[with love Heidi]

Vothgirl, seriously have a go with knits! Try the field trip raglan, the raglan sleeves are easier than the set in sleeves. The most difficult part is the neckband and the pattern pieces are perfect. If you’ve got a source of knit, old tshirts, maybe say I’ll make 3 shirts to see how I go. I bet by that third one you’ll be pretty good 🙂 And plain zigzag is perfectly acceptable for construction and hemming.

[vothgirl]

Ok you’ve convinced me, I’ll give knits a go ;-). Don’t think I have that pattern yet, but now that they offer them in singles it’s probably worth picking up. And goodness knows toddlers go thru quite a lot of tshirts!

[vothgirl]

For sewing knits, do you recommend using ball-tip needles on your sewing machine? I don’t think I’ll get around to trying the raglan shirt pattern before baby is born, but wanted to ask the question while I remember. Serious case of pregnancy/mommy brain going on here, I forget if I don’t ask or write things down right away 😛

[with love Heidi]

That’s an interesting question about ball point needles, in my experience the answer is that it depends on the machine! Growing up we only ever sewed with universal needles and only changed them when they broke, ie once every 5 years. We sewed everything including knits with the same needle. The Viking Emerald I had for a while was very fussy about needles, so yes I did use the ball point needle then. But my new Bernina 380 sews knits much better with a universal needle than a ball point! Which is great for me as it’s less needles to keep on hand when I can sew both the knits and wovens with the same needle.

Today I’m sewing with a 7 year old to help him make his own onsie. I’ve made the sleeves with mittens already and have it all cut out ready to go 🙂

[mkhs]

I’ve tackled knits this year (mostly kid pajamas w/ the Field Trip top and Playtime leggings), and the thing that’s surprised me most is how every piece of fabric is different. Unlike wovens, I can’t draw on experience to know how to handle it. I’m doing a lot of testing on scraps– different needles, stitch lengths, tension– until I get what I want. I try to remember to do a stretch test with each one, too, to see if I can break the thread. It’s interesting! So many variables– type of knit, amount of stretch, lycra or no.

[vothgirl]

Thanks @with love, Heidi and @mkhs for the tips :-). Pretty sure I have some old tshirts in a tub I was planning to use for a tshirt quilt (you know, someday when I finish all my other sewing – like that’ll ever happen!) that would work as practice rounds for the raglan shirt ;-). I need to buy some new regular needles anyway so I’ll start with those and get ball point if I feel the standard needles aren’t working well.

For reference I have a 10-12yr old Janome Memory Craft 3000 that my mother-in-law gave me as a hand-me-down when she got a new fancy computerized embroidery-capable machine. Aside from letting me marry her son, it’s the best gift she’s ever given me! Seems to work well with most fabrics tho it seemed a little aggressive/hard on the fabric when working with the voile I used for my daughter’s fairy tale Easter dress.

[Tamara]

I am in the middle of making a Late lunch tunic in finewale corduroy. The most gorgeous colour and I go and stuff it up by cutting two fronts and backs without swapping the pattern piece! I am really not happy with myself right now! It means putting this colour corduroy on my shopping list and cutting a whole new one from my second choice fabric. And Here I was wanting to wear it this afternoon to town!

Will have to rummage and see if I have another remnant somewhere to save it.

[vothgirl]

@justsewit Oh no, how frustrating! Corduroy sounds like such a wonderful fabric for that pattern (I’ve bought it but haven’t sewn anything from it yet), I do hope you’re able to figure out how to make it work. And I look forward to pictures of the finished product.

I just finished sewing the Cappuccino Tunic – managed to do the whole thing (not including cutting out) in one day, even working only during my daughter’s nap and after she went to bed! It was a really fun sew and I am really happy with how it turned out. Tho it’s a bit more snug than I expected; I’ll have to wait and see how it fits once I lose my belly/baby is born. It may turn out not to work as a nursing top – I have another one planned and will likely go up a size to allow a bit more ease through the front. Oh well…it looks awesome and will fit eventually, I may just have to wait a few months longer than I had hoped :-P.

I cut a Hide & Seek tunic (2T) out of the same fabric I used for my Cappuccino Tunic so that’s the next project on my list. I’m so excited to work on it after seeing all the amazing versions on Flickr!

[katybellabug]

Oh Tamara, how frustrating! I am guilty of doing that myself occasionally.

@vothgirl I have only been sewing with knits for a short time and have just started using a twin needle to hem with. I discovered there are many to choose from and predictably I bought the wrong one. I bought one labelled stretch thinking it would be ok, only to find it skipped most of the stitches on my cotton jersey. I did however try it again on a dress I re-hemmed for my SIL and that worked a treat. That was a performance knit, super stretchy. If you do buy one, make sure you check the usage recommendations!

I cut out 2 new school skirts for Boo on Monday. I am going with Music Class this time because I do love those pockets and pleats. I got completely wiped out on Tuesday with an illness and have only just recovered. Literally just started eating and standing up without wobbling. So housework aside I am back on the skirts and hopefully she will have them for school next week.

[Tamara]

Oh yuk! Katy! Illnesses are just horrible aren’t they, especially the ones that make the world spin and you wobble!

I ended up making the tunic but not from corduroy. There was no other remnant unfortunately and then I went and cut into some light blue pinwale corduroy I had had for ages and found out that I didn’t have enough – that was AFTER I starting cutting pieces out! Should have used the light pink instead. That is still sitting messily on my couch amongst a multitude of things that haven’t yet been used/ put away.

The fabric I did end up using was a stretch sateen print from Spotlight that again I had in the stash for quite a while. Nicole actually used this print for a dress for her youngest – sunki from memory. It kept calling to me and even though I had earmarked it for a traveller dress, i got it out out of sheer panic at the though of not having a successful sewing day, my only one this week so far.

I just have to decide on the buttons and then can take photos. I had to size it up along with the fba and so I think it worked.

Vothgirl, this is the kind of tunic that could work as a nursing top. It is meant to be oversized but it would work very well for maternity and nursing. I would do a muslin first to find out the buttons and where they sit but the bodice can be lengthened slightly to accommodate. I would give it a crack you won’t regret it.

[with love Heidi]

I had the lovely opportunity this morning to guide my 7 year old nephew in making himself a onsie. I had it all cut out and the mittens added to the sleeves and he pretty much did the rest! Including inserting his first zipper, adding stretched elastic to the ankles, using the walking foot and learning to control the speed of the sewing machine. It was amazing to sew with him and realise he has no idea that putting in a zipper might be considered difficult and wondering how much our preconceived ideas stop us having a go.

[Mama_Knowles]

I just bought and am now printing the In House patterns Blossom pattern! I can’t wait to start sewing this one. : )

[Tamara]

Oh yes! I was rather excited to see them up on the site. Can’t wait to see it Sharon.

Bit sluggish this morning – it’s hibernation weather! I will eventually get my act together and choose buttons. Then I am going to muslin my jeans and cut them out using my on the sale table denim. I plan to finish the pairs for the kids along with my own. It will not be a one day job so hopefully by Thursday they will all be done.

Right now though, warm up and then do something called housework!

[Linda]

Yey! Just finished my first Oliver+s make! I live in Wales UK and have fairly recently discovered the patterns and these forums. It is an ice cream dress for my youngest granddaughter, Rose, though I already think neck and armholes may be too small…should have listened to some of you seamstresses! I disliked the back opening method- will definitely change next time. LOVED the double hem. Messed up and put button loop a bit too high up but I can live with that. Buying paper patterns as I prefer them. Ordered bubble dress from UK and Seashore direct from Liesl, so got half price apple picking dress. If anyone lives in UK as well and wants to sell on any of their paper patterns, I would love to hear from you. I’d like to show you my dress but don’t know how to add on here. I don’t have Flickr.

[Linda]