I am sewing this dress New Look 6123 to wear at my son’s wedding in October. After doing 3 toiles I am happy with the fit ( FBA, high round back, fwd shoulder, add lining, shorten bodice,etc etc., bored now!). However now that I’ve hemmed the dress the hem is dipping on the side where the flounce and drapes are. The side seams are vertical and the hem runs at right angles to the sides. Should I secure the drapes with some invisible stitches or level the hem? The fabric is a beautiful John Kaldor crepe de chine which I have underlined.

I swear I’m going to throw this b****y machine out of the window!  All I want is to whip the machine out to do the hems on a t-shirt, supposedly a one hour make, but do you think she’ll play nicely? Of course not!  Sews most of the seam perfectly but throws in just a couple of skipped stitches and not even on a seam.  I’ve read all the threads about skipped stitches and solutions and even joined the coverpro group on FB.  Guess I need to spend time playing as I remember it took me a while to love my overlocker when I first got it.  Tomorrow I’m going to try El suk needles which I’ve just discovered.  I thought they only did universal ones.

My lovely husband agreed to build me a new sewing room, in spite of never having done anything like this before.  All last year we worked together, me drawing up the plans and doing all the research and he doing all the hard work.  Now I've got the most wonderful space and have already been very busy sewing.  The photos are my little Irish gallery, scenes from around Belfast, taken by my brother. I've never had anywhere to display them beforem  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  

I am looking for this discontinued pattern, available on ETsy but silly postage from the States.  Does anyone out there have one they don't want or can you suggest a similar style.  I want to make a peasant style tee shirt, fitted and not too voluminous. 

I decided to make my very fussy husband some shirts.  Armed with David Coffin's excellent book and my new weapon of choice (newly acquired and serviced Singer 201K 1954 model - great year by the way!) I started by making a toile using Burda 6874.  Then I made a linen long sleeve with a "grandad" collar in a white linen.  I hoped to practice techniques before I started the real thing.  The linen was lovely to work with and I was pleased with the results.  I used the patterns for a tower placket and a collar band from David Coffin's book but otherwise used the pattern straight out of the packet.  My husband is a cycling nut and, like many cyclists is very slim and a standard size in ready to wear.
This fabric from Spoonflower with a nod to the Tour de France had his name on it but was quite expensive and I was terrified of the pattern matching.  In the end I matched the pocket and the button placket with the right front.  With hindsight I should have cut the buttonhole band as a separate piece and then I might have been able to match both fronts and the buttonhole band.
I learnt a lot  by making this, using glue pen on the sleeve fell seam and on the collar, using a buttonhole chisel for the first time.  But all credit goes to my lovely old Singer, what a star for topstitching!
The only thing I am not happy about is the fit of the shoulders.  Can anyone help?  I suspect the culprit is sloping shoulders and/or a forward shoulder so should I alter the bodice fronts and back rather than the yoke as David Coffin suggests?

These books were published in the late 80’s and early 90’s and although the fashions are dated the techniques are still relevant and beautifully illustrated.  Books are in mint condition, some barely opened.  The titles are:
Tailoring
Quick and Easy Decorating Projects
Sewing with an Overlock
Sewing for Style
Sewing Speciality Fabrics
Sewing Projects for the Home
More Creative Sewing Ideas
Sewing for the Home
Timesaving Sewing
Creating Fashion Accessories
101 Sewing Secrets
More Sewing for the Home
Sewing Essentials
Quilting by Machine
Sewing for the Holidays
Sewing with Knits
Sewing for Children
Creative Sewing Ideas
Quilt Projects by Machine
Decorative Machine Stitching
Sewing Activewear
Sewing for Special Occasions
Quick and Easy Sewing Projects
Quilted Projects and Garments
Sewing Lingerie

I would like to sell the complete set of 25 books at £50.  Postage charges about £8-£10 to UK addresses for the lot.

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Anyone who lives in or around should visit Sew Sew Fabrics in Bexleyheath.  Claire the owner has just introduced a range of fabrics at £1 to £2 a metre, some gems amongst them.  If you can’t get to the shop she has a mail order service too.
I go on a Thursday evening for sewing club, a chat and a cuppa.  Check out the website for events and fabrics.
www.sewsewfabrics.co.uk and www.roundpoundfabrics.co.uk

Just up the road in Welling there is a haberdashery/alteration shop/wool shop called D&D Haberdashery. It’s like Alladin’s cave with buttons, elastic, ribbons, zips, threads, sparkly things, wool spilling out from every nook and cranny.  I bought some cones of woolly nylon for the overlocker, bundles of elastic and satin ribbon, all very cheap.  Only problem is that the owners are Turkish, I think, and don’t speak much English, but very pleasant.