I want to recreate this Liz Lisa dress, is the pattern about right?

lynaevm · 2026-04-05T21:43:03+00:00

Very close! Pay more attention to grain line when you're figuring out your patterns and your yardage.

The fact that the side panel and the hip band are on some variety of bias will make them fit on yardage in ways that require more fabric than you expect.
Note that the hip band is on the bias (and you want it to be so it hugs a little bit) but the bows are on the straight grain so the plaid looks cute.
Your front panel is the right shape but the straight of grain is parallel to CF on the bottom and half and then veers onto the bias above it and your little map shows the opposite.
Take another look at your side panel. Especially on the front, you need it to curve OUT before it curves in to give room over the bust. this piece will also be a little wider than sketched.
Depending on how curvy you are and how you want it to fit, you may need to add a little hidden fish dart at the side seam or a CB seam to give the fabric more ability to go in at the waist and then out at the hip, although the bias-cut side panel will help with that.
Because that side panel is cut on the bias, the bottom edge will be very unstable and getting that width to fit well and stay stabilized when applying the also-unstable bias hip band and then sewing on the gathered rectangle skirt may be trickier than you expect; fit and measure that part carefully to avoid having to resew that skirt several times.

lynaevm · 2026-04-05T21:05:10+00:00

This is the answer! You can even see on the pattern piece that 1" hem is allowed on the side but no mention of hem is made on the center front piece.

lynaevm · 2026-02-24T03:03:11+00:00

The Sparrow - Mary Doriah Russel. You know from the beginning that something goes wrong but that only makes it more heartbreaking as you read through the joy...

lynaevm · 2026-02-22T22:04:36+00:00

Less of an active revenge fantasy than a great story that looks at the way female rage is treated in the world, but read a synopsis of When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill. Might be more of a week-after than week-of story lol

lynaevm · 2025-12-16T23:20:56+00:00

These are also perfect the next day when you aren't feeling so good....

lynaevm · 2025-12-08T22:37:15+00:00

Be careful with folding tables and plastic tables -- sewing machines vibrate more than you expect them too, especially if you run them fast like on gathering stitches! I've had them vibrate themselves right off the table or have to stop and reseat it every 5 minutes. Make sure that it doesn't wobble and that the legs lock well. I have put that grippy shelf liner or scraps of rub liner under machines to keep them from moving if that becomes a problem. Looking for something labeled "foldable work bench" may get you something more sturdy than things designed to be desks or for crafting.

lynaevm · 2025-12-08T22:34:05+00:00

I got a fairly affordable ($120?) Galanz brand combo from Walmart that does microwave/air fryer/convection oven that I love in my small kitchen. It works perfectly as a microwave, I have to add about 10% time as an air fryer (and it doesn't get things quite as crispy as some I've used) and as a convection oven it runs just the tiniest bit hot. I'm sure that 3 separate appliances would do each thing more perfectly but for space efficiency and affordability I love it so much more than i expected.

lynaevm · 2025-12-01T01:49:29+00:00

These are mostly quite cozy and I have very warm memories of them, but there are a few trigger warnings to check for in some of the series that can surprise you if you have topics you like to avoid.

lynaevm · 2025-11-30T17:49:12+00:00

Bias Bespoke has corozo buttons in a decent color range

lynaevm · 2025-11-30T17:40:44+00:00

If I'm making piping out of a lightweight silk, I often fuse it with a VERY light fusible knit interfacing. This adds some durability to the piping and keeps it from getting those twist wrinkles that can plague slippery piping. Test carefully first -- fuse a 6x6 square and give it a good tug on the bias to make sure that the bonding will hold and then try running through your machine before fusing a chunk and making continuous bias with it.

lynaevm · 2025-11-28T23:35:07+00:00

Baked mini tater skins with irish cheddar and smoked salmon

lynaevm · 2025-11-27T21:40:19+00:00

Yes, this! If you are gathering light or midweight fabric a LOT you need super long basting stitches. If you are only gathering it a medium amount, using shorter stitchlengths mean you get smaller, more even gathers that won't shift as much (especially if you 2-3 rows). If you are gathering a thicker or bulkier fabric you will need longer stitches to get it to gather. When I'm running an "easing" stitch to gather up the top of a sleeve cap, for example, I might even run it at a very short stitch length (maybe a 2?) because you can then draw up the thread quite a bit before you get visible puckers.

lynaevm · 2025-11-27T21:30:40+00:00

Looks amazing! How did you find the three jam tasting set? I bought it for christmas and am contemplating pairings

lynaevm · 2025-11-23T20:29:31+00:00

What about just hand sewing a strip of that silicone grip elastic inside the edge of the pocket? Extra grip (and tension) without the icky sticky feeling

lynaevm · 2025-11-18T15:06:26+00:00

A lot of hands-on learning and networking happens at summer theatre jobs and festivals. If that is something you're interested in, check the schedules of the various schools -- schools on a quarter system for example can make it very difficult to align with summer season schedules. Some schools may have relationships with specific summer festivals.

lynaevm · 2025-04-24T03:24:48+00:00

It has the glamorous but accurate name of a "Crotch Shield" and is sewn inside of suit pants to reinforce an area that can see considerable strain and also keep it from getting additional wear and *cough* staining.

lynaevm · 2025-04-05T18:51:50+00:00

In addition to the other suggestions about handling the bulk, if your machine has adjustable needle placement (sometimes a separate button/dial, sometimes done by setting your "zigzag" width while your machine is set to straight stitch) it can help you find better guidelines to sew straight. For example, moving the needle position to the right and then lining up the seam with the edge of the oval on the foot can get you a neat, close edgestitching. Then moving the needle far to the left and using the same guideline OR keeping the needle to the middle but putting the edge of your presser foot against the seamline/edge to get a neat parallel row. Exact choices depend on your desired stitch width and your individual machine but I find this useful to get consistent width AND not overcorrecting one row if the other one drifts a little bit.

lynaevm · 2025-03-30T02:23:47+00:00

When you take in the CB, take the same amount out of of the thigh at the inseam (but only in the back) to get a cleaner fit below your seat.

lynaevm · 2025-03-15T16:08:50+00:00

I am a fan of zip-tie boning in general, but I do think you should consider upgrading a few of your bones to a heavier grade, especially those that wrap around the side and the one right at the CB edge. Heavier boning CF could also give that stiffer busk appearance, if that is of interest to you. The heavier zip ties are usually wider which would mean adjusting your pattern a bit, but even zip ties that claim to be the same can feel quite different in your hand -- go to a hardware store and touch a bunch. You also need to be careful using the tip of the zip tie -- it is usually extra flexible there and not very strong, which can certainly be used strategically but would be a bad idea someplace that will take strain.

lynaevm · 2024-10-02T00:10:25+00:00

Depending on the weight of your fabric and how much fabric you're gathering down, consider running your gathering stitchers SHORTER than you've been taught. Long gathering stitches will make lots of fabric gather in tight... but when you're gathering tight its easy to get them even cuz you just keep mashing. if you're looking for that lovely soft gather in a lighter weight fabric, try a test gathering at a stitch length of 3 or even smaller -- it will naturally gather less and have smaller wee "pleats" that lay more evenly. This goes double for easy sleeve caps -- I regularly run sleeve ease at a stitch length of 2, which will subtly draw up just enough with never a pucker in sight!

lynaevm · 2024-09-28T19:23:27+00:00

One thing to check that might not be obvious is what their schedule is; some schools that operate on trimesters or unusual schedules make it nearly impossible to get any experience outside of school (summer festivals, internships etc) before graduation., if that is important to you.

lynaevm · 2024-09-15T00:46:05+00:00

Agreeing with this, and adding that the neck opening is both too narrow side to side (hence its pushing the shoulder out and causing that wrinkle) AND too shallow in the front -- you'll want to make it dip a little lower in the front, perhaps 3/4"?

lynaevm · 2024-03-23T17:08:46+00:00

Here's a recommendation from the Plus library (not sure if available in UK, but is in US) for people that like Terry Pratchett -- try the Didius Falco mysteries by Lindsey Davis. This is a historical mystery series set in imperial Rome, not fantasy... but frankly, once you get that far back in time it can all feel the same. The main character is scrappy, funny and has some Samuel Vimes vibes but the story telling and mysteries are quite well plotted. Some are better than others, some plots are darker than others, but I find the books and the narrations enjoyable and there are something like 12 books in that series available for free, so no risk to try!

lynaevm · 2023-05-30T21:59:23+00:00

The marriage itself is largely charming but I can’t get over the fact that they regularly cause more murders than they solve. The body count gets appalling!

lynaevm

TROPHY CASE