Sewing: The Lessons, The Frustrations & The Joy

There's a distinct possibility I've bitten off more than I can chew here, but as that's nothing new I'm not going to cry over it.

I'm finding sewing my own clothes incredibly frustrating. I can put together a garment quite easily ... unless it involves pleats apparently. I can insert a zip, sew a button hole (or rather my machine can), insert sleeves and sew collars that are even. I can construct a reasonably well put together garment, not perfect as I can't get my machine to finish edges without eating the material but all in all they're put together pretty well for someone that's been sewing on and off for about two months in all over the years.

But I can't make things fit me and it's driving me insane.

I'm too nervous to finish/ recut any of my current projects in case I can't get them to fit and then find it's a total waste of material. My shorts ... well, let's start with them shall we? Take a look:

About as unflattering as they could be. I ripped the waistband off last week and took the front and back middle seams in about an inch in total which helped some and reduced the sag at the back where my back curved in and the garment didn't (sway back?).

Unfortunately, the side seams (and the zip) are shaped for curves I just don't have and need to be taken in. I'm vacillating between ripping out the zip and taking in or just recutting the damn pattern in a smaller size. I cut size 16 to match my waist but even with the reductions I've made they're still way too big at the waist.

The full extent of my waist curve and the excess fabric and resultant gap at the waist. How can this be?? I've already got 6 darts along the waistline as it is (2 back, 1 front on both sides), I don't have room for more and it would spoil the line of the garment, right?

And what if I recut and it still doesn't fit? How the hell am I supposed to know if a pattern will fit me if I can't trust the measurements the envelope tells me? Why does this have to be harder than it already is? I look at Angie's (with the awesome scalloped edges) and they're fab. Why don't mine look like that? (yes, I'm wailing, I think I'm allowed, right?)

Simplicity 1683 on the other hand is going okay. Well ... I'm terrified of the amount of pleats required to make this dress. I have approximately 3 metres of fabric to pleat for the skirt and then there are pleats in the sleeves too. That's a whooooole lotta pleating! Oh, and the collar issue is still unresolved because nothing seems to match it - the fabric that's all creased at the front appears to be the sticky-outy bit before the collar proper (oh so technical me!). I think the collar is sewn to the curve at the top of the fabric fold in an n shape. I have nothing that fits nor a pattern with a similar collar shape. Whoopsie!

Oh yeah, and my seam binding tape is just the wrong shade of navy but I'm hoping everyone will be too polite to mention that once I, y'know, figure out how to actually use the stuff.

The bodice is only pinned because I'm terrified of having a repeat of the shorts on my hands and frankly I can't afford to buy 5 metres of fabric even though I now have a job (!).

Yes, I'm back at BBC Wales despite swearing I wouldn't work in telly ever again. The Drama department needed a hand, technically I'm PA-ing instead of my actually telly job, and I needed the money. It's also only for 2 weeks, there's a Starbucks on set and I get to hang out with old friends and past colleagues I haven't seen in over a year so there's some good to it but it does mean the sewing is at a standstill but with a better excuse.

I'm waiting for Mum to help take all my measurements so that I can start actually measuring the patterns properly (once she's shown me how to do that!) but in the meantime I think it's safe to say that I'm going to fail miserably at the Summer Essentials Sew-Along. I'm waiting on the red and white striped fabric for the tee and as that's just a straight bodice, no darts, no sleeves and no openings (other than arms and head and bottom I hope!) I'm going to sew that up as soon as it arrives. But for everything else? Probably not so much. This means, unless something seriously changes, I'm going to fail the Self-Stitched-September too, and that just chaps my butt. Any advice peeps? You've all been fab to date and I need a pick me up.

Hhhhmmm, I wonder if I'll get my name in any credits ....

Thanks for stopping by,