89 replies to this topic

[AdLibitum]

Really??? Oooh! I've been binge watching it ever since my sewing course finished!

[Hedgehog]

Yummy - a brand new series of the Sewing Bee!

Yes - threw Mr Hedgehog off the settee to watch his football match on the small TV and I enjoyed the Sewing Bee in glorious technicolour and HD. Very good programme, lovely crowd of sewists, and the right person went home at the end.

[AdLibitum]

But Joe Lycett is no longer there.

[Hedgehog]

But Joe Lycett is no longer there.

I think Sarah Pascoe will settle in well.

Personally I preferred Claudia as presenter (unless Sarah improves a bit), but I'm happy to put presenter in the background and am determined to enjoy the sewing.

[AdLibitum]

Now I've watched it, I agree about Sarah. I wasn't that keen on Claudia, I admit. I just found it far easier (and more entertaining) to watch Joe for some reason.

I think the new location is stunning.

[Hedgehog]

Submerging spam.

Also saying how much I'm enjoying the Sewing Bee!!

Thinking I might need to make some bunting for Queen's Jubilee weekend! 

[Bagpuss]

Love Bee. Would love to try but wouldn't know where to start.

Sewing-Bag X

[musicalmalc]

If anyone recalls Damian from last year's Sewing Bee - he plays guitar in the swing band I play in, he previously worked installing computer networks but has now changed career and after doing some work with the textile department at a local 'university' has landed a job on a P&O ship working in the costume dept! We all urged him to take his guitar with him and make himself known to the ship's MD just in case as he is a rather good rhythm guitar player.

[Hedgehog]

Love Bee. Would love to try but wouldn't know where to start.

Sewing-Bag X

Ah! That's how I feel about all these cooking programmes! 

[AdLibitum]

I'm reading through a pattern (I swear they mark them "easy" just to make you feel bad about yourself!) and the seam allowances are 1.5 cm. That seems huge. Whyever would one need that much when most of it will get trimmed off anyway? (I'll be overlocking the main seams.)

My fabric is 112 cm wide rather than the 115 cm the pattern calls for, so I could do with saving some width. The fabric is cotton. Is there any reason not to make the seam allowances say 0.7 cm?

ETA: some of the seams will have piping (unless I chicken out on that!), does that matter re the seam allowance?

[Norway]

I can't do sewing or cooking, but enjoy the programmes anyway. Overlocking is what I do to my house due to being paranoid. Well done to all you brave folk who are taming your machines, taking on complicated patterns, doing battle with challenging fabrics, and putting your fancy embroidery out there!

[Misterioso]

I'm reading through a pattern (I swear they mark them "easy" just to make you feel bad about yourself!) and the seam allowances are 1.5 cm. That seems huge. Whyever would one need that much when most of it will get trimmed off anyway? (I'll be overlocking the main seams.)

My fabric is 112 cm wide rather than the 115 cm the pattern calls for, so I could do with saving some width. The fabric is cotton. Is there any reason not to make the seam allowances say 0.7 cm?

ETA: some of the seams will have piping (unless I chicken out on that!), does that matter re the seam allowance?

 

If you are overlocking the seams anyway, you could save a little there, especially as the fabric you are working with isn't slippery when sewing, and isn't given to fraying.

 

Sorry - can't help with the piping as I have never done any. But if you are not overlocking those seams, it seems wise to allow, say, 1 cm, to be on the safe side.

 

Are you making anything exciting?!

[Hedgehog]

I'm reading through a pattern (I swear they mark them "easy" just to make you feel bad about yourself!) and the seam allowances are 1.5 cm. That seems huge. Whyever would one need that much when most of it will get trimmed off anyway? (I'll be overlocking the main seams.)

My fabric is 112 cm wide rather than the 115 cm the pattern calls for, so I could do with saving some width. The fabric is cotton. Is there any reason not to make the seam allowances say 0.7 cm?

ETA: some of the seams will have piping (unless I chicken out on that!), does that matter re the seam allowance?

I reckon you should be all right with the 112cm width of fabric.

Is your pattern one that comes with, say, 3 or 4 sizes in it? Are you at the top end of the sizes? If not, then the pattern layout will be set out for the largest size in your "size grouping" and if you're a smaller size there will be fabric at the sides to spare.

If you're overlocking then you could reduce the seam allowance as Misterioso says (are you happy that the pattern will fit you ok and you won't need to allow a little extra here or there?).

Also, not experienced with piping, but presumably you won't pipe the side seams, so any seams that might be piped you could allow the uggested 1.5cm?

Good luck - let us know how you get on.

[AdLibitum]

Overlocking is what I do to my house due to being paranoid.

[AdLibitum]

Thanks, Misterioso, that makes sense. I'm only making a pair of pyjamas, because it seems to be an easy-ish thing to do and if I mess it up, well, I can still wear it.

Hedgehog, the pattern is multi-size and I am at the lower end of the size grouping, so that should work OK. I'll check the sizing carefully before I sew it up, definitely. Good point about the different seams, too!

I'd actually bought the fabric to use with another pyjama pattern, but I later noticed that the top had raglan sleeves which I don't like. So I got a different pattern but that one requires more fabric, hence my problem. After mulling it all over for a LONG time, I think the simplest way would be to make the pants from the first pattern, which will save some fabric and the top from the second one, which has the sleeves I like.

As for the overlocker, I'd planned to buy it later, once I've learned yo use my sewing machine properly. But then with the prices of everything going up, I figured that I'd better get it asap. I'd used one in the sewing class and it seems reasonably straightforward.