_sewing

I have finally had help and managed to put two of my tote bags that I made last week onto Ebay. Bit of a risk as I did the starting price at 99p. But I have never sold anything on ebay before. (and still may not!). But I feel I finally broke the taboo mystery of Ebay that was stopping me from selling and only buying!.

hart44

Mooloo wrote: »

I have finally had help and managed to put two of my tote bags that I made last week onto Ebay. Bit of a risk as I did the starting price at 99p. But I have never sold anything on ebay before. (and still may not!). But I feel I finally broke the taboo mystery of Ebay that was stopping me from selling and only buying!.

Well done Mooloo :j I have my fingers crossed for you
No stopping you now then :rotfl:

Love your cushion jemtom I think I will have a go at makeing some for my chair

Savvy_sewing

hart44 wrote: »

Well done Mooloo :j I have my fingers crossed for you
No stopping you now then :rotfl:

Love your cushion jemtom I think I will have a go at makeing some for my chair

Well if it works, then I may be able to cover the cost of the fabrics that I have amassed from buying remenants, having remenants lurking from other projects over the years, when I was well, and from using clothing/bedding etc that I have or bought in charity shops.
Then again they may not sell at all. If not I may go back to the village and see if I can have a stall occasionally. Where I did sell the odd thing before ill health and moves got in the way.:D

hmo

PootleFlump wrote: »

HMO, I absolutely love your choice of fabrics. They look brilliant together.

Thanks to all who replied about my quilting dilemma. Very helpful so thanks.

ISOM thanks for posting your tips. I was hoping you would! Did you just cut up your calico and do charm packs already come in 5" squares when you buy them? Wondering if they would be better for me than a jelly roll. x

thank you i love that fabric too