Changing Lanes

I'm taking a break from the Burda skirt. When I first tried on the muslin, I think I was just excited because I'd managed to stitch something together. Upon closer inspection, I realized that I would have to figure out solves for wavy side seams, crooked darts and getting the waist right. The good news is I don't feel defeated; I know I need to refresh and retrench. The good news is I have resources lined up that are helping me understand what I need to do:

I've mentioned this Burda article before.

 

This article by Kenneth D. King is like the holy grail.



However, it took Craftsy.com to bring it on home. I was so unbelievably thankful to receive this:

Linda Maynard is simply awesome! There's now a tie for new favorite instructor and new favorite class. Like Susan Khalje in The Couture Dress, you learn because she demonstrates in an organized and methodical way. Sandra Betzina's classes are great; it's just that at some point, you find yourself feeling a little overwhelmed. I'm extra pleased because Linda's models have my fit issues. This class hits some of my major hangups!  

As I'm letting all of this info sink in, I'm going back to KS3740. I have attempted this top a gazillion times. I'm claiming a breakthrough this weekend. The finished version will not look like this!

I will be much obliged if anyone can tell me why my shoulder seam is too far forward at my neck and what is causing the wings over the girls. Are they the result of my square shoulders?

Last but not least, I need some cold weather gym attire. I ordered these two Kwik Sew patterns:

     

It is with great sadness that I report the patterns are on white tissue paper. I haven't been excited by the newer Kwik Sew pattern releases. When I finally purchase a couple of patterns (more for necessity than style), they come on tissue. (I also got two page three instruction sheets in the sweatsuit pattern.) Thanks McCall pattern company. When I learned about the merger, I was hoping to see more of Kwik Sew's construction methods shared with the BMV brands, but I don't think that's been the case. Seems like Kwik Sew is getting the worst of the deal. The one bright spot is that the new pattern envelopes aren't glued at the top, so you don't have to damage the envelope to get to the pattern.

McCall Bought Kwik Sew

Huh? Not sure how I feel about this. I love Kwik Sew for different reasons than the BMV brands. I have separate likes and dislikes for each of the BMV brands, but they are unified drafting and the quality of their pattern instructions, both of which can be a mixed bag. To me, what separates the BMV brands is design and, in some cases, attention to fit and level of difficulty.

Kwik Sew has simply awesome directions. They seem modern. They include instructions for serging, 1/4" seam allowances for knits, stabilizing techniques for knit tops, etc. I don't think I've read many complaints about Kwik Sew's drafting. Extra points for all sizes in one envelope and the heavier paper.

I don't own as many Kwik Sew patterns as I do Butterick or McCall's. (I think Kwik Sew falls somewhere between them in terms of classic and contemporary design.)  But I tend to use the Kwik Sew patterns as a reference for other brands.

Please, please let this be the case of best practices being shared across brands and not making the new acquisition fit into the old model. 

"New" Kwik Sew

I can't believe I missed these new Kwik Sew patterns. They've been out since July!

3898 -- more jumpsuit love. I like the yellow one best.


3893 -- I'd like View A with the length of B.



3891 -- maybe. Okay probably.

Kwik Sew 3819 Maxi Skirt

I think I started this skirt in May! Better than late than never. (I have to step it up if I'm going to make 12 garments this year.)

Here we go:

Pattern Description
Pull-on flared skirt has wide elastic on outside at waist and gusset at center back.

Pattern Sizing
XS-XL. I cut a large.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing it?
Exactly

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Super easy, but Kwik Sew always has excellent instructions. I had problems attaching the elastic, but I think it's because I'm always afraid of cutting things too small. The waist was probably wider than it should have been for the elastic. You can see my uneven gathers. I plan on always wearing a top that covers the band, so only the perfectionist in me is worried. It's still a very easy skirt.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I love the simplicity of the pattern. It's very forgiving to beginners. It's a great way to try a gusset for the first time.

Fabric Used
Black Ponteroma knit from Hancock Fabrics

Pattern alterations or design changes
Sadly, added 2" at the CB waist to make the back hemline even with the front and added 4" to the hips. When I make this again, I might try to figure out how to make a high hip adjustment.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I see two more of these in my future, in brown and gray Ponteroma. I highly recommend it.

Conclusion
Easy pattern that falls right in line with the maxi skirt trend this season

Front

Back

I really need to add some padding to my dress form. Ruby's curves aren't quite matching mine anymore.

Shouldering the Burden

I made square shoulder adjustments to the muslin today. Y'all, some stuff is just hard without a sewing buddy. And unfortunately, Ruby and I are not twins in the shoulder and chest areas. The shoulders on the muslin are better, but now the "darts" I have above the girls are even more noticeable. Here is my list of potential suspects, listed in order of likelihood. Fitting & Pattern Alteration (2010) makes me like the people who use WebMD to incorrectly self-diagnose all types of illnesses:

• High bust position --  distance from shoulder to bust is shorter and longer from waist to bust
• dart shaping lies below the bust contour
• fabric is tight across the bust and loose below the dart
• bodice front bust dart needs to be raised to accomodate the bust contour 
• Shorter shoulder joint -- the body is shorter between the shoulder and arm hinge than average
• bodice too long between shoulder and arm hinge 
• bodice armhole drops too far below the arm hinge, hindering arm movement 
• dart shaping is below the crown of the bust
• loose folds may form at the waist, the armhole, chest and upper back need less fabric length
• Prominent bust -- measurements at bust level are longer, wider and deeper than average; the breast forms a lifted conical shape
• fabric is tight across the bust
• horizontal wrinkles form between the bust
• diagonal wrinkles radiate from the bust to the garment edges
• waistline and/or hemline rise across the center front
• bodice needs more length, width and larger dart

So, what do you think the culprit is? Please keep in mind that this pattern has no dart. I also think I could stand a 1/4" narrow shoulder adjustment. Speaking of shoulders, do you think I have forward shoulders?

I have my instructions for the next set of changes. (Seriously, if you have any type of fitting issue, I highly suggest Perfect Sew and Fit. Post a picture; they diagnose the problem and provide solutions.) Eventually, I will have to cut two more muslins. I just have to think long and hard about my next sacrificial fabric. Pouring over the swatches from the stash with a glass of wine might take the edge off. The problem is that the ITY "muslin" I bought from Hancock's value section is cute enough to be a real garment ... Rescue me Fabric.com.

I have had a busy day, including a trip to the office. I'm going to wind down now. Peace, love and soul!

Not Waisting Away

Thanks to all who had input on my last post about finding my waist. The verdict? I had the measurement right the first time. I was delusional last weekend. Bend to the side; the part that folds is your waist!

Here are some great videos Patricia @Perfect Sew & Fit sent me to help determine where the waist is.

• http://youtu.be/TynnNZHuPjE
• http://youtu.be/Hur_ompEzNA
• http://youtu.be/w7njhM0jMF8

Other good news -- I was able to to get my hands on M6353 last night. I was so geeked that I misread the sales paper and thought the sale started Friday instead of today. The cashier saw how crestfallen I was and let me have it at today's sale price. Thank God for small miracles. I will have this dress for the July 4th holiday. I'm on the lookout for a killer rayon-Lycra blend in a super-saturated fun color. With five yds of fabric, I'm guessing color is important.While Jo-Ann's is the leading with Deep Lake, Blue Jewel and Calla Green, I was hoping for something more citrus-y. High End Fabrics has a nice selection of modal-spandex knits, but the colors aren't as intense. I've reached out to Ann at Gorgeous Fabrics for suggestions. I've ordered swatches from Spandex World too:

Today, I'm going to attempt a square shoulder adjustment on the KS3740 muslin. I'm so thankful for all of the help everyone has offered on this project. Carol @Fit That has suggested that I might get better results if I start with the medium instead of the small. There's more than one way to skin a cat, so I'll try this in a medium and follow her recommendations (as soon as I find muslin-worthy fabric). 

True confession: it's supposed to be 70 degrees today and 56 tomorrow. I might end up sewing tomorrow instead of today :-)

Waist Not Want Not

Where is my waist? Seriously. I started to do a post about this over the weekend, but I didn't because I thought it was a stupid question. Looks like I should have posted because I don't know!

Up until the weekend, I thought my waist was here:

Then, I got it into my head that my waist is where my upper body meets my lower body -- where my back ends and butt begins.

When I looked around on the internet, I thought I had confirmed my new theory.



I thought the key issue causing the pool of fabric at my CB waist was the sway back/bubble butt combo -- not only did I have less CB length above the waist than most because of the sway back, but I also had less length below the waist and "crown" (as PFA calls it) of my butt. I thought that what ever I have going on between lines 18 and 20 below is very different from other people.


This obviously changes what I think my CB measurements are! This is a 3/4" difference. Now I have even more resolve to get my measurements taken professionally.

But wait there's more! I have square shoulders. Maybe y'all could tell from the pictures on the last post. I had no clue!



I thought I had forward shoulders. Do I? Are they both forward and square ?! Wow ...

Teaching myself how to sew is certainly not the most efficient thing I've ever done. Clearly I need mentoring! Thanks to everyone who reads these desperate posts and gives me tips along the way.

Step by Baby Step

If I never see orange rayon-spandex knit again ... just kidding. I think I want more to make this dress, but I digress. I am continuing with KS3740. (I see six muslins around the room now; there may be another one in the bedroom.) Still determined, but really ready to get it right. I'm reaching out for fitting help and folks need to see pics, so here goes:  a symphony in three muslins. I apologize now for the butt shots; y'all need to understand just how much altering I need to do.

4/28 Update: I've gotten some inquiries about sizing, so the details are below.

The pattern does not have a CF waist marking or give finished measurements for the hip. My CB length is my best guess when I try to take my own measurements. I need to find a sewing buddy to help me take my measurements.

4/28 Update #2: I'm not sure where my waist is! Seriously. My body measurements could be wrong. See today's post.

Muslin #1 -- straight out of the envelope. I went with the S because of my upper bust measurement. Can you say tiiiight?!

The pattern's CB waist is the top line. The other two are me trying to mark my actual waist while fighting the rolling fabric.

 Muslin #2 -- 1" FBA and 5/8" round back alteration.

Muslin #3 -- added 1/2" back width and 7/8" to the round back alteration. I called Kwik Sew and the back neckline is supposed to sit 1/2" below the base of the neck. I think that means my total round back alteration amount should be 1" instead of 1 1/2" (that's good news.)

The story of my life -- tops ride up and pants gape or slide down.

I've been using the pivot and slide method for all of the alterations so far.  Here's a closeup of the shoulder. At the neck, the seam is probably 1" lower than it needs to be in the front. I also noticed that the more length I added to the upper back, the more pronounced the wrinkles from the bust to the shoulder became. 

I will go back and reduce the round back alteration. Should I worry about the shoulders after I complete it like PFWC suggests or save that alteration for last as FFRP suggests?

I actually managed to pull the shirt down and keep it down for a few shots. It was harrrrrd.The top line is the pattern's CB waist.

Am I delusional for thinking I can get to a fitted T-shirt with no back seams?  Also, this is a lighter-weight knit with about 3% spandex. I plan on making the finished top in knits with 5%-8% Lycra. Do I need to add more width to the bust and back above the waist now or will things be better with the stretchier fabric?

Next up:  getting the pattern's waist to be at my waist with no fabric pooling either above or below and, of course, adding more width below the waist. At this rate, I might have the perfect top by Christmas! Actually, that is the bestest gift ever :-) Anyhoo. I've almost decided that my next top project will have some seams in the back!

New Kwik Sew

Still working on my muslin. Working on the pattern alts for #4.  If I never see orange fabric again, I think I'll be okay :-)

Anyhoo. Kwik Sew has released new summer patterns. My favs are below. Enjoy!

3877 - basic skirt



3871 - easy breezy summer dress

3869 - love these for dressing up or down


3881 - never thought about it before, but now I'm intrigued by the thought of handmade undies. Also this might not be a bad project to tackle before I attempt pants ...

3872 -- late entry. How'd I miss this one?


Tootles ...