The sewing thread

nannygladys

Hi everyone

It's my resolution to have a go at making a quilt this year.
Not a posh one because I've never made one before and it will be with material I have already so it will be the quilt of many colours.

I love sewing but I'm not particularly good at it and I like to make something for a reason.

Nannyg

fuddle

penny witch I don't know if I was supposed to enjoy your post but I did welcome to the thread. Nannygladys I'm on with my first quilt, although it's my second as I bodged the first up. It can be done by a novice (because I'm doing it ) but if I could pass on some mistakes that I made so you don't then job done.

Let the machine carry the quilt at it's own accord. I 'guided' *pushed and pulled mine and puckered all the backing.

Don't cut your wadding and backing to size till the end because it all shifts during quilting

Don't start at one end and work through to the other. Try to work from the middle outwards.

Don't skip on the basting stage. This is what will save your sanity.

My second is made from 3 inch squares as I cut all my 5 inches out due to refusing to unpick the whole quilt when I got to the end and realised that I had no backing and wadding left... the quilting process moved so much it all puckered and was swallowed up.

I will succeed this time as I'm learning from my mistakes I'm on with row 4 of 32. I'm not enjoying it as such because I'm still annoyed about the first try failing and starting again with little progress is a bit galling but get me to row 16 and I'll let it go

To machine sewing the most beautifully frustrating craft that I just can't seem to leave now.

maryb

Fuddle my DD started with raiding my stash to make herself a quilt because her room at uni was freezing. She got really into quilting for a couple of years but refused to let me teach her clothesmaking. But when she graduated she needed formal work clothes and they cost a lot whereas you can run up a shift dress from a metre of fabric. we have a lovely stall on Bromley market which sells really nice wools for very reasonable prices and a haberdashery stall as well so if she could master simple dresses she knew she would save a lot of money

But fitting is the thing that puts a lot of new sewers off and I knew she would need to do a Full Bust Adjustment because patterns are drafted for a B cup and girls have fuller figures these days even when they are far from fat. So as she wouldn't listen to Mum (what do I know, after all?) I booked her on a one day fitting course as a Christmas present and after that there was no stopping her. She actually loves all the tweaking to get a good fit, she finds it really satisfying.

She's well ahead of me now in what she's prepared to tackle and it's a great hobby for her. All this in a really short space of time. And it started by sewing squares of fabric together. I look forward to coming on this thread in a year's time to find out what challenging garment you will be tackling next

fuddle

At a 34K I am lost re: adjusting the bust maryb but I have my sights set on a tunic/long sleeve pattern from Tilly and the Buttons. It will be my reward when my quilt is finished but I am worried about it all. My normal way around it is buy a size 18 top but I'm not an 18. I struggle on the high street so if I can master it myself then I really will be addicted to the craft. Thank you

culpepper

The first sewing I did was trying to make trousers for my teddy. I was about 4 or 5 I think. I made them but they wouldn't fit him sadly because being so little I hadn't thought about leaving extra to sew the bits together. Dad ended up making me a pair himself from an old blue shirt of his. My bear wore them for years.
School sewing was a bit hit and miss. We made very dull things like a fitted book cover for our exercise books.
I bought myself a machine when I was about 17. It was an electric singer and I carried it home balanced precariously on my bicycle.
I made a few shirts very badly and mended a few things.
When the kids were little I used it to make new wool coats from some adult coats and lined them and they were the best thing I had ever done. Then later I made fancy dress costumes which were then used as dressing up clothes in the garden.
My daughter has the machine now ,waiting for her in her bedroom for when she gets the urge to make something.
I have a new janome and an old brother embroidery machine which I get out and play with now when the urge is strong :P

maryb

That's the problem I have too Fuddle. When my middle age spread a bit, my shoulders didn't come out in sympathy like an old fashioned trade unionist.

If you can get hold of the book Fit For Real People, it's well worth a read. What it basically says is choose a pattern for a top or dress by your high bust measurement not your full bust. So take the tape measure round your chest under your armpits and add 2 inches. Then choose your pattern size as if that number was your actual bust measurement. That way it should fit you much better on the shoulders and upper chest, which are hard to alter to fit.

Obviously if you actually have more than 2 inches difference between your high bust and full bust then you won't be able to squeeze the girls in. So a full bust adjustment involves cutting the pattern and inserting a bit of extra tissue paper so you have extra room where you actually need it without going bigger all over.

If you can't get hold of the book there are loads of blog posts and YouTube videos about doing a FBA. It looks daunting to start with but once you 'get it' it makes a huge difference to the way things fit

Tarnlass

I hate shopping, the thought of it brings me out in a sweat. But when I go into my local fabric shop, I get all giddy. I bought a meter of a dark gray fabric and plan on using a tunic I already own as a pattern. It cost me £3.50. The same thing in a supermarket was £18. It's a no brainer cost wise and I enjoy the challenge. Fab site.

jackyann

Well, I have a few projects in mind, but first of all have to finish up the odd bits of mending / altering - and came back from a weekend visit where a tiny relative disclosed that she is too big for the last apron I made for her!

fuddle

maryb wrote: »

That's the problem I have too Fuddle. When my middle age spread a bit, my shoulders didn't come out in sympathy like an old fashioned trade unionist.

If you can get hold of the book Fit For Real People, it's well worth a read. What it basically says is choose a pattern for a top or dress by your high bust measurement not your full bust. So take the tape measure round your chest under your armpits and add 2 inches. Then choose your pattern size as if that number was your actual bust measurement. That way it should fit you much better on the shoulders and upper chest, which are hard to alter to fit.

Obviously if you actually have more than 2 inches difference between your high bust and full bust then you won't be able to squeeze the girls in. So a full bust adjustment involves cutting the pattern and inserting a bit of extra tissue paper so you have extra room where you actually need it without going bigger all over.

If you can't get hold of the book there are loads of blog posts and YouTube videos about doing a FBA. It looks daunting to start with but once you 'get it' it makes a huge difference to the way things fit

Thank you maryb. I have bookmarked the book for a later date. I have looked at full bust adjustment on youtube and was boggled by it all. I think it's one to do as I go. I will suss it though.

Thank you for the suggestion that I was catching the thread underneath because the needle wasn't at the top. I've just stitched a row of patchwork taking care to lift the foot when the needle was high and not once did I have the problem. Solved. Much appreciated.

loocyloo

[IMG]http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/<a href=http://s1331.photobucket.com/user/tjpollard/media/20170107_204741_zpsftbaqauy.jpg.html rel=nofollow>[/img][IMG]http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/<a href=http://s1331.photobucket.com/user/tjpollard/media/20170107_204741_zpsftbaqauy.jpg.html rel=nofollow>[/img]Well, am delighted to say that the waistcoat I needed to make, has been made, and is, even if I say it myself, excellent!
my plan to make 2, and sew them together, thus avoiding the need to have to hem/bind all the edges worked, and it has made a neat edge. I was going to top stitch around the edges, but then decided, that as I was sewing sequins round the edges, that would do.
i'll try and post a picture of the finished article, but here is the finished waistcoat!
its the first thing I've sewn in a long time that didn't consist of straight edges, or extremely rough sewing as in the case of school costumes!


edited to say, that I can't get the photo to show! I will try again!
edited again to say HELP! can't do it! ( and I've read FAQ and I'm doing what it says! - using photobucket, which I use on other forums! )