Fresh Starts

Every room in my home got a real Thanksgiving cleaning, except my sewing room. (I needed a staging area for the crap from the other rooms.)  Now it's time to put my mini cave back in order!

First, I had to own up to that I prefer tracing, alterations, layout and cutting on my dining table versus trying to use the smaller table in the sewing room.  Prior to Thanksgiving, I hadn't seen the wood of dining table in weeks because of the collection of sewing stuff that had mysteriously gathered there. I fell back in love with table all over again and I struggled with converting it back for sewing. This means I could clear some stuff from the sewing room.

My next step was to remove the collection of traced pattern pieces hanging on the back of the sewing room's door. I will not admit to the number of patterns this included. Know that stuff dated from 2009! There was stuff up there I didn't even want to sew anymore.

I also started on one of the bookcases.  The room is actually an office/sewing room. I need more space for the sewing stuff, so the books have to go.  If I bring a shopping bag full of books into work every day for a week, I think I might get to a more manageable library.

I've created a pattern hit list of my greatest loves. I certainly won't get to all of these in the next year, but these are the patterns I've found myself thinking about often. Quite frankly, I'm tired of having to go through my stash to find them. They will be housed on my newly-cleared bookcase shelves along with patterns on the I-wish-I-had-this-in my-closet-now list.

I need four of these to make that happen neatly.

Great news! My steam generator is back from repair! I can't have it looking all new while surrounded by clutter. This is what sent it away:

Amazingly, this isn't my pic! (Mine was actually so burned through that the sole plate had become detached at the top. Had I Googled before I purchased the iron, I certainly would have bought something else!

I'm really looking forward to my two-week Christmas vacation. I'll have a clean and organized sewing space and a just-like-new iron. I want to make a skirt and a top or a dress. I need an outfit to wear to work! 

Butterick 5523 or Simplicity 2152

Silhouette 175 or 312.

Measuring Up

In my circle of friends and family I would trust to take my measurements, everyone lives in another state. I have not really reached out to the sewing community in Chicago at all for help. I'd actually like to have more projects under my belt before I start hobnobbing with real stitchers! 2012 has not been a good sewing year at all ...

With that said, I did have my measurements taken by a sewing instructor in May 2011. I shudder to think of how much weight I've gained since then. Anyhoo. I've made several half-hearted attempts to take my own measurements since then. The hardest things are CB and front crotch vs. back crotch. I've been watching some Craftsy courses and correct measurements seem critical, so I decided to give taking my own measurements some serious attention.  I think I've cracked the code. It's all about the tools! (Of course that would be my answer; I am such a gadget person.)

Okay, well the first item, the Dritz Measure Me Beautiful Kit, has been in my possession for a while. I found it on clearance for $2.97 at Jo-Ann. What really intrigued me was the sticky measuring tape. This seemed like exactly what I needed! A regular measuring tape was difficult to use on my hips and I just couldn't see if I was taking my CB measurement correctly.

This kit was a bust. The sticky tape wasn't sticky enough and there just wasn't enough of it. Even still, I tried to find more kits at other stores, but with no success. I was clearly having a brain fart during my online efforts because I kept searching "How to Measure" when the actual name of the kit is "Measure Me Beautiful." Silly me.  

I found this tape on Nancy's Notions. I didn't have very high hopes, based on my experience with the Dritz tape, but I decided it was worth a shot. Man! Who knew it would work as well as it did? This stuff has been sitting in my sewing room since March! (I told you this has not been a good sewing year.) I could have had more accurate measurements ages ago!

I didn't use the next two items for the last round of measurements, but when I gear up for pants, they will be the first things I grab. First up is the Two Easy Tape by Lorraine Henry. I attended her fit workshop at the Sewing Expo in 2004. I can't find an image of the actual tape, but according to the website, it's a two-ended tape with 0 in the middle and its companion tape that slides right on. Lets you measure front and back crotch curve and inseam all in one take! Works great. My only concern is determining where the middle of my crotch is. I guess and move on.

The tape comes with an instruction book that includes every conceivable measurement you could ever take for sewing purposes. The book is very overwhelming. In the past, I've frustrated three people trying to get all of those measurements done.

Another item Ms. Henry shared in the workshop is a flexible curve for a proper crotch curve measurement. It is a great idea, but the one she sold did not have measurements marked. I found a nice 40" version that works.

  

I'm interested in the crotch curve because what started me on this sewing journey was the need for pants that fit. I struggle with visualizing my three-dimensional curves and a flat pattern. Pants are a 2013 goal for me, so I obviously need a better understanding of body space. In Fitting & Pattern Alteration, there's a 12-page section called Altering the Pant Crotch Curve.   Threads #122 has an article, Adjusting the Pants from Waist to Seat, which also deals with body space.

  

My New Love

                                 

I know I'm late to the game, but I have a crush on Craftsy that so strong -- it's ridiculous! Whoever thought of this should be awarded with medals (handmade of course)! During my not-so-awesome Thanksgiving break, it's what kept me sane. We are up late at night with wine and early in the morning with coffee and tea. I'm thinking about it at work. This is damn near an obsession.

My world changed in August when I received an email to try a class for $14.99. At the time, all that interested me was Sewing with Knits.  I'd read nice things about The Couture Dress, but I thought that would be out of my skill range. I wasn't ready for Jeanius either because I didn't have any jeans I wanted to reverse engineer (hence the need to learn to sew).

Then Craftsy started adding courses. Sandra Betzina??! Game on! But wait, I would need another sale. I waited (not so patiently) for $14.99. When the next one hit, why not add the A-line skirt class?

               

I was a more than a little miffed because I think two classes showed up the day after the sale was over, The Classic Tailored Shirt and Plus-Size Pattern Fitting and Design. Grrr. The big girlz class would have been my first choice!
                                           

I was hoping and almost praying that there would be a $14.99 Black Friday sale. I got half my wish! The classes were $20. I exercised amazing restraint by purchasing only two.

I'm holding out on Jeanius and The Classic Tailored Shirt. I really, really want them, but I know those are projects I just won't get to for a long while.

             

So of the courses I've watched (I'm still getting through Plus-Size Fitting and Design), here are my favs:

   

• Debora Moebes (Design & Sew an A-Line Skirt) is perhaps my favorite instructor. She has a great personality and I get what she's teaching. 
• Sandra Betzina is simply awesome! Her Pant Fitting Techniques Class is unbelievable. There is so much good information packed into that course.  
• Plus-Size Pattern Fitting and Design is my favorite course so far. I've skipped around the lessons, but I've watched about half of them. I have complete confidence that I will end up with a beautiful version of V8815. For me, this is the one course that has everything:  wonderful instructor (Barbara Deckert is so refreshing); a project I want to make; it gives me the skill set to fit and sew the project; and provides transferable skills.

By the way, my Craftsy interests also include photography and cake decorating. Perhaps I can get from Craftsy what I only faintly grasped after three Wilton attempts. Go Craftsy!