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SewHayleyJane Admin

There are no mistakes... only lesson's learnt

We often talking about sewing fails or mistakes. But I think we need to reframe them into lessons learnt - even if that lesson is "won't do that again"!

So share what you thought was a fail or mistake but reframe it into a lesson learnt. 

· 7 months ago
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Kelly's avatar
Kelly Plus Member

Ahh so many! 🤣

A recent one was when I was sewing up a Mario that had been the wip pile for over a year.

No idea what possessed me, but I just cracked on with finishing it without looking at the instructions or watching a tutorial. 🤣

any way I added the neck band/placket thing and the bottom band in the wrong way and so it will forever be a buttonless house cardigan and I will never not read the instructions first or watch a tutorial as I sew again. Unless it's a simple tried and tested pattern of course. 🤩

· 7 months ago
SewHayleyJane's avatar
SewHayleyJane Admin

Haha... I've definitely been caught short from not reading the instructions properly - thinking I knew best!! 

· 7 months ago
Tamlyn's avatar
Tamlyn Moderator

Love this thread! So, a couple of years ago I was sewing up a Saltwater Slip dress in a beautiful Lady McElroy Cobra Corsage viscose challis. I was at my sewing social, 'Sew Toon'. I realised I hadn't cut the binding pieces out, so swiftly grabbed my scrpa fabric to rectify this...only, I soon realised that it wasn't my scrap fabric. It was in fact that front of my dress!!! 

After a mini meltdown, I realised I could 'hack' it in to a top and I soon discovered that the Saltwater makes a really cute cami top pattern!

Lessons learnt:

- Store your scrap fabric SEPARATELY to your project

- Concentrate on what you're doing, even if you're at a sewing social!

- Make the Saltwater as a top again, because it's super cute!

· 7 months ago
SewHayleyJane's avatar
SewHayleyJane Admin

I remember that!!!

· 7 months ago
Tamlyn's avatar
Tamlyn Moderator

Haha I've worn that top A LOT though! So defintiely not a total disaster

· 7 months ago
Nikki's avatar
Nikki Community Member

My "mistake" is a totally awful fail this last week.   I bought some liberty fabric in October/november.  kept it safely wrapped up. Brave enough to cut out a blouse, came to sew it yesterday and have 2 backs rather than a front and not enough fabric to cut again. 

I've put it to one side until I can face thinking about what to do with it - but probably going to be a camisole now. 😔

· 6 months ago
SewHayleyJane's avatar
SewHayleyJane Admin

Oh Nikki - I just read this to Andy and even he can feel your pain on this one! That is gutting I am so sorry. 

· 6 months ago
Nikki's avatar
Nikki Community Member

Thank you.  £30/metre - my most expensive fabric.  

To be fair Phil said "well just have to go back to liberty for you".  He's very supportive with my sewing - often using it to bribe me - but also pleased that he wasn't cross that I'd wasted it - just cross at myself. 

I may buy another 1/2 metre but can't decide at the moment / going to give myself time to grieve and regroup lol 😂 

· 6 months ago
Nikki's avatar
Nikki Community Member

Good news - looking for some fabric tonight - and I came across enough of the liberty fabric to cut another front piece - very carefully! 
I am a very happy sewist tonight.

· 6 months ago
SewHayleyJane's avatar
SewHayleyJane Admin

Oh my god that's like finding a tenner you didn't know you had! 

· 6 months ago

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