Weekly Sewing Club Wednesdays 2-4pm

[Helen M]

@Elnnina I find a narrow strip on iron on interfacing placed on one of the shoulder seams (I do it on the back one) is sufficient to stop any stretching on a knit fabric. It's also softer against the skin than clear elastic. I have some rolls of Sewkeys tape that I bought in the US, but just cutting a strip is as easy. I also don't find shoulder seams stretch that much if I'm honest.

[Ohsewsimple]

@Helen M i also use very lightweight interfacing on the shoulders. But I have been known not to use anything on some garments and there really wasn’t a problem after it was overlocked. 

[Elnnina]

Again thank you to all  who  have given me plenty of ideas on my journey into modern day knits.  Over the weekend I intend to shorten all the sleeves on my M&S heatgen long sleeved vests I need to take about  8cm off.  I am still waiting for some really decent weather so I can wash my haul of knit fabrics so they can go out on the line to dry, I do not have anything to drape them over to dry indoors and some say do not tumble dry.  At least once they are made up they will be easier to manage rather than yards and yards of fabric to deal with.

[realale]

I've jumped the gun today and done my sewing this morning as this afternoon I'll be shanty singing between 2 and 4. I've just done some repairs so nothing major to report.
I did use my overlocker though!!! 

[fajita]

I’ve completed my flora blocks, and starting to cut out bits for my Braciosaurusessessesess.  Hope to do more a bit later, just giving my ‘cutting table back’ a rest.

[Ouryve]

Been busy, today, but did fit in 15 minutes hand sewing on my blouse, this morning.

[Bjay]

Just come down from SR.
Sky is darkening so son with damaged hand has asked if I'll drive him to surgery for a dressing change
I have done more than for a couple if weeks  and runner is beginning to look like,a runner and not a lot of unpicked blocks.
As I missed yesterday I'll maybe use tomorrow afternoon for sewing.  Can't see gardening being done

[Silver Rose]

I was quizzing this afternoon so I did an hour or so this morning on my dressing gown and fixed my mannequin Mimi back to the correct height, she has slipped down a few inches whilst wearing my heavy cape, now wearing the part finished dressing gown.
Dressing gown is ready for the side seams to be sewn and then the front band and hem to be sorted out.

[Stitches]

Got my quilt on the longarm started it a log cabin star measures 80 by 80

[Elnnina]

I have been here too, still messing about with the coverstitching on my vest sleeves, what a fiddly job it has turned out to be and I haven't finished them yet!!.  I do have a free arm on this machine, and I have also reduced the pressure on the foot, and I am still undecided whether I like this or not - still they are only long sleeved winter vests so nobody is going to see them.

I just want to get these finished and out of the way so I can get on with something else, and this is taking far too long - perhaps what I deemed to be an easy job on these sleeves was wrong as it is quite stretchy and so difficult to keep lined up with a strip marker on the needle plate.

[SewRuthieSews]

Wow @Stitches that's a wonderful machine!

I've not been sewing but am matching old magazine sewing patterns (me, Essentials, Prima) back with the sheet with the picture, and planning to donate most of them.
(I had the page with the picture in a plastic sleeve in a folder and the pattern and instructions in a large brown envelope labelled with the number/month or whatever. This was how I stored my pattern in the late 1990s onwards. About 10 years ago I took a lot of the big 4 patterns out of the system, but never quite got around to the folders of magazine patterns!)

[Helen M]

@Elnnina Even with a free arm on my coverstitch machine I find it easier to turn the sleeve inside out and somehow get the foot to sit on top of the right side without stretching the sleeve too much. Usually the sleeve opening is too small for the free arm!

Hope that makes sense!

[Ellabella]

@Elnnina I do what Helen M does when faced with narrow sleeves etc. Turn the garment inside out and then stitch from inside of the sleeve. Much easier than trying to use a free arm on a narrow opening.
I’ve heard it called sewing on the inside of the teacup.
Sounds weird but once you’ve done it it’s so much easier.

[Ouryve]

My sleeves don't fit on the free arm on any of my machines (even Becky). When things do fit round it, they inevitably emerge wonky with pins missing. I've given up using them.


@Elnnina I wonder if a water erasable marker would help you keep your hem stitches where you want them, regardless of how distorted they are by stretching. The blue ones that you can get usually wash away completely, so long as you don't iron them.


Not having a coverstitch I would use a triple zigzag stitch for long sleeved vests. Possibly something to consider then try an easier stretch fabric for getting the hang of your coverstitch. Cotton jersey and interlock tend to be much better behaved.

[SewRuthieSews]

I coverhem my sleeves flat, then insert the sleeve, then sew up the sleeve seam and overlock it. I then thread the ends back into the seam with a large hand sewing needle. If you like you can machine tack the seam down (as per RTW tees).
This changes the construction order but is much easier than fiddling inside the sleeve :-)