Bad Sewing Days

[jen]

I'm having one. The seam ripper has been used, and used and used. I can't seem to get my head round basic techniques. I've stitched WS tog instead of RS tog 4 times so far. Is it the rain?

[SkoutSews]

Me too! Only I don't seem to get a whole day's sewing at the moment. Yesterday I unpicked a collar, sewed it on the other way round, decided that it was right the first time so unpicked and resewed yet again. Today I attached the sleeves (this is just a very simple cardigan that should take a couple of hours) and managed to sew one on WS to WS. 

[Acorn]

Today wasn't one, but I definitely do have days like that.  Like the time I sewed the front leg to the back leg of a pair of trousers with one upside down - on both sides.

Actually, today I did forget to grade between two sizes for my waterproof coat when cutting it out (and of course it was the smaller size I cut), but thankfully only two pieces needed replacing.

[classical retro]

Thank you for sharing? I decided to adjust a dress I had just finished to get a better fit. I think I made every mistake going and the final result was not much improved. I felt such an imbecile. I will not be beaten though, I'll save it for Spring, it's a summer dress.
CR

[b15erk]

Your post has cheered me, I often have days like this, but I thought it was me being dim.  I now see that it happens to many of us.

My excuse is, that I have very few full sewing days, and usually just grab a few hours here and there.  Also, I do have a bit of a 'Gung ho' tendency, and barge ahead hoping that things will turn out alright....

Jessie

[charlotte]

Yes I have days like this all the time! Sometimes everything goes so well and other times it is just one silly mistake after another!

[Catllar]

Plan - attach piping to seam allowance and add frill using "gathering and attaching all in one go" foot. 15 metres.  faffed and fiddled and reached the end and found I had no bobbin thread after the first 30cms.

Start again. All done, now to overlock the edges - remember  15metres?  All stitched on, piping in, gathered, attached, overlocked - fabric up wrong way - pattern upside down.Unpick.  Gin bottle.

[SkoutSews]

Blimey Catlar, that is a bad sewing day.  No wonder you reached for the gin!

[jen]

Murphy's first sewing law, 'thy bobbin will run out on a tricky bit, never on a long straight seam'.

[Catllar]

Blimey Catlar, that is a bad sewing day.  No wonder you reached for the gin!

You know what they say - "s..t happens"!  Just keep quietly repeating the silly amount of money  client is paying for this dress and suck it up!

[Catllar]

Murphy's first sewing law, 'thy bobbin will run out on a tricky bit, never on a long straight seam'.

Oh my sister how right thou art!

[Greybird]

I don't feel quite so bad now I've read this. I decided to make V9004:

http://www.sewdirect.com/acatalog/Vogue-9004.html

which I've had for some time. All the reviewers said it was easy and really nice so I sat down happily to get on with it. First of all I had trouble with the zip. Twice I tacked down one side only to find that I had the whole thing twisted right round (it's a long zip). Then when I got it in I had a nasty little kink in the seam below it. Then it was the sleeves. They are two part sleeves and I used a different fabric front and back so it was more important than ever that the seams matched perfectly. Not a problem I normally have - I pin through the middle of the seams so that it can't move. Four times I did it and it was out every time. Having solved that with gritted teeth, the next problem was the hem. The right front looks like an overlay on the pattern, but it isn't. It's joined to the left front with an ordinary seam that pivots back in a right angle. That makes a really messy arrangement for the hem in the front. All in all I feel it is a real dogs dinner of a garment and I feel that all these years of sewing have seen me go backwards in terms of skill.

Going away to Devon for a few days tomorrow - I shall have a cream tea every day to soothe my bruised ego.

[jen]

Your post reminded me Greybird of putting in an invisible zip back to front three times, ripping it out each time. Now, every time I put one in I talk myself through it, putting the zip down, folding the turnings under, grabbing and pinning them from underneath. Pathetic huh!

[SkoutSews]

Greybird, it's really an extension of Murphy's Law, but don't you find that once a thing has started to go wrong, it will continue to do so in any and every possible way?  Enjoy your cream teas, you've earned them!  Just don't drip the jam down the front of the new top.......

I find it very difficult to think inside-out and back-to-front, which is unfortunate as it's an essential skill for sewing/dressmaking.  Jen, I recognise that. I too go through the invisible zip drill every time I have to insert one - start off with how it should look when it is finished, take a good grip and turn it back on itself to work out how to pin.  Then I get it twisted and have to start again 

[Ohsewsimple]

Oh yes.  I don't get whole days but last Saturday  afternoon decided to finish grandson's tee shirt.  Just had neck band to put on.  Made one the other week in a flash no problem.  This one the band went on and off twice and then had to cut another one.  Of course it was overlocked and cover stitched too!  To be honest the whole weekend was pretty awful one way and another so I shouldn't have been surprised.