Darcy Struble

What did I do with my thread?
It’s normally kept by the bed
‘Cuz I stitch in my sleep
Embroidering sheep

What did I do with my thread?
It’s normally kept by the bed

@thesimpson5 I am very sure Liesl and some other ladies will chime in here. I had a good look at the photos and from what I can see is there are wirnkles that are not “it’s too tight” wrinkles but “there’s too much fabric” wrinkles on the skirt part of the back dress. They are pointing away but look baggy which says to me you need to take it up…[Read more]

@thesimpson5 I am very sure Liesl and some other ladies will chime in here. I had a good look at the photos and from what I can see is there are wirnkles that are not “it’s too tight” wrinkles but “there’s too much fabric” wrinkles on the skirt part of the back dress. They are pointing away but look baggy which says to me you need to take it up…[Read more]

@thesimpson5 I am very sure Liesl and some other ladies will chime in here. I had a good look at the photos and from what I can see is there are wirnkles that are not “it’s too tight” wringkles but “there’s too much fabric” wrinkles on the skirt part of the back dress. They are pointing away but look baggy which says to me you need to take it up…[Read more]

Hi Jennifer I can confirm that French seams can be done on the side seams as I have done them myself. I did a 1/4 inch wrong sides together then trimmed to 1/8inch, pressed the seam and turned the whole side through to the inside pinned and stitched again using a 1/4 inch seam. The fact that the arm and body are intact should not make a difference…[Read more]

The culottes have a very dropped crotch, so this is one pattern where you’d probably get away with not making changes.
However, beware making such big size changes as you’ll lose the proportions of the pattern and could end up with something quite odd.
Perhaps you could make the 2T with size 4 leg length.
You could run a tape measure from front…[Read more]

I didn’t get very far with the Archers over the weekend. Between a poorly baby and power outages it was a no win. Instead I taped together a few pdf’s in preparation for the next things I want to make. I also traced and cut out a few more things, not too many mind. I measured the boy who seems to have slimmed out slightly (which is always good)…[Read more]

Replying to my own question… I’ve made these pants quite a few times now and I remove the basting stitches. The slight “openness” makes it look more like a functional fly.
I’m in the “remove them” camp.

@eboyd83 Emily a serger and an overlocker are the same thing, just US vs Aus/English terminology.
A coverstitch is the separate function which looks like straight stitching on top and serging/overlocking underneath. A coverstitch can be a stand alone machine or a combo serger/coverstitch.

Not to blow my own horn, but have you looked in the tutorials section of the Oliver + S blog? With just a bit of tinkering and practice, you can get a great, professional looking, and nearly unbustable hem using a twin needle.
A simple zig zag stitch will work well too, and if your thread colour matches well is not that bad to look at.

I finished 3 Deer and Doe tees and one drafted from a favourite body shirt (very fitted for wearing under shirts).

I am not sure what Modal actually is, @needlewoman (off to Google) but it is very stretchy with great recovery but tricky to handle.

I may have likened it to sewing snot 😉

Hi @eboyd83.

The main thing, with hemming knits, is keeping enough ease and stretch so that the hem doesn’t ‘pop’ when being worn or put on and off.

I have a cover-stitch machine (which is great when it works). Before that, I used to neaten the raw edge with a zig zag, turn press and then stitch with a large stitch (3.5) stretching in the fabric…[Read more]

Who would want to wash their face with a rag??? I am picturing old underwear and torn shirts covered in grease and oil – ergh! You’d never get that off your face!

No I think you are doing the right thing by making lovely linen tea towels😉 That will dry your dishes in no time and then dry themselves just as fast.

Today, it is supposed to be…[Read more]

@renee very often it is a case of the spammer not speaking English as their first language so this is why the language would be unusual. It is similar to things such as stories you would hear in current affairs regarding lonely people having money stolen from these people because they think they enter into a relationship with them. They pray on…[Read more]

That sounds like a great use of extra fabric. But I have to say that dish towels (we call them teatowels here) are required and necessary whether you have a dishwasher or not as there is always going to be some handwashing. It’s a bit like sewing. There is always going to be some handsewing.

At one stage linen was uses for bath towels aswell!

I…[Read more]

This black skirt is headed for the bin! It has lumps and bumps of half sewn buttonholes all over it and quite frankly I give up. i would rather just go buy some more black corduroy and start again. This time of course trimming down the seams!

So I sent just one lane raglan tshirt as I just ran out of time to finish the other before heading to…[Read more]

@liesl I know! I just want it to be right you know? I still have these little insecurities about my sewing even after years of practise. But it is about perfecting the skill. And despite show winning entries and the like my daughter loves the things I make her and she actually requested I make this. But I didn’t add the pocket she wanted so I have…[Read more]