Sunday Scribblings ending 19 April 2020

Thanks to all those who contributed to this Meetup.  Here's the information, minus all the sewing chat- what a busy lot you are with your machines.

Free patterns 

New  from Mood Fabrics. Trying to think of an excuse to make it, although I would wear a cami underneath it.
https://www.moodfabrics.com/blog/the-poppy-dress-free-sewing-pattern/

Samantha is definitely going to make this cheat’s short jacket kimono out of some wafty fabric she has found that will match my summer wardrobe... https://byhandlondon.com/blogs/by-hand-london/15132413-diy-kimono-style-robe-the-lazy-sewists-guide-to-the-art-of-distraction

  Questions

Samantha asked  “Do any of you use a pen for drawing on the fabrics? I’m looking for recommendations - I’m so sick of my rubbish tailors chalk and chalk pencils dragging across the fabric and not making a consistent mark / endless licking...”

Farina responded “ I have a washable blue pen which is good. I think there a lot of brands maybe Prym do them. I also have a pink one that disappears on ironing (and erasable pen one end) but tbh by the time I finish my project the ink has faded” 

Keeping you entertained

Interested in crafting? Kirstie Allsop will be back on Channel 4 on 20 April at 17.00 https://www.channel4.com/programmes/kirstie-keep-crafting-and-carry-on

Podcasts.   Samantha said her  favourite and the one she is catching up on previous episodes of is Love to Sew. Good topics, easy listening, light hearted.  I like "Dressed- the History of Fashion" https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/rhbsi-6641e/Dressed-The-History-of-Fashion-Podcast It covers all sorts of topics connected with fashion, both old and new. You can get several suggestions for sewing related podcasts ( and a lot more stuff as well) from The Foldline's weekly blog. Here's the link to this week's post https://thefoldline.com/2020/04/19/sew-reporter-19th-april/

Like reading old books? - "Lizzy Glen: or, The trials of a seamstress" published in 1859. Free download via Gutenberg https://www.gutenberg.org/files/4625/4625-h/4625-h.htm

Another download  "What dress makes of us", published 1897. Get the fashion tips from the end of the 19^th century.  https://www.gutenberg.org/files/11078/11078-h/11078-h.htm

Do you have any suggestions for markers, know of any free patterns  or entertainments that you think our members would like?  Please let us know with a comment.

Sunday scribblings ending 12 April 2020

Many thanks to all of you who contributed to the Meetup with suggestions, chat and photographs.  Below is some of the information that came out of the session, for the chat and photographs you have to join in the Meetup.  This week's session starts from now until Sunday 19 April.

Recommendations for using up pieces of material around 1 metre / 1 yard

Suggestions from Paige-
* PJ shorts
* Trim on other makes: collars, button placards, patch pockets, waistbands
* Small zipper bags to separate stuff in your handbag
* I think someone said they squeezed a Collette Sorbetto top out of a metre.

Suggestions from Barbara –Depending on fabric width and your size - a knee length pencil skirt, a New Look 6483 top or a slip dress out of just under a metre of 150cm wide. Make the front of a waistcoat in one fabric and the back in another. The Foldline had this blog post -https://thefoldline.com/2019/08/24/sewing-patterns-that-use-under-a-metre-of-fabric/

There is also this list on pinterest www.pinterest.co.uk/paceamos/using-1-yard-or-less-of-fabric/

Sign up for the Fashion and Textile Museum's newsletter to get small video clip episodes of couture garments. https://www.ftmlondon.org/couture-inside-out-balenciaga/

New series of Great British Sewing Bee to be broadcast starting  22nd April  on BBC1 at 21.00.

Free patterns  suggested by Paige- New free kimono style light jacket pattern available from Peppermint ,an Australian magazine.  They have quite a few nice summery and lounge wear friendly free patterns available from their site.             https://peppermintmag.com/sewing-school/robe-jacket/  

The next is an interesting trouser pattern.   How to draft Zoot Alors: https://wkdesigner.wordpress.com/2009/08/14/zoot-alors/  
The site has a few interesting self draft ideas. I've saved some of them down in case the site disappears (content seems quite old).

Sewing for the NHS. What to expect. There is a need for several things- bags to put scrubs in, caps or headband to keep hair out of the way and scrubs. Fabric and patterns may be provided for you or you may have to provide your own ( this includes fabric, thread and elastic). There are various requirements that these items must meet, this includes fabric weight, colour, pattern but all must be washable at 60 degrees to kill the virus. Each NHS group requesting items will specify their particular requirements.
You may have to collect fabric if provided and deliver the finished items or they may be delivered to and collected from you. If you want to do this you will need to research for yourself what will fit with what you can offer.

There are several groups on Facebook. One is For Love of Scrubs https://www.facebook.com/groups/1500699350098765/ I found this confusing.
There are some for different regions of London , this is for South London https://www.facebook.com/groups/518022602204292/ Another scrubs sewing network is https://scrubhub.org.uk/allhubs/
Their website and instructions seem to be very informative and well laid out. They are also on Instagram.

Patterns for Scrubs. Info from Wai about a simple scrub pdf that you can print yourself or get printed and posted at cost of £3-"I just received the one drafted by Sew Different - https://sewdifferent.co.uk/scrubs-paper-pattern-not-for-profit/
got Dottyprint.co.uk to print.
BlueSky Printing also offering printing - https://www.blueskyprinting.co.uk/"
it's £4.80 inc P+P for the pattern on A0 printed sheets.

There are also downloadable pattern links on the South London For Love of Scrubs Facebook page.
If you search Youtube there are videos for making scrubs, caps etc.

Donation site for Fabric for Sewists to make Scrubs, we need money to buy more fabric. If anyone would like to contribute any amount here is the site. https://www.gofundme.com/f/9b8srr-for-the-love-of-scrubs?utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet.

Anyone thinking of getting a new machine? Janome have some special offers. https://www.janome.co.uk/special-offers  

A useful trouble-shooting list of how to try and resolve problems with a sewing machine https://sewguide.com/troubleshoot-sewing-machine-problems/

Sunday Scribblings ending Midnight 5 April 2020

Many thanks to all of you who contricuted to the Meetup with suggestions, chat and photographs.

Mood Fabrics have just released a free downloadable pattern for an elegant bias skirt. Mood Fabrics have lots of free patterns.https://www.moodfabrics.com/blog/the-indigo-skirt-free-sewing-pattern/

 Giselle posted that she found some interfacings listed on the Empress Mills website, this is for face masks in a non-medical environment. Because interfacing is not woven is meant to make for a good inner layer between outer fabric and lining. Though not for medical grade masks:
https://www.empressmills.co.uk/sewing-news/face-masks/
 Home dressmakers are also sewing scrubs but again the website cannot not gurantee their fabrics' suitability in a medical environment. They are selling various fabrics that are more closely woven:
https://www.empressmills.co.uk/sewing-news/covid-19-fabric-scrubs/

Anita P. posted more information about Foundations Revealed, available until 8 April.
Second part of the free webinar by Foundations revealed: https://cathyhay.lpages.co/sleeve-workshop-part-2-mar-2020/ This one is about modifying the armhole shape to fit your body (with specific fitting issues), preparing the armhole and the sleeve head for setting the sleeve in and the actual setting in of the sleeve.
Third part: https://cathyhay.lpages.co/sleeve-workshop-part-3-mar-2020/ The topic is Victorian sleeves. I found this one a bit confusing, probably because I don't know enough about the general construction of Victorian bodices. Still very interesting.

Maureen mention some problems with uploading photographs to the London Dressmaking Club Meetup site.  Paige came up with these tips-  I find if the file size is large it can take a while to upload or sometimes it hangs it really big. I now use a free app on my phone to rotate, crop and resize the photos on my phone before I upload - Snapseed.  And for the images which are multiple photos combined I use another free app - Layout.

There was a shout out for sewists in South West London to help with sewing scrubs, see script in italics below.  I tried emailing the given email address on Sunday but have not had a reply yet.  I will update this blog with the result if I do.
 Scrubs for NHS needs your help!!

We are working with Kings in Peckham and St George’s in Tooting. Both Hospitals have confirmed that they are in desperate need of scrubs. Kings alone need 400 pairs. The in-house scrubs are used for the front line nurses which leaves other departments such as maternity, oncology and paediatrics without scrubs.

We have distributed many sets already but need more sewers.

We will provide you with the fabric already cut out ready to sew. Plus tape for the drawstring waist and facings already interfaced. They also require a drawstring bag for the nurses to be able to take the scrubs home in.
 Ordinarily scrubs are made to a very high standard and are fully reversible to save time for the in-house laundry. These scrubs can be a little more homemade as nurses will take them home and wash them.

All seams should be overlocked or zigzagged neatly.

To limit travel under lockdown we are primarily looking to recruit sewers in SW London.

If you are interested and available to start sewing please get in touch with Michelle on
07767 707689
Or email @
Michelle.sharpling@optimuse2e.com

The big news is that The Great British Sewing Bee is due to return  on 22 April- unless it is postponed again!

Scribblings ending Midnight 29 March 2020

Useful information  from the week's comments - Thank you Paige, Anita P, Vivienne and Tracy Davis.

Alice and Co Patterns are extending their size range gradually.  Currently there are only 2 patterns in their range that go up to size 22 but more are on the way.  If you are interested in being a pattern tester for up to size 22 then sign up for their newsletter as they give a shout out when they need testers.  Alice and Co are a lovely London based mother and daughter team.  They drafted the 2 free patterns linked to the V & A 's recent Mary Quant exhibition.- the Mini Dress  and the Georgie Dress.  Download them now if you haven't already done so.

Lots of on-line sewing events taking place. The SEWCialists blog have posted a list of some of them. https://thesewcialists.com/2020/03/26/good-news-in-sewing-sewcial-sewing-through-covid-19/
Anyone like to join the Frocktails on 4 April? - a chance to wear one of your special dresses.

Sewing Tips
Here is a tip from Mariella Walker's blog, a great way to alter a pattern for rounded shoulders and forward neck
 https://www.mariadenmark.com/2020/03/fitting-rounded-shoulders-head/?utm_source=MariaDenmark+Sewing+Newsletter&utm_campaign=a6a58f4bc1-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_08_01_20&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_08112198fa-a6a58f4bc1-107101089&mc_cid=a6a58f4bc1&mc_eid=33eba9e5fb

 Nice clear blog post on how to add sleeves to a sleeveless bodice. I was looking for something just like this last year.
https://byhandlondon.com/blogs/by-hand-london/how-to-add-sleeves-to-a-sleeveless-bodice-pattern

 Foundations Revealed (http://foundationsrevealed.com/) will be open for enrollment on April 4, and as usual for them, they are offering a three part free webinar in the weeks before for a limited time. This time around it's all about sleeves (how to fit them, how to modify them, how to set them in, etc) and the first part is available here: https://cathyhay.lpages.co/sleeve-workshop-part-1-mar-2020/

Social Media 
 I viewed this youtube video by "Inside the Hem" on using Pinterest, Instagram and Youtube for sewing help. It was also interesting to me to learn how people make a living as sewists from these media. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt09PPuv-DM
 This prompted me to ask what social media members used.  Here are some of the replies.
For style -Trinny Woodall on Instagram  I believe she also has a Youtube channel
For sewing and style - Emily Hallman on Instagram .She also has a blog but the last post was in January 2020
If you like vintage patterns and seeing what people have made from them, Tracy loves these two groups - Vintage Pattern Nerds - https://www.facebook.com/groups/VintageSewingPatternNerds/ and We Sew Retro - https://www.facebook.com/groups/WeSewRetro/
Mimi G- sewing and style.  She blogs  and has a youtube channel with sewalongs and runs an on-line sewing academy for beginners.
On Facebook- Sewing in the UK and the sub-group Sewing in Greater London.  Also The Foldline Facebook page where you can ask for help with solving sewing problems from finding a pattern that matches a RTW garment, asking why your machine is misbehaving or showing a picture of a fitting problem and asking how it might be resolved. The Foldline also have a Youtube channel featuring reviews, style trends, and sewing news.
If you have a favourite on social media please let us know in a comment below.
If anyone has other suggestions for sites that provide help and inspiration, be it blog, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube or other media then please let us know in the comments below

Shut-in Sunday Scribblings

Scribblings ending Midnight 22 March 2020

Useful information  from the week's comments - Thank you Alix and Giselle

Free patterns.
1.https://www.mybernette.com/en-US/Sewing-projects.html.
2.  From Alix-Heidi Parkes’ #scavengerhuntquilt which is an 8-week long free sew along for a completely hand-stitched modern improvisational quilt. Heidi is giving a new clue every Friday over on IG. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa5hMffhvnp2utY_w9J0WfQ
3.  Useful list of Free patterns just updated- https://sewstainability.wordpress.com/2020/03/22/free-sewing-patterns-list-2020/#more-1777


Special Offers
1. From Alix- Gertie of Charm Patterns and New Blog for Modern Sewing fame is putting up day by day her complete 4-hour long tutorial class for her Lamour dress, this time on YT. This was a $75 class that she’s now giving away free for a couture style 50’s prom dress with steel boning etc. It’s in depth, complex and very beautiful if anyone feels like a major commitment! I’ve done 3 of her online classes and have learned so much from her, so this is a generous offering. The project is called Sew A 1950’s Halter Dress and is on her YT channel.
2. From Alix- I just looked at my old Craftsy now Bluprint account. They are offering 14 days free trial of the new all-access subscription model, and there are hundreds of courses in all aspects of sewing: pattern cutting, dressmaking, quilting, other fibre crafts plus lots of others so a lot could be squeezed out of a two-week access if you were disciplined! That’s over on bluprint.com
3. From Giselle- Jaycotts.co.uk has a half price Butterick pattern sale. Some quite nice designs, needs combing with a fine-toothed comb... Prices are around £4.75/£5.

Reccomendations, tips and other things
1. From Giselle - I can recommend Mettler's Seralene overlocking thread, it just flies through the machine! Because I use black for pretty much anything (except white and very light-coloured items) I can leave this on my overlocker and just go whenever I start a garment.
https://www.amann-mettler.com/en/products/details/action/show/product/seralene/
2.  Check out Giselle's blog post of 22 March 2020 with tips on fitting. The club blog is here .You will need to go to the Blog Archive to read this post, which is entitled "I came across this great fitting post"