Fabric choices and me

I have spent the last couple of weeks sewing with three massive fails - with expensive fabric

Have I learned anything from these?

 1. Measuring the paper pattern is not good enough - especially when it's pants and you forget that the waist has to fit over the hips. You can't put them on over your head like a skirt.

2. Some fabrics with wool content might be itchy to wear so it doesn't matter how good the fit, you can't wear it anyway.

3. Don't make an elastic gathered waist skirt with stiff material when you have a big waist - it really doesn't work. Wait until the right material comes along for the A-line skirt you were going to make.

4. Always do a toile/muslin with a zip - don't sew up the back thinking you can get away with no zip, causing you to think you need a much bigger top to the dress than you really do.

For me, all these disasters have been with woven materials - my good ones! I think I'm being given a sign that I should be sewing with knits - because I'm rubbish at fit.

I had a couple of successes too - they were in stretch ponte material with patterns I had already used and knew would fit. And ponte with a bit of stretch will probably fit anyway!

This is what my brain feels like - time to pack away my dining table sewing room and put everything back into the actual sewing room. I'm going to do it right now - just after I pin that Style Arc top together and ......... .