Today my tension is fine so I finished the underwear, patched a pyjama top, added a hanging loop to a towel, and started assembling a bucket hat I cut out ages ago.
It feels so nice to be back sewing again after a few days of being too unwell.
I'm also back to listening to A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs https://500songs.com/ after a long time of being too fatigued to take in new information. I'm on the episodes from last August.
#500SongsPodcast #sewing
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
I made a trial vinyl thing, a storage pack for my sewing machine needles. The walking foot helps with vinyl but if I were making anything bigger I'd want to use baking paper I think.
Today I'm really tired. I need to make a pillowcase for a body pillow -- ideally I should make at least two -- but when I unfolded all my salvaged-for-rags bedsheets I found that none of them can give me a piece of fabric 52cm x 150cm, so I'm using the bought-new bedlinen I got for making cloth masks in 2020, and some of the also bought-new decorative cotton I got for their exterior layers. I'm sorry for such a long sentence, I was too tired to write a shorter one.
This pillow is 5cm shorter than I am.
For three days I have practiced embroidery before getting dressed. I don't think I've done any embroidery before but this is a good way for me to avoid perfectionism -- these are my Sewing Practice jeans in a colour I don't like. I'm learning about dealing with thread twist, mainly, so far.
I'm assembling the things I need to trace out a pattern for a dress with a built in bra. A1 drawing board balanced on the edge of my desk and two random table legs, A0 printout of the pattern in all its sizes and variations, previously traced top, so in theory all I need is to match up the skirt.
I ironed tissue paper from packaging and traced skirt patterns onto it. Next to get the bodices on.
I've run out of salvaged tissue paper and ordered a roll of pattern paper from William Gee Haberdashery in Hackney. Also a Fiskars *recycled scissors* which is pretty exciting.
I've prepared my traced pattern pieces ready to lay out on cloth. I've done things to make this durable because I know I'll use the pattern often.
1) After tracing, I put Scotch Magic Tape over all the lines before I cut out, so the edges are reinforced.
2) There's a t-shirt version and a dress version. The skirt pattern piece goes on the bodice piece at a certain point - I drew a line there, covered it in scotch tape, and can tape and remove the skirt from that easily.
I'm well enough to start cutting!
My cutting mat has developed a huge curve. I've laid it flat with things on top of it to even it out. Ho hum.
I've laid the pattern piece out on the fabric and now I'm resting again before cutting. If you look closely you can see the excess fabric spills off the edge of the table, but don't worry, it's supported by another little table you can't see.
#sewingI've cut out all the pattern pieces and now I'm trying to decide how to add pockets at the side seams. What's a good shape for a pocket bag? I'm sure once I decide on one I can use it for everything.
#sewing #pocketsI think Eldest has a skirt with perfect pockets, I'll get them to give me the skirt perhaps
I cut out the pocket pieces
I sewed each piece to the correct place on the dress piece
I sewed around the pocket bag
Next I'm going to top(under?)stitch the seam allowance so the opening might be smoother
And finally sew the side seams either side of the pocket opening, possibly adding a bar tack or something.
I hope this is correct, but we shall find out soon.
I had to change the thread on the machine for the next bit of dressmaking so I patched my pyjamas. I made them in early November 2020 from a pattern I took from some shop-bought pyjamas I already had.
The fabric has really, really faded! Wow.
I've finished the dress. I just need to take photos but also note that my easy -thread needles for handsewing are easy-snap. Oops.
I finished the dress but it's too cold today for the recipient to model it! The skirt pockets these are based on can hold a Nintendo Switch.
#sewing #pocketsI think my next project is to use up scraps rather than cut into fresh fabric. I don't have any ideas so I'm just going to sort my scraps by size and stitch them into strips of patches, trim the edges straight, and assemble them into a rectangle of some kind. I'll see how big a bit of fabric I can get and whether any patterns or motifs emerge. And then I'll make something from it.
#sewing #patchworkEmptied my bag of woven scraps. Cut strips of tissue paper from bra packaging into rectangles. Used that to guide me in making regular strips of patches.
#sewing #recycling #patchworkSomeone keeps their multitool in their back right pocket, so this evening I unpicked the lower third, ironed in a patch, and sewed the patch in place with dark blue thread across and orange thread on the original seam lines. It should take longer to wear a hole big enough to lose the tool now.
#mendingTrying to mend headphones. If this works I'll move on to mending a more expensive pair. I can't get the needle from the outside of the donut into the middle so I've run it from the inside out only, so the central part is held only in four points, the edges just sitting between the parts of the headphones, and then stitched around the edge of the outside. It's really tiring. I'm stopping for a bit.
#mending #sewing #repairI'd really like some help describing these images, because I don't think my captions help.
This would be a much neater method for someone with better fine motor control. I'm going to try a slightly different method for the second earpiece, after I've rested.
The second one works better and is simpler. Again I put a single stitch at each compass point on the inside for the inner ring, but this time I just did running stitch around the outside, used pins to hold it in place, pull it tight, tucked in the edges, and wrapped the ends of thread around the circumference and knotted it. Cotton thread broke so I switched to unwaxed linen.
#mending #sewing #repairSewing machines are so clever. Reversible bucket hat sewn with green thread on the green side and orange thread on the orange side.
I started cutting out another hat and then realised the cotton hadn't been washed, so I stay-stitched the raw edges and put it in the machine at 60C. I'll iron it dry on the linen setting and then consider it sufficiently stress-tested to sew with.
#sewingIt's the first time I've stay-stitched before washing, I have great hopes that it will reduce fray. I didn't do the selvedges, obviously. (Self edge, the obvious etymology is the correct one, which is delightful).
Today's hat! Bicycles and leaves. Yesterday's hat is the one with flowers in orange and green.
Today I'm hoping to make myself a blouse using the pattern I used for a test dress a while ago. I'll have to start by tracing the pattern in my size and doing a full bust adjustment. I'm really tired.
https://mastodon.art/@artbyailbhe/109871051932192003This YouTuber has at least two videos on how to do a full bust adjustment on a princess seam and I find them easy to follow. I think I understand how to do this tomorrow. https://youtu.be/pdLLEIb0SDk
#sewing
1) set up A1 table ✅
2) find A0 printed pattern ✅
3) measure self to determine size
4) cut out pattern pieces
5) do FBA
6) find fabric for mockup
7) cut out fabric for test garment
8) now draw the rest of the owl
I may not need to do a FBA. m going to try a first mockup without, hoping a minor fitting adjustment will do.
I'm not sure which days I did things on, but I've started the sewing on this mockup, including experimenting with the felling foot for finishing the seams. I can tell that when I get good at using it, it will really help, but the curves around the bust and shoulder blades are fiddly at the moment. I think my smartphone camera is trying to be clever with the gingham because it doesn't understand about photographing what's actually there.
Today I unpicked a bit, hemmed the facings, and understitched the facings to the seam allowances. And did a bit of pressing. I think tomorrow I might get to stitch the side seams? Unsure.
Ngh. There are fit issues I didn't realise until after the extra structure I added by finishing the seams. The photos are terrible but the bust is off -- a bit too high? -- and the waist is much too big. I wonder should I have made a size smaller with a FBA? At least this gingham has 5mm squares so I can figure it out.
#sewingHm. I think I just wanted a more fitted garment than this pattern did, but I am pretty sure I can adapt it. And then use the new paper pattern to make ANOTHER from scratch mock-up. And then make the actual dress. Fine.
The bust is too wide. The back is a good width but the front is too wide. And the side panels at front and back need to come in at the waist, which I probably want a little higher than the original.
I've found two places in this pattern where they say to finish off a seam *before I've sewn it*. Is this an overlocker thing?
I'm still wrestling the fit of this top. Flat felling the seams changes the drape SO MUCH and I'm hating it. I know that once I have a pattern that works I'll be very pleased but until then I'm CROSS.
I took some time out to patch some long johns at the knees, where the previous patches have given away. Bony things, knees.
I was right, I need to make a size smaller than my measurements and their chart indicates, and do a FBA.
https://mastodon.art/@artbyailbhe/110180571636890478
Attached: 2 images
Ngh. There are fit issues I didn't realise until after the extra structure I added by finishing the seams. The photos are terrible but the bust is off -- a bit too high? -- and the waist is much too big. I wonder should I have made a size smaller with a FBA? At least this gingham has 5mm squares so I can figure it out. #sewing
I do think the instructions that came with this free pattern make me disinclined to buy any patterns from these people, which is sad.
https://mastodon.art/@artbyailbhe/109874367672931136
Attached: 1 image
Here's my pattern pieces. I'm about to watch the video again with my pencils and scissors.
I'm doing two adjustments to this princess seam bodice. Lowering the bust point and a "full bust" adjustment. It'll be fine. I just ran out of sticky tape.
Copied out the new pattern, pinned it to the disassembled mockup, going to recut and make a new mockup. I'll have to piece a tiny bit on the side seam but I prefer that to wasting new fabric.
Ailbhe
Matt Cengia
EllenInEdmonton 
Jen M