The sewing thread

purpleivy

I don't know if I'm 'lucky' as I have a dedicated sewing room, but this is because I work at home....sewing! It doesn't get used for much leisure sewing at the moment, but One Day!

Kittie, I have started to get strict about what stays and what goes. A year ago Christmas one of my customers turned up with 10 black bags of fabric for me. He had been working as a photographer taking pics for catalogues and consequently had all the stuff he was using for backgrounds. The first thing I did was put an ad on Freecycle and offered it. I had a lovely response from a lady who did am-dram costumes and sets. Twice since then I have offered her more stuff. It's great! She always turns up when she says she will! Now I'm no longer doing dressmaking for other people, just alterations and repairs, I don't need to keep as much in the way of fabric for toiles and so on. Another customer, whose job involved me purchasing rolls of calico stopped needing the job doing and he said keep the calico, so I have that too.

I have a whole page in my Bullet Journal dedicated to the list of household and domestic sewing that needs attention. One Day! I still love my job though. It allows me to work at home and give care to my elderly parents and MIL, also dd who has CFS/ME when they need it.

I have an Irish Dance dress alteration to complete and a blouse to finish for the friend I am visiting next weekend. A couple of other smaller jobs - jeans shorten and some mending for a customer.

Whatever you are sewing today, have fun and stay warm and dry!

[Deleted User]

I am giving 21 patterns to the cs and will soon be adding fabric. I have unrolled two long lengths of boiled wool from germany, maroon and grey, obviously for jackets and warm tops like top 24 but as and when. They are now on hangers in the wardrobe in that room but are heavy so one at each end. Luckily store moth hangers in there, no moths here but you never know about a new house. Really I am sorting and preparing for when I do find my new home.

I gave up for lunch but tbh it really is boggling and 2 rooms are now messy, sewing and bedroom as everything is being dumped on my bed. Next job is stretch cottons and I already know that the thin ones I bought online are going to go, not even good enough for knickers. So far I am appreciating the quality and honest descriptions from croft fabrics and have mixed feelings about girlcharlee, some good fabrics and some far too thin. However I am not worrying about it, will not be buying any more for many years

I have very lovely silk fabrics, was going to make a couple of top notch nighties back in the day

purpleivy

I too have SABLE Kittie! No need to purchase more fabric for a while at least!

Laura_Elsewhere

babs_103 wrote: »

I've only recently taken up sewing again since my DC brought me a sewing machine for my Birthday last year, so far I have made (drum roll please)............. a pin cushion

My question is, as I live in t-shirts would it be possible to make my own? I don't have a pattern but have brought a offcut of stretchy material from fleabay and was going to cannablise(sp) one of my old t-shirts to use as a pattern. If this is too silly an idea I will try and buy a pattern, but any ideas would be most welcome. I don't like the material used today for t shirts as it's too flimsy.

Many thanks x :A

I make my own t-shirts (and for my mum) and I don't even have a modern sewing machine, only a 1902 treadle Singer that only does a straight stitch!

I agree about the flimsiness of modern t-shirts but also the ubiquitous scoop or low-cut neck. I am nearly 50 and have lovely skin except for across the front of my neck/upper chest because it keeps on getting sunburnt. So I started looking for everyday t-shirts that cover that area - which they all used to do! - and found it very difficult to find nice ones.

Mine are a straight-across, "slash neck" neckline, but you could make a round neck or scoop neck easily enough. I like the slash neck as it actually means no front or back so I just grab the top and put it on
The sleeves on mine are a simple flutter sleeve so there is no underarm seam to bother with and so no awkward tightness or pulling in odd direction but at the same time my upper arms and armpits are covered which I prefer.

I can post a clear sketch if you want, but basically I cut two identical pieces, and then it's only side-seams and shoulder-seams to sew. Using thick cotton jersey you can just leave the cut edges as they are, but I got a bit obsessed with bound hems and I really love the way just a glimpse shows sometimes of the flutter-sleeve bound on the inside with a narrow velvet ribbon!

My pattern, such as it is, started from this blog post - only mine is not drapey and has longer less fluttery sleeves!

http://www.oneaviandaemon.com/how-to-make-a-draped-t-shirt/

Laura_Elsewhere

I've made the first start on presents for Christmas 2018 - Mum's agreed that she would like a lap-blanket for when they're sitting watching tv or doing a crossword together in the colder evenings. I made Dad a crocheted one last year, but I've suggested that when I next visit in March, she and I go and choose crushed velvet colours, and I'll do a very simple big-piece patchwork with very light wadding, backed with cotton or similar so it's not too slithery and will stay on her lap.

silvasava

Kittie - you got me started on the kondo thread! A large bag of fabrics gone to my local hospice craft shop. Including some beautiful lengths of Thai silk and some handwoven lengths from the middle East. TBH I've kept them so long (well over 10 years) and I know I am very unlikely to ever use them so they need to goto new homes before they end up dying in storage.
While I was having a clear out I came across a lovely remnant of black and silver brocade. I was looking to make a couple of 'posh' cushions for my bed and this will do nicely. I'm taking it as my reward for forwarding on all the other fabric!

[Deleted User]

Has anyone else put their fabric samples in a notebook? I did that last year and kept notes of composition, length and width etc. Anything washable has also been washed, so I am ready to start again. Just have to do a little more sorting today, the top shelf in the small built-in wardrobe. I have some thick felts in there, good for backing items that can mark wood or to make items like hm wooden coasters heatproof

halogen

My sewing is annoying me at the moment. I'd carefully handsewn and topstiched the 3 bits together only to discover they just don't fit into the bit they are meant to fit into. As this is the 3rd time I've had the problem with the pattern I'm thinking the problem is that the pattern just doesn't work. As its a pattern I got at a workshop last year it's not easily replaceable and I've not found an alternative on t'internet, or instructions on how to redraft the bit that doesn't fit.

So yes I'm a bit frustrated, after all that effort of clearing and cleaning the table, laying out the fabric, photocopying the pattern, laying it out, cutting, pinning. sewing.
grr

silvasava

How frustrating Halogen. Is there anything on utube that may give you an idea or solution? A friend of mine had a problem with a collar that wouldn't fit the neckline - all it needed was a few snips into the seam allowance of the neckline to enable it to ease! She'd struggled with it most of the morning. Funny after but not at the time. Hope you can find a solution.

halogen

Alas this is off by 3-4 inches and I know it's not supposed to be eased. I'm at work so Youtube isn't an option. I'll try and redraft it again tonight.