Not exactly "House Beautiful" but never mind
We don`t eat a great many potatoes and I`m fed up with them going green or sprouting before we`ve had time to use them.  I don`t have room for them in the fridge and I don`t know if they should go in there anyway.  At the moment they are loose in a plastic drawer thing in the utility room and that`s no good.  So I`m wondering about making a simple bag to put them in first.  I assumed dark fabric would be best to stop the greening but most "potato bags" for sale look like cream calico

Any thoughts?  It won`t be on show so it doesn`t matter what it looks like

ps I know the ideal solution is to not buy so many potatoes but we are relying on supermarket deliveries at the moment and the options are limited

I am assembling a package of "extras" for a friend who has recently returned to sewing.  I thought I would include a bias tape maker.  I`ve got 3 Clover ones of different widths - I think I got the widest one when I had a go at bag making.

If you just had one which width would you find most useful?  And are Clover the best?  I have seen sets of 3 unbranded ones which are considerably cheaper but don`t want her to be put off by trying to use one that doesn`t work properly

Don't worry, I haven't got lost and ended up here by mistake. But I understand you ladies spend a lot of time binding things and I want to know if there is a good way to join two bias strips so you end up with a nice long bias strip with a nice neat diagonal seam - without spending ages trying to remember how to position the 2 pieces and then sewing the seam the wrong width so you end up with a crooked long strip

Last year I found what looked like a very good selection of  viscose / linen (suitable for summer trousers).  It was available in several  plain colours and there was also a choice of 2 weights.  I was intending to send for a couple of samples  but life got in the way, and I didn`t make a note of the supplier.

Any idea who it was?

I`m very partial to a bit of batik and am looking for some to make a dress.  Last year I had some really nice (but expensive) from Croft Mill but they have sold out of that quality this year.  I`m now looking at Doughty`s and Empress Mills - obviously they are aiming mainly at patch-workers so I wonder if it would be too stiff to make a dress?

https://www.doughtysonline.co.uk/quilting-fabric/batiks/new-doughty-s-exclusive-bali-batiks/

https://www.empressmills.co.uk/fabrics/quilting-fabrics/batik-fabrics

Any thoughts?

I buy most of my fabric online and when possible ask for a matching thread.  Otherwise I buy Gutermann Sew All from my local curtain fabric shop which has a good range.

I`ve just started making some curtains and have some thread which is ok-ish and I will use that.  But ideally I would have liked some a little bit paler -  and this has made me realise how difficult it is to choose thread online.  I was hoping that as I know the number of the thread I already have, it would be easy to view the ones that are similar - but I haven`t found a way of doing that.  The numbering seems to be totally random!

This was my first attempt at a pdf pattern and also my first cardigan (though Husband did insist it is not a cardigan as it isn`t knitted).

I can`t say it has converted me to pdfs.  I didn`t enjoy all the cutting out and sticking together but it was a free pattern!

My first hitch was that I misread the fabric quanitities and didn`t buy enough so this was my second choice.  In my defence I would say that the section listing the quantites is the least clear bit of the whole pattern and I didn`t realise I needed to add 2 amounts together.  I should have known that one metre was never going to be enough for a long sleeved cardigan but I didn`t until the fabric actually arrived!

The seam allowances are only 1/4 inch but I increased them to 5/8 as I don`t have an overlocker.  I was then pleased that I had some extra to play with for the sleeves as they are very narrow - you wouldn`t comfortably fit a long-sleeved top under them.

Overall I am fairly pleased with it but wouldn`t make it again.  The front band is rather wide and is quite high at the back of the neck - you couldn`t wear it over a shirt with a collar

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