Sewing, the craft, fabrics, patterns, problems

How amazing! You could have a real kitchen table business there!

I remember your chef hat Serendipity22 ? Do you make these from kits or dream them up yourself? Either way I bet the GC love them.

AreWeThereYet I googled how to make a chefs hat. Made it and off it went abroad. Sooooooo simple to make.... ?

GSM thats brilliant haha kitchen table business.

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Thè recent product from my kitchen table.

That's incredible. I really don't know how you do it. Amazing.

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Well it started it life as a boring blouse and now ☆☆☆☆

How on earth did you do that? Brilliant!

The word is patience, something that seems to emerge once I sit infront of my sewing machine, hahaha.

serendipity, I see that you are keeping the thread going, your work is indeed very lovely

I started my pyjamas, traced my size and did a quick toile with old bed sheet. It was fine, top is now made, it only took a few hours. Free pattern and nice enough to make as a quick top from very little fabric, it has a facing but you could easily use bias binding. It has a button loop at the back, not needed, very easy to put on without it. Just have to subtract 1.5cm from the cb back pattern and cut that on the fold. Open the fabric fully, flip one end over for front and the other side over for the back. The most economical way to do it

Free pattern
www.theavidseamstress.co.uk/search?q=drop+shoulder

I shall be tackling the bottoms later today

I went through my wardrobe yesterday, got rid of some wearable toiles and stuff that I bought and cannot alter to fit., lands end type stuff. The toiles were well fitting and I have made notes. I wore my hand made parka again today, it was a pattern in ottobre magazine, made 2013. Loved it to bits, burgundy with a hood and a cotton lining but I admit now that it is now far too big on me. Too complicated a constuction to try and take in. It has to go

www.ottobredesign.com/retail/img/browse/2013_5/all_designs.pdf

I now know what I need to make over the next year or so. A coat for spring weather, 3 woollen winter skirts, a dressing gown for spring to summer. A cycling envigado. Some more pyjamas for next winter. The wools all came, 1.5m each, machine washed on wool wash, gorgeous soft quality. I have the bright yellow drill for my cycle vest, awaiting cones of thread,

Programme now is pj bottoms next, then dressing gown. I ordered art gallery reduced cotton jersey, pima cotton ie quality, from minerva and it was reduced. Pattern is butterick 5963 view B. I already have that pattern. It will cost me roughly half that of similar from David Nieper

I used to make clothes karmalady but now I just do these bags.

When I made clothes I never used a pattern, I copied the measurements from clothes I already had.

clever lady serendipity

I found some double gauze left over from making the too big dress. I combined both for another pair of PJs. All now cut out with not a scrap to spare. I redrafted the pants pattern, to take an inch off the rise and another bit off the leg and I copied that again, in case I lose weight in the future. Put to one side for now

I want my dining table back, I use it extended for cutting and it makes my kitchen/diner look a mess. This afternoon, I will cut the cycle vest and am really glad that I don`t have to alter the pattern. I do a forward shoulder on every pattern and a rounded back on many. Age thing!! The dressing gown fabric has not yet arrived, it can wait a bit. I am going to hunt for some reflective tape for the vest, make it safer even though it is a bright lime green

I have made two nice tops from double gauze, one was called the whisper blouse, nice to wear and very soft. I have two more lengths in my stash. I absolutely don`t recommend dg for a beginner, it is the pits to tame for sewing and is generally not opaque. It is also delicate to sew and can easily be pulled. I am not buying any more

I am at the point when I can recommend the pattern, the pj bottoms by the avid seamstress. Bearing in mind that the pattern leg length is 31" I had to shorten by 6". It is the easiest pattern and even easier and quicker for me because I missed out the mock ties and did not want the pockets. I made them in one hour this morning, just waiting for the waist elastic to arrive from amazon, 3cm which I didn`t have in my stash.

There is a bit of curve finessing on shortening by so much, I kept with size 6 all the way down, (equivalent to uk 16/18) and had to use my french ruler to grade the pattern neatly. DG fabric moves and stretches so easily, I did all the seams ,apart from waistband, on my overlocker with 4 threads. The DG fabric needs a different differential, the bottom feed dogs need to move faster so 1.3, is very good. 1.0 means that the dogs move at the same rate and the top fabric moves faster

The pattern is pricey, instructions are very simple with photos. I can see me using a more stable fabric for winter indoor pants, maybe a warm loop back fabric. The more I use the pattern, the better value it becomes and I will use it again, often. Winter indoor pants will have the pockets

I had some free time yesterday and have prepped the butterick dressing gown pattern, I shortened it by 3" as I don`t want it at my ankles, sleeves are 4" shorter. Fabric is washed and now drying flattish indoors. It seems to be a simple sew

I only have the butterick dressing gown sleeves and hem to do. I have been very methodical, butterick instructions are brief and you need an assumed knowledge about eg when to finish seams, when to trim etc. I have hung it on my dressform and it really is lovely. The pattern says to use a fabric with some stretch so cotton/elastane is perfect, there are bits where to have to ease one bit more than the other

Obviously the big 4 patterns are better value for money as they contain several items but I did miss being spoon -fed the obvious such as a final measurement chart. I did all that by measuring the actual pattern. I believe that butterick are generally made for the older, as in over 40, person. I am going to browse butterick patterns and put some on my minerva wishlist, for when they have a sale

I did not like that flimsy fly-away tissue paper, you should iron it but that would have made it more fly-away. I also disliked having, somehow, to stuff it back into the small envelope

Today I am wearing a linden sweatshirt, I had to alter the neck to fit more snuggly but it is perfect now, in all ways. A useful garment so I have pulled out another piece of fine sweatshirting from my stash. I can run one up very quickly, 100% on my serger. I am also wearing a pair of hm pants, stylearc barbs made in bengaline. Bengaline is forgiving wrt fit

I had such a long break from sewing, thankfully my sewjo has come back, big time and I have been stash busting, well a small amount of it

Yesterday I finished a toaster sweater design number 1, I did the pattern and cutting the day before. No idea how it would be but I always have front neck riding up, old age high rounded back, so I always add 1/2 an inch to the upper back. Raglan sleeves so no forward shoulder needed. Easy to see a rounded back, sideways in the mirror. It has a turtle neck and I am short, so I took another 1/2 inch off the height of the neck and 4 inches off the sleeves, also graded out for hips

I bought the fabric a couple of years ago from makeat40, nice shop, eco sweatshirt fabric. It was thick and some joins were several layers, hence a broken needle on my overlocker. I get a much tidier job re SA by doing the first stitching on my sewing machine, very narrow zig zag. Then I follow the stitching on my overlocker. To get neatly into circular stitching eg sleeves, hems and cuffs, I cut out a rectangle and slip the cutout under the overlocker needles.

Result is a fab top, definitely one to do again and again

This morning I made a linden, so nice to have a prepped pattern. It has too big a neck for many but is very popular. It took me three toiles to alter the neckline but is now a go-to. Finishing ie stitching down the overlocked bands, I did that on my coverstitch

This morning I wanted a cool top from my wardrobe, its lovely, fit and flare and made in tencel. Very cool with almost elbow length sleeves. I remember altering the neckline, didn`t want the v so turned it into a lovely scoop, frech curve job. That was my wearable toile but nice enough for permanent wear, I found two more lengths of tencel and have cut out 2 more, circular cutter as tencel is slippery. One piece was left over fabric and the other was from 1m, with a handful of scraps left

What I have been finding very helpful re cutting: a cardboard cutting board by dritz, the second one in my lifetime. I can use that for pins and scissors on my small dining table, stable fabrics. For slippery stuff and rotary cutting, two large thin mats that clamp together, I need to extend the table for that. I keep the mats flat under my sofa

Pattern for fit and flare top was laundry day t by love notions

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Yep, I'm still at it and yep, my kitchen resembles a sweatshop !

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From this to that .....

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My friend asked me if I would make a bag to put her dogs treats in, he little dog called Bella.

The material is brilliant, paws, bones and WOOF on it...

That's brilliant Serendipity! Love it! And such a good idea to line with plastic, some treats are a bit messy and doggy noses poking into bags in search of goodies can be wet!

I am in process of pre-washing some absolutely gorgeous cottons that I bought in a sale over 6 months ago. I bought 3m lengths so each one is definitely enough for a dress length. I already made teenage dgd pyjamas with one length, the rest was all stashed neatly in my sewing room. I used a length that I bought at normal price pre-sale, made myself an itch to stitch celeste dress, very very flattering fit, beautiful quality. I download the pdfs and then get either the foldline or guthrie and ghani to do an AO printout. It means I have the pdf forever in multiple sizes. Much easier to get it printed, A4 takes ages on a home printer

There is a sale on right now
www.vintagesweetheart.co.uk/

I have made several beautiful garments since my last post. One pattern needed adjustment as the neckline was far too wide. The assembly line cuff top. I did a round neck using their addition, was easy and I did the high round back (1/2") and 1/4" forward shoulder. Both commonly needed as we age and extremely easy. The top I made yesterday to the new adjustments is a fab fit and that pattern is now a go-to. Only takes a bit over a metre of fabric

Today I am going to start a causeway bomber jacket, cut out months ago, for cycling. I have ordered a coat pattern the lagan coat. I have waited a long time to find the right pattern plus that gap in my wardrobe. I have all the fabrics needed to make the lined coat. German boiled wool in cherry, bought years ago

I made a style arc logan shacket, absolutely amazing. I had to take 4" off the length and 2.5" off the sleeve length. I made it in a robert kaufman shetland flannel from make at 40. I stuck my neck out at not making a toile first but style arc fit me very well. Every fabric I buy, except boiled wool, is washed to the max I dare in my wm. The flannel is fab, it is thick and I have been out in it and no wind gets through.

I hope you are all well, sewing is a very addictive process for me. Very methodical and keeps my brain working. Fortunately I can keep my machines and equipment out, used to be typical dining table space

I love sewing and I have different sewing machines depending on what I am sewing. I have recently invested in a new Overlocker (Pfaff) and a super duper Quilting machine (Pfaff). I dispensed with my cheaper overlocker as the blades weren't working and my Janome Quilting Machine which used to go into "a***hole' mode rather more frequently than I would have liked. My daughter took it on and it worked beautifully for her for a week and then reverted back to form. She would go through all the steps to trouble solve, give up, put it away and then when she got it out again, it would work perfectly again for a short while. She gave up too and bought a Pfaff!
I still have my 1952 Singer 218K which is a brilliant workhorse for the really heavy fabrics. It was in daily use in a Marquee company from 1952 to about 2005 and has never skipped a beat. I won't ever get rid of it.
My daughter and 2 daughter in laws both make handmade clothes; my daughter even makes knickers for her little girl as she is so small, you can't buy them. I am so pleased she is following in my Nan's, my Mum's and my footsteps. It is something we can enjoy together.

Ican, the machine investment is so worth it, I could never have afforded my good machines when I had a family but you cut your cloth etc and the wait was worth it. I learnt so much on an old singer treadle machine, it was solid as a rock and coped with use by me and 4 sibling sisters and my mum. I have managed to get hold of an old bernina record 930, reminds me of my young family sewing days. That will never be sold either and stands proud in my living room

I am wearing lifesaver kaftans now, I alternate a day each and then give them an airing by hanging from a door frame. I made two. Linen/viscose and supremely cool and like linen and wool, will air. Third year of wearing and they will last for many years to come

I used closet case charlie, long version, I had to shorten by a lot. Did the usual easy adjustments plus raised the v by an inch. Not difficult, place a piece of A4 under the v, draw an inch line up the centre and re-shape the v upwards, freehand or french curve. Then do exactly the same with the neck facing. Several online sewalongs for this pattern

emily culottes, lots of options, wonderful designer and drafting. 24 hours only $7 works out at £5.98

easy printing, layers eg if I want 12 waist to 14 hip, I will only print layers 12 and 14, so I get two outlines. Any more details re printing just ask

I bought that pattern just now
itch-to-stitch.com/?doing_wp_cron=1655801192.0553979873657226562500

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Latest bags, made for my granddaughters in Canada.

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Oops missed off a photo

yet again those are very lovely serendipity. It is so nice that you keep the thread going. I am only popping in now and then

Today I felt like doing that final pattern sort, it is a bit like paperwork, I avoided it for ages but I am now gripped. I have masses of patterns and needed to know what I had. I did the first sort/catalogue several months go

I used packs of business cards from amazon, 100 for £5 and a wallet that holds 300 for £8.99. I have two of these, so I can leave spaces. On the business card, I do an outline drawing in pencil with a brief description including fabric. I made categories eg dresses and lumped them in. Today I am going through my actual patterns and will be removing a few, too dowdy or too `full` for me

Categorised now in makers as a sub category in eg dresses. I find I am often mostly making from my favourite designers ie I know how much to shorten, also these fit me perfectly eg style arc, merchant and mills, jennifer lauren, ITS, love notions etc

This process is going to take me at least another whole day

I have been very happily sewing too, latest was a cocoon dress in cotton poplin (toile) which fits me so very well. Style arc adeline. I am trying to slow my sewing now, will be aiming for autumn and winter layers. Next might be kitt knit as a layering piece