...pants fitting - yes I'm still at it. I decided I needed to make a second muslin. Yes it was a real time consuming Memorial Day task
Christmas of 2015 one of my customers gave me a big old
Joann's gift certificate and this is part of what I used it for (and
patterns of course). I usually use old white sheets for muslins, but my
sheet stash is getting a little low. This muslin is 90" wide.
I transferred changes from the first muslin to the second muslin. After making so many changes things started to get a little confusing, so I've started writing all my changes down in a journal. Should have started doing this long ago.
Muslin #2
I have just a little bit of wrinkling in the front (mmmmm), but I do have an attractive and comfortable fit.
Earlier this month I had joined up with the Pin It Sew It Event sponsored by the hosts of "That Sewing Blab" a weekly internet talk show (I hope you consider watching this show if you haven't done so already). For this event participants select a Pinterest garment to make.
Since I'm working on pants I chose this wide flare legged pair as the inspiration for my entry.
I'll still be concentrating on pants fitting for a while, because remember, I WANT IT ALL...
...hang in here with me folks! I hope you are willing to help see me through my "I want it all" pants fitting series. I'm being a bit greedy with this because I want to be able to have pants of all types.
I will be working with my TNT pattern that I mentioned yesterday. But today I made a decision to work with Vogue 9032- view c the flare leg design.
I've read all of the reviews that I could find on this pattern, and what attracted me to it other than the flare leg, were the slant pockets and the princess seamed back. I've never worked with a two piece back pants pattern before but thought it would give me more options to tailor my fit.
Well, here's the first muslin for Vogue 9032. (Remember I said I am willing to make as many muslins as necessary in this pants fitting session). Seriously, I am pretty happy with muslin #1, it's a real rough draft of a muslin. This muslin was made over a week ago and I've lost count of the number of times I've tried it on thus far.
My critique: I need to make an adjustment in the slant pocket area that I don't think will be too hard to manage. I'm not sure if I should try to address the bit of bagginess in the knee area, of if this would work it's self out when made in real fabric; I'll have to think about that a little more. I increased the center back rise one full inch which feels quite comfortable now.
I've included this video from one of Andrea Davis' Fit Friday classes to my pant's fitting resources. She gives regular pattern fitting classes via YouTube and other internet platforms. I attended this class and thought it would be interesting and helpful to my readers as well....
...It's all fun and games until - you get involved with pants fitting. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you already know that at least once a year I jump back in the pants fitting saddle again. Yes, I have made pants in the past that I think fit me pretty darned good. Having said that, you may ask "what's the problem then?). My answer: I think I still have to do absolutely too much tweaking to get a good fit!
I do not want to make more than one muslin for a pants project; and I don't want to have to try the pants on 10 or 12 times during construction to tweak fit. Am I asking for too much???
So I'm back in the pants fitting saddle again. I've decided to dedicate some concentrated time to this pants fitting venture. And I've also decided that I want to use numerous patterns for pants (wide leg, tapered, boot cut, trousers, flares and cigarette pants, not just one TNT pattern. I want it all!
Here's an oxymoron for you though, I will still work on refining my
old TNT pattern. For starters, I've deconstructed an older pair of self made pants (just was not crazy about the color) to use as my block/sloper. I will report on my progress along the way...
...love, love, love the Big 4 patterns, almost all of them as a matter of fact. But I also LOVE a whole lot of Indie patterns. Sadly, just like with the Big 4 patterns, I just can't afford to buy them all. But they are ALWAYS popping up - in my email, on blogs I follows, and on my Rss Feed. There is always a NEW INDE RELEASE!
Sometimes I'll place them in the cart and then later go back and take them out (the same as I do fabric), I have to exercise some degree of temperance. Then there are times that I just swoon over them for more than a year telling myself that I just do not need them, only to treat myself later with the purchase. I must say that I have had quite a bit of sizing and fit success with Indie Patterns I have sewn! So that is a real plus!
... you know that you really like a pattern when you can remember the number at the drop of a hat. Take Vogue 8815 for instance; I made that peplum so many times that I think I actually killed it! I don't think I'll ever forget that pattern number. Well, it's a similar situation with McCall's 6886, although I think I'll give it a rest - UNLESS I find I need a great fitting, easy knit dress for some future event.
I think McCall's 6886 has already been hacked every which way but loose all across the internet. However, I haven't seen the dress given the cold shoulder treatment yet. It's probably been done already and I just missed it. But for now I'll just pretend that I'm the first to do it (LOL).
It all started with:
. being gifted this nice scuba knit yardage (from Diane of Remembering Oz) nothing like fabric from Texas,
. and, the fact that I needed a dress.
I'd never sewn scuba before and was a little bit intimidated by the slight spongy feel of the fabric. So I put out a quick message to Sheilaz_CTK (who I know has worked with it quite a bit), and after she answered my questions I couldn't wait to sink my sewing machine needle into this fabric. I just added a shortened cold shoulder sleeve from Butterick 6425. Such a simple hack, but I do love the results!
This time I made the deeper scoop necked version
Butterick 6425 modified cold shoulder sleeve
It's always so nice when a plan turns out just as you visualized...
...last night while sitting under the hair dryer conditioning my hair (I would have much rather been sewing ya'll) I entertained myself by leisurely scrolling through Instagram. I scrolled right past one post, but had to back up to take another look because I thought I saw someone I knew...
It was me! My Friend Brenda (@ms._bstyle on Instagram) had posted this picture earlier in the evening. What a totally awesome surprise! I read Vogue Pattern Magazine all the time; as a matter of fact, I just recently renewed my subscription. I love reading all the articles about what others are sewing and their skilled and innovative uses of patterns. I count this a great big honor, because though I've read about countless others, I never dreamed that I'd be standing in their magazine.
My new issue hasn't arrived yet sad to say, but I can't wait to see it in real life! From what I can manage to read of the feature, they used the exact wordage from my blog (hope I didn't have too many typos). I made this dress late last October from a gifted fabric that was a little bit out of my character (the skulls and all). You can read the blog post about the dress here.
Every now and then something happens that totally amazes me! It's a great shout out from the McCall's Pattern Company - hope you enjoy the article...
......although the Tops That Pop Sew-a-long ended on April 30th and was
extended to May 3rd, I promised to post submissions until
Saturday evening in an effort not to leave anyone out that wanted to
participate.
that now has 496 Followers! That means that a whole lot of people are being inspired by YOUR TOPS! If you have a top that has not been submitted at this point please feel free to go ahead and email it to me. Any subsequent top submissions will be posted directly on this Pinterest Board.
Be on the lookout for the 2018 Tops That Pop Sew-Along next April. Thank you all for your participation...
...although the Tops That Pop Sew-a-long ended on April 30th and was extended to May 3rd, I will post submissions intermittently until Saturday evening in an effort not to leave any out that wanted to participate.
I WILL KEEP POSTING ANY TOP SUBMITTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS WEEK (Saturday)
PLEASE CONTINUE TO EMAIL All finished top photos to as an ATTACHMENTto me at: fayedoll(at)cox(dot)net
...yes, the 2017 Top That Pop Sew-a-long has been ONE AMAZING RIDE!!! At the beginning I only hoped that participation would be good. After seeing the response, participation and support it has been more than I could have ever dreamed. My hat is off to each and ever one who made and submitted top photos; and those who wanted to participate but couldn't. We know that circumstances sometimes keep us from doing as planned.
PLEASE NOTE: I WILL KEEP POSTING ANY TOP SUBMITTED BY EMAIL ATTACHMENT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS WEEK
THIS HAS BEEN A WIN, WIN SITUATION for us all. We can all pull out a brand new top, pair it with an existing skirt or pant and a new outfit has been added to our collections - its magical!
I'm hoping to make this an annual event and would be happy if each and everyone would plan on joining me for the 2018 Tops That Pop Sew-a-long. But in the meantime this years event is not quite over
I WILL KEEP POSTING ANY TOP SUBMITTED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS WEEK
PLEASE CONTINUE TO EMAIL All finished top photos to as an ATTACHMENTto me at: fayedoll(at)cox(dot)net
