Questions. Questions That Need Answering.

My Blogger app is not very cooperative this morning. Did anybody get my Lord of the Rings reference? Yep. I am a nerd. Anyhoo. I'm temporarily stuck! This FBA puzzles me. Well first, thank God for tracing!

I was getting ready to mark my cutting lines and I got confused when it came to the one through the dart.

So, is the line through the side bust dart supposed to divide the dart evenly? Or, is it ok if the dart isn't divided evenly?

                       

The green lines show me lining up the center of the dart and my bust point. The dart is divided unevenly.

If I divide the dart evenly, I would have to raise the bust point to make the line go through both. That's the pink option.

Which is correct?

I thought that maybe my previous alts had affected the dart and bust point alignment. I went back to the unaltered pattern. See the folded line? The bust point is already lower than the dart in the original pattern.

                           

I need to add 1 1/4" of real estate for the girls. Which is supposed to look like this, right?

                           

This is certainly an unanticipated snag. I thought the FBA was going to be the easiest part of this. I keep hearing the end of It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night. The part where Prince shouts, "Confusion!"

The Surgery Continues

I am so excited about this weekend's progress on my bodice sloper!! Like really excited because I walked away after getting so frustrated with the back alterations.

It's amazing how much time I spent fiddling with the shoulder. My shoulder seams pitch forward about an inch below the top of my shoulder -- the entire seam. I also had a bubble at the back armhole. I wanted to work from the top down. I lost a lot of time fooling with a high round back alt I ended up not using.  I think I may have prominent shoulder blades, but I'm still not sure.

In the month-long hiatus, I toyed with starting another project. I kept reminding myself that I would get stuck at the same place as the sloper. I read. I scoured Craftsy. I revisited Pinterest and YouTube.

Finally, I had the courage to start again on Saturday. Time to tackle the front. At some point, when I taped something wrong three times in a row, I had to laugh. Anyhoo.

Here's what I've done

Back

• Altered shoulder dart
• • Width
  • • Added 1/2" width
    • Dart is now 1 1/8" wide
  • Length
  • • Added 1/2"
    • Dart is now 4 1/8" long -- is a shoulder dart supposed to be this long?
• 1/4" square shoulder adjustment

Front

• 3/4" Narrow shoulder adjustment
• 1/4" square shoulder adjustment 
• Redrew armscye to narrow armhole around bust
• Drew new bust point based on folded armhole dart
• Added 1/2" armhole dart and rotated it to waist dart
• Moved to waist dart to align with new bust point

In the past, I did an FBA only to find I still needed the armhole dart. I was trying to stick with starting at the top and working my way down, so I did the armhole dart first.

But wait there's more -- to do that is. The CF is 2 1/2" away from my center front. I also need more width at the side seams. I know the FBA will help. 

Are waist darts really supposed to be 1" from the bust? If so, mine needs to be lowered 1/4." I think I want it 2 1/4" lower, but we'll see. I'm not sure what's appropriate for a sloper vs a fashion pattern. 

I haven't tried this on with elastic around my waist, but I think it's a bit short. 

I really want this finished by the end of the month!! However, I have some house cleaning out and up to do; none of which happened this weekend!

One at a Time

I am serious about a sloper. I need to figure out why (even in RTW, my shoulder seems are an inch lower than they need to be in the front. I'm intentionally moving at a snail's pace. I am making one alt at a time and then retracing the pattern. Tha way, if something goes really wrong, it's easy to go back.

I have realized (I think) that I don't have a high round back. The CB is sitting where it needs to be. Weird because I always thought I had a high round (hated the thought, but I'd finally accepted it). I guess not having a forward shoulder should have been a bigger clue.

I do have huge bubble at the back armhole, so I think that's a protruding shoulder blade. I've widened the shoulder dart 1/2" and the bubble is gone!  I can't tell yet if the dart needs to be deeper. That's my next task. It's kind of hard to tell because the back waist dart is so tall.  I'm going to fit it without the waist dart and see what happens.

Anyhoo. I might have this done by the summer LOL.  I'm so dreading the work I'll need to do on the armscye -- but there are my square and narrow shoulders first!

                                  


  

A Tale of Two Slopers

Did you know that McCall's and Vogue each have a dress sloper? Butterick too. More strange is that there are differences among them. First is the size. B5628 goes up to a 32. The others go up to 22. M2718 has DD-cup options. V1004 goes up to D. I'll update this when the Butterick one arrives.    

In good faith, I dutifully traced a Vogue 16. At the time, it was the only one I had in a 16. Afterward, I decided to compare the instructions between Vogue and McCall. That's when I discovered McCall had a DD. I need that (maybe that plus some). I ordered the McCall.

Here's a comparison between the Vogue D cup and McCall DD cup.

I was torn. Should I trace the McCall version? (I don't enjoy FBAs.) Anyhoo. I decided to stick with McCall. Here's what made the difference. Not sure if you can see these details clearly above, but, as far as the bodice goes, I like what Vogue has going on.

• Consistent seam allowances:  2" for the side seams and 1" at the shoulder
• Bustline marked all the way across the front

In the bodice, McCall makes allowances for adjustments I don't think I'll need. Things might be different when I get the courage to tackle the skirt. Now, I need the bodice in a way that isn't to daunting. Decision made, I pinned up my Vogue 16.

 

Alas, I need a size 18. CF and CB are not where the need to be. My upper bust measurement is not quite 40" yet. I'd always heard that you should go with the smaller size if you are between sizes. not the case for me.

Yeah, I could be upset about needing a larger size, but that what this process is about. I'm more upset that I have to trace another pattern. Of course, I have a McCall 18, but not a Vogue. It's on order, along with some 1/4" gingham. 

Still At It

This is muslin 4B.  I think I have the shoulder seam placement and neckline right.  I really did need to lower both the back neckline and shoulders 5/8". I raised the front shoulders 5/8".  Not sure If I needed to raise the front neckline too, but I did.  What's odd is that I had to do a very tiny forward shoulder adjustment; it wasn't even 1/4". I also discovered I have narrow shoulders. I took 5/8" off the length.

Time to move on to the back. I did add 3/4" to the upper back earlier, but it wasn't enough. I figured that since 3/4" wasn't enough and I needed to taper to a size 22 at the waist anyway, I would try adding the difference between the 16 and 22 across the whole back. That's 1 1/2".

The pattern has a 1" back shoulder dart. Does this mean that the dart now needs to be 2 1/2"?  I'm having a difficult time drawing the new dart, so I am going to make a new muslin, attempt to pin it in and then adjust the pattern. Of course, all of this is academic if it turns out I don't need 1 1/2" across my upper back. I'm torn by this. Awesome because it would mean that I'm smaller than I gave myself credit for, but boo because I'd have to change the alteration.

I didn't realize I'd made so many muslins just to fit my shoulders. Who cares because I'm so happy I figured out what to do to get the shoulder seams in the right place. I am a little nervous because the front bodice is self-facing cowl and doesn't have a neckline seam. You kind of need a neckline seam to make shoulder alterations. I just hope I can join the front and back properly when I'm done with all these alts. It looks a hot mess now. I'll definitely have to make a least one muslin with the self-facing.  

The only drag in this process is that my cotton muslin from Jo-Ann is off-grain! It's the only muslin I have left and the cheap in me won't go and buy more. I purchased it months ago and have used quite a bit, so I can't take the rest of the bolt back. I have torn it from the bolt instead of cutting. I have pulled opposite corners. I have tried to coerce with steam. Sigh. I threw the remaining yardage in the washer hoping for a miracle. I haven't used it since, so we'll see what happens today.

Fall hit Chicago like a ton of bricks two days ago. I'm already thinking about B5523!

Big Thoughts

Did anyone else notice something new when the fall McCall patterns came out? If you don't wear plus sizes, maybe not. I do, but it still took me a second to notice it.



Khaliah Ali is now designing for McCall instead of Simplicity. I'm not sure how I feel about this. When I first looked at the new patterns (before realizing this was kind of a big deal) I thought, "This is just more of the same."  Then, I took a closer look at the third one.

Here it is in all its glory:

                            

If you looked at this and thought that you needed to make that immediately, please let me know. Apparently, I am further from the pulse of fashion than I thought and I need counsel. Is this the modern muumuu?  Big girls, don't give in! We gotta fight this.

The state of plus-size fashion makes me a bit sad. Fit -- acknowledgement that there are different body shapes withing plus -- still isn't completely there. When I go into stores like Lane Bryant and Ashley Stewart, I see fashion, but the clothes are cheap. To be fair, I find that in regular sizes too. When did linings go away? I love the Encore section at Nordstrom, but it has its drawbacks too. I'm thankful for the better quality, including less polyester. The trade off is that it isn't as fashion-forward. Lined dresses and skirts are still few and far between. Lined pants are nonexistent.

All the more reason for me to start taking sewing more seriously. Speaking of which, I made a second muslin of the Vogue 8787 bodice after my shoulder alterations. I still need to lower the back neckline. That's on today's to-do list. I think the upper back is a bit tight too.

Peace and blessings.

Shouldering the Burden

Here's the story of my sewing life

• Fall in love with a pattern. 
• Alter the pattern tissue
• Make a muslin
• Make some more tissue alterations
• Get confused and stuck
• Move on to another project

My last three attempts have been dresses.  The fixes I know I need to make in the bodice are

• Square shoulders -- I usually add 1/2" using the pivot and slide method
• FBA -- about 3" using a Y-dart from Fit For Real People

I end up with something that looks like this or worse. I never went back to true the armhole!

                                        

When I realized the error of my ways, I tried to go back and smooth it out, but I still looked wonky.Then, thanks to the magic of Craftsy, I learned that I didn't have to draw the line to the armhole. I could do the entire spread at the shoulder! Truing the armhole wouldn't be much of an issue. Now what this means in teams of fit on me, I'm not sure. I did the adjustment, but didn't make the muslin.

                                                

Why? Because I found and alterations breakthrough! Every one of my attempts at a dress or top results in shoulder seams that sit way visibly forward on my shoulders. My neckline seam at CB is about 5/8" too high. Folks talk about having to pull their tops forward because of forward shoulders. I have the opposite problem; my tops pitch forward and I always have to pull them backward -- a lot. 

Now if situation is familiar to you and you've got a solve, bless you! Please send me the info. I just couldn't find anything about this condition or the alteration needed. I thought maybe my girls were stealing fabric. I thought perhaps I had a smaller shoulder joint, a large shoulder joint, hollow chest, round back, high neck base, muscular neck. You name it. (Now, I might actually have some of those, but they weren't causing the problem.)

Finally my Google search yielded something useful! I found this post from waikikimum on Pattern Review

I always add an extra 1.5cm to my front shoulder seam and take it off my back shoulder as my shoulders hyperextend backwards due to a connective tissue disorder. I must add here that I haven't heard of anyone else doing this and the alteration is usually the other way - adding to the back and taking off the front. 

If I don't add to the front shoulder seam it sits too far forward on my shoulder. At first I had trouble finding where the right point was but then I read that when looking in a mirror from both the front and back you should not be able to "see" the seam. I could always see the seam when looking from the front so I raised it by adding the 1.5cm. 

Another thing I became aware of was that the back neckline was way too wide and caused the shoulder seam to fall forward and I was always hiking my tops backwards. I now always add a CB seam so I can take in the top of the back at the neckline. Once this area fits well I then fix the shoulder seam. I hope this helps.

Because the entire seam sits forward (it's not in the right position at the neck and angles out incorrectly), I added an even 5/8" to the front.

                                                 

I guess I'll figure out if this is right (versus adding a wedge) when I do the muslin. I wonder if I will still need to do a square shoulder adjustment. Hmmm. Oh well. I'm off to remove 5/8" from the back.

Long Time No Blog

Well hello! It's been a while.  I have no projects to show for my absence. Got really far on the Colette Patterns Crepe, but never finished it. The underlined pieces are still hanging up, but I don't think it's salvageable. Grrr.

So, here's what I'm working on now.  More than a year ago, I fell in love with ModCloth's Breakfast Epiphanies dress:

I'd decided on a cream bodice with a brown skirt. I was so serious, I purchased a 4-ply silk crepe remnant from Promenade Fabrics in New Orleans and wool crepe from Jo-Ann. You know I've always felt my sewing skills didn't warrant good fabric ;-)

I looked through my stash and decided  Vogue 8787 is close to the inspiration dress. Not quite the cowl I want, but it will do. This was quite a popular pattern when it was introduced. It has 25 reviews.

I purchased the fabric before reading through the pattern. The bodice front is self-lined. The 4-ply silk crepe is too heavy to double. I thought about this silk cotton voile from Fabric Mart. I love the way it looks with with the brown wool crepe. Unfortunately, the hand isn't right.

                                 

              

I have a silk twill remnant from Vogue that kind of looks like this. Not crazy about pink and brown.Don't get me wrong;I love the color combination. Pink is my favorite color; it just doesn't work with my current hair color. 

                                     

I have had the hardest time finding thread to match. Anyhoo. More about the pattern alts later.

Double Trouble

I need bottoms desperately (really I just need clothes.) I can suffer through RTW tops, but that is not the case with pants. Skirts can be an issue too, but more about that later. In the meantime, I've become obsessed with skirts. I even bought a book to help me figure out how to line an A-line skirt.

I was ready to conquer V8882 with gusto:  I traced the pattern. I added 1" to the side seam allowances and my usual 2.75" length to the CB for my high and round rear. (This is why RTW skirts can be scary.) Side note:  what I have been calling a sway back issue may actually be my high and round rump. Not sure yet if it's just my rear or if I really have a sway back.

I moved on to the muslin. I now see my tilted waist in action! I raised the back 1" and lowered the front 1" (people, I'm on a roll!) By pinning, I was able to fix the hemline curve.  I still needed the 2.75" at the CB, I just can't seem to draw the curve correctly on paper. I draw half the curve, fold the pattern in half and then trace it on the other side.

Not a great shot

I was ready to cut some fabric. Dang! The piece I wanted to use was too short. My alts required an extra 3/4 yard. See how the Lord helps fools and babies? I was completely willing to ignore the pulling around my high hip and what the pleat was doing as it opened over the ummm ... apex of my bum. Also, that 2.25" waistband looked like it was sitting directly under the girls. I definitely had an old man in Florida look.

The desire for a quick win was so great, I decided to move on to an easier bias skirt with an elastic waist (that didn't need as much fabric.) Enter S2614. How the hell do you line a skirt with an elastic waist? (Lining is a requirement for me.) Thank God for Google.

In my brilliance, I did the tissue alts in the following order: Overall length, CB hem length, hips, high hip, back waist (notice how I forgot the front waist?) The high hip alt was torturous. I tried to use the seam method. Completely severed the tissue on both the front and back. Still wasn't sure if I really got the alt right, but I moved on to the muslin.    

Yep. Still needed to lower the front waist. Here is where I am amazingly awesome. I still don't know why, but although I marked the new waistline on the muslin, I chose to use a curve to draw a different waistline. The CF was the same, but I angled it differently. I started with the left side. I couldn't quite get ruler to match up on the right side. So I cut the left side, folded the skirt in half and cut the right side based on the left! YES!! I CUT OFF THE LENGTH I ADDED FOR THE RIGHT HIGH HIP. I am greatness and excellence rolled up into one.  Luckily, I saved the piece I cut off.

My hemline curve wasn't right on this skirt either.

This weekend will be spent working on both skirts ... Of course, none of the fabric in my stash will do now ;-) I have my heart set on the Potent Purple linen from Jo-Ann. I could probably go for Calla Green as an alt. (Yes, I have a 5+ yd piece here, but that's for a dress!)



Third choice is potting soil.


I see a top in my future with this fabric.

Pattern Envy

It's been a sec since I waxed poetic about patterns, partly because I'm really trying to limit my pattern purchases. I'm out of storage space -- at least until I sew through an entire bin of fabric! However, there are some recent releases that have me excited.

Starting with Simplicity.  I love maxi dresses. The back of this one is so sexy.



Butterick best bets
5872 -- lined!




5886



5894 -- at last!! Although, I;m confused about why this wasn't issued as a McCall Plenty by Tracey Reece pattern.


Moving on to McCall
6760 -- Damn!



6473 -- hello summer!



6741

6751



6750 -- with all these darts, fitting should be easier!


Vibing with Vogue!!!

8902 -- Custom Fit!


8895 -- Custom Fit!


8906


8893


8907

This is How You Do It!

This email popped up in my inbox earlier this week.

Get the Perfect Fit - Fashion For Every Size at Simplicity

It made me very happy, but it also reminded me of a source of great frustration. This is not a rant about the lack of plus size patterns. Since Carolyn put the industry on blast so eloquently, I feel no need to elaborate. (Insert plug here for Barbara Deckert's Plus Size Pattern Fitting & Design on Craftsy.)

This is a rant about website design and functionality. Simplicity.com makes it so easy to find patterns for me. The links for plus-size and patterns with multiple cup sizes are wonderful. I remember when McCall's started adding the bra icon to its patterns to denote multiple cup sizes.  How about a clickable link to all such patterns across Vogue, Butterick and McCall's?!

This is not rocket science, but marketing common sense. The powers that be figured out there was a market for patterns with multiple cup sizes, but make them hard to find. Vogue's patterns with multiple cup sizes (Custom Fit) are always in the Very Easy Vogue line. There isn't even a link to Very Easy Vogue when you first see site's main left-hand navigation, but it is a separate section in the printed catalog. On the site, you have to first select a category like dresses to get to to them. Then you have to look at each one of the patterns to figure out which are Custom Fit. Geez. Make it easier for me. What if I wanted to see all of the Custom Fit tops and dresses at once?

I'll end my rant by pleading for more patterns with multiple cup sizes. I heart Silhouette because the work is done for me. Palmer/Pletsch has great merit in teaching fit, but I honestly prefer being able to choose the correct cup size. Shout-out to In-House Patterns because they start with a D-cup and give you instructions to add or subtract as you see fit.

My Mind Is Made Up. No Turning Back

I decided on Burda 8269 as my Christmas break sewing project.  While it's a more distinctive (aka memorable and can't wear it as often) as Simplicity 2152, I think it is a better match for the eventual Vogue 8815.

This Burda skirt is supposed to be an easy project. The sewing is. It's the tracing and altering 10 pattern pieces that's a bit challenging -- four down, six to go. I have a relatively quick transition to make from waist to high hip. Luckily, it's just one size. From high hip to full hip is where it get's interesting. That's three sizes, which is two sizes bigger than the pattern! I'm being very methodical, so I hope it turns out really close when I get everything done. I'm using Swedish Tracing Paper, so I'm just going to baste that together for the first fitting.

I bought silk organza for the underlining. This skirt is happening!

Peplum Pondering

I'm really late on the peplum trend.  Here's why: when it's worn with dresses and skirts, the skirts tend to be straight. Straight skirts are not my thing at all.

               

I got really, really excited about V8815 because it's part of my favorite Craftsy class.


I found this beautiful poly print for it at Hancock.

                               

I already have brown poly poplin that matches. I even have Ambiance lining in the stash for my skirt. Now the question is: which skirt? I kinda had my heart set on this as my Christmas sewing project. I knew it would go great with a knit top. I have doubts about it with a peplum.

                           

Then I remembered my love affair with this Burda skirt, 8269. It will be not be as quick or easy to sew, but I think it wold be a better choice with a peplum.  I've attempted this skirt before. I cut it, sewed it and was ready to put the zipper in when I realized that I was using a brushed twill fabric with a no nap layout. Live and learn! I guess I was too ashamed at the time to post about my error when it happened.  

       

On a side note, I noticed that on Craftsy, the instructors really champion the use of natural fabrics. Is polyester really that evil? I love rayon and cotton too, but for these projects, aren't poly and her girl ester okay? 

That leads me to the extra time it will take for this skirt versus the Simplicity skirt. I can't remember if the instructions tell you to press the seams open or to one side. I do know pressing can be an issue with polyester, so I'm thinking about underlining the skirt too. Then, the seam allowances could be pressed open and attached to the underlining with a catch stitch. They'd stay flat forever. (It's amazing what you learn on Craftsy.  Got that technique from The Couture Dress. I couldn't keep myself from buying the class.) 

What fabric should I use for the underlining?  The fashion fabric is poly poplin and the lining will be Ambiance.  Silk organza means dry clean only, which is okay. I'm just clueless about what silk organza will do for the fullness at the bottom of the skirt. It also seems weird to use silk to underline polyester, but whatever. Lightweight cotton? Seems like wrinkle city, but that would happen anyway because of the Ambiance right?