General chat thread for BB girls who like sewing

[Shanti]

Hi girls/Mods

I'm guessing there would have to be a few people on BB that sew quite regularly?
Was wondering if we can get a "general chat" thread started for all us BB girls who love to sew things?!? It would be great to be able to bounce ideas and ask for help in a general thread just for sewing.... or is there already one? please point me in the right direction!


Would anyone else be interested?

[Pandora]

ooh sounds good

[Shanti]

Yay Pandora!

[lindsaymaree]

Sounds Good! I'm in the process of learning now, so no doubt i'll be hounding everyone for tips and help very soon!

[Pandora]

I need to learn to hand sew i can only machine sew.

[Laranna]

Good idea Shanti! I'm about to start on a pair of winter PJ's for DS. This will be my first proper sewing project following a pattern other than blankets! LOL...I want to learn how to make my own patterns as I have discovered I LOVE sketching ideas for things. But this is getting way ahead of myself as a novice sewer

[Shanti]

I knew this thread would gather interest pretty quick!! I knew I wasn't the only one who loves sewing!

I am also a 'novice' sewer and besides sewing in highschool, I have only just started it again the last year but on and off.... like I'll do it for a few weeks then have a break etc.
But at the moment I'm completely inspired with new projects and ideas and can't stop visiting fabric stores!!

I recently bought some gorgeous fabric from Spotlight on sale and a few other bits and pieces and I'm going to make DD another skirt and some pants also again.
I recently made some pants and a matching singlet for DD and a skirt that I did today while she was asleep!!! So easy! It was made out of a Bandana and another piece of fabric!

I have found websites that give tutorials about using up old tshirts and fabrics no longer required and using them to make clothes with.... basically recycling and it's so fun!!!!!

I am looking to make a pillow case cover for DD's bed next also..... a few projects in store! I look forward to being able to share ideas and info etc with others and help each other get inspired!!

[Laranna]

I was at Spotlight today! LOL. I was given $150 worth of Spotlight gift cards for my birthday a couple weeks ago, so I have been buying fabric and a few patterns. I got some polar fleece for some baby blankets and this gorgeous flannel fabric for DS's pyjamas that I"m about to make. It has fire engines and ambulances on it - so cute. Today, I found this gorgeous cotton fabric it's a light blue with flower patterns on it in pink/white/blue. Was thinking of a baby girls blanky with the fleece or making myself an apron.

That recycling thing sounds good Shanti. Can you PM the link?

I have borrowed some great sewing books from the library too. My project list is piling up lol

[Laranna]

Pandora, thanks for the quliting ruler info...adding them to my Spotlight shopping list

Astrid, love the costumes! You are very talented!

I've just started cutting out the pattern for DS's flannel pyjamas and have realized that my fabric is not wide enough by about 10 inches so I think I will make the top part as the pattern pieces for that fit and then buy some more fabric that is wide enough to do the pants....unless someone knows how to make it fit?

Also, it's a multisize pattern and I want to use the smaller size but don't want to mess up the other pattern sizes, so is it best to just trace the pattern onto some other paper and use that to get the right size? I have never used patterns before!

[kawazuki]

what i do is trace the size i want and keep the original looking pretty so i can use it for any size.
i use butchers or brown paper. anything that will hold the shap and is long enough etc so i dont have to many joins in my pattern

this is also how i make my patterns.

sometime sits a bit of a jigsaw puzzle maybe could you make shorts then make leg bottoms and have them kinda patchwork like>??

[Pandora]

I use baking paper to trace them.
You canbuy paper specifically for this purpose but Ive found baking paper works fine.

[*Beema*]

I buy this really thin material from Spotlight to trace my patterns, I wish I knew the name of it, but it lasts ages and no tearing when you put the pins in and out, it is also really cheap, wide and only a $1 or $2 m

[Astrid]

I just lay down the pattern piece, then draw around it with chalk, just trying to follow the lines I want by eye.

[Laranna]

Cool thanks girls. I couldn't wait to gt to Spotlight so I've just traced it out on baking paper. Now to just work out how to make the pants fit. The pattern is a few cm's wider than the fabric. Kawazuki, thought about that but it's not the length, it's wider at the front and back seams.

[kawazuki]

can you turnit on a diagonal or something? if its flannel it shouldnt have too much stretch so diagonal stitching wont affect it to much. or do you have enough to put a stip down the leg so say make it 3cm short from front seam to side seam then add the strip down the legs??
dont know if that made sense, so on the side you will have 2 seams

[Daydream Believer]

If you are making something without a pattern, do you make it out of a cheap material first or make you own pattern with paper first?

[Pandora]

I'm not fussed, but I don't know much about dressmaking or other stuff and would like to learn about that too

[Astrid]

Tough one. Part of me would prefer the quilting specific chatter to be in its own thread, but then there is some cross over with everyday sewing and I can see that people may write about both in the one post.