My Version of a Sundress

Inspired by Rhonda, I purchased this fabric from Joann's. Rhonda shortened hers a bit and used some lovely ribbon for straps. I knew that the maxi-length wouldn't work for me; I know I would trip on a long dress, just going up the stairs. LOL Also, I wanted a little more coverage at the top, so I thought I could use the piece cut off from shortening the dress above the border to make a slightly fluttery almost-cap "sleeve." (What's that called?)

After serging the raw edges and preshrinking the fabric in the washing machine and dryer, I cut off the bottom border about 1 in. above the top of the border and set it aside. I then held the fabric up to myself and looked in the mirror, pinning it up, auditioning different lengths until I got it just about right (remembering that I would be reattaching the border). I cut about 12 or 14 in. from the new bottom.

Next, I trimmed the bottom edge, slightly curving the back up so that the center back would be about 1 in. shorter than the front—to allow for (ahem) front body contours, which take up more fabric than my (lack of) back body contours. Please note the level hemline. Thank you.

I reattached the border, using French seams to encase the raw edges, which also added a bit of desired weight to the dress bottom. I then trimmed the serged edges to straighten what would be the center back seam. I sewed this seam, again, using French seams to encase the raw edges

So then I had this nice piece of fabric to make the fluttery almost-cap sleeves. My first attempt was a failure; I don’t even remember what I was thinking. So, with not too much fabric left, I got out my Sure-Fit Designs bodice front and back blueprints. I aligned the front and back shoulder seams and from that, created a pattern piece as long and wide as I could, flaring it out at the center (the part that would go over my shoulder). I serged the outer and inner curved edges, pressed under and stitched to finish them.

Then I tried on the sundress, and by trial and error, pinned the sleeves to the bottom of the top ruffle in the front and back until I was happy with the angle and fit. It took me about 100 tries, okay maybe 50. At least 25. I then trimmed and serged the edges and stitched them, right side of the sleeve to wrong side of the sundress, stretching the elastic of the sundress at the same time. I then hand-stitched the top of the blue ruffle to the sleeves.

Sure-Fit Designs is as handy as a pocket, even when I’m not making an actual garment from it! Using the shoulder area of the blueprint helped me to see what shape I should cut to get the look I wanted.

I know we (seamstresses ~ sewers ~ sewists ~ stitchers ~ sewing artisans) like to see everything up close and personal, inside and out. Here's a closeup of the outside of the top, where the sleeve is attached to the ruffle.

And here it is from the inside. If you look really closely, you can see the stitched I used to tack the ruffle down (thread color deep blue same as ruffle).

Here's how the reattached bottom border looks. I slipped a piece of yellow paper under the seam.

Here's the center back French seam.

I am delighted with the result; I am especially pleased with the neckline. And that I kept at it, even after my first attempt at fluttery sleeves was a total fail? I attribute that to how much I like finishing projects! I wore this dress to a party and then a baseball game yesterday, and I think I will get a lot of use out of it.

Are you still making summer clothes (for this year)? Or, if you're "down under," for your upcoming summer?

Blessings and peace...

My Pants Are Finished and Angels Are Singing

Because you might not realize the significance of my having just made a pair of pants that fit, I bring you the before. Well, it's not really a before, actually; it's a pair of pants I purchased and have been wearing. They're black stretch denim Not Your Daughter's Jeans. I did a bit of color enhancing because photographing black fabric and having it show anything is next to impossible, for me anyway. So here we have:

I didn't bother to draw lines to bring your attention to anything in particular. Some of the wrinkles are simply from wearing them. Oh, and here we have the same pants, back view:

I believe we could call this one smiles, frowns, wrinkles, and folds. Sigh. This is why I sew. Or should I say why I have been trying to sew a pair of pants that fit me for oh about 20 years.

And here we have my just completed, made from Sure-Fit Designs, pants (fabric is grey tencel):

And the view from the other side:

I do seem to be standing at a bit of a tilt. ??? Smiles: no. Frowns: nope. Wrinkles: not a one. Folds: nada. I believe this is referred to as the Holy Grail of Garment Sewing. 

Here's a close-up of the pockets (I wrote about this process recently, will add a link when I'm not on my way out the door):

Because the pockets don't show in the previous photos.

And me?

P.S. May I please have extra credit / bonus points for not talking about how my weight has changed over the years and how my body is not exactly the particular shape I'd like it to be and when did I shrink I used to be taller and how some of my "soft tissue" seems to have moved from the back of me to the front of me? And how only the inch of hair closest to my scalp is my natural color and not the orange that is the rest of it and at least it's not pink like it was when I colored it a few months ago before I applied Clairol Oops, yes that's a real product? And how we should sew for the body we have and not wait until we have the body we want? Thank you.

Blessings and peace..

Pondering Pants Pockets

I'm getting ready to make a pair of pants using my Sure-Fit Designs blueprint. I want to add front pockets and have been thinking about the exact angle and curve of the pocket opening I want. So of course I had to read up a bit. Just Pockets: Sewing Techniques and Design Ideas by Patricia Moyes has a lot of information about this, as well as construction information.

I thought I'd take a look at the pockets of my jeans. They're Not Your Daughter's Jeans (NYDJs), and the pocket bag (both layers) goes all the way to the center seam. I'd like to duplicate this and welcome any suggestions and tips, especially if you've made pockets this way.

Here are a couple of photos (please pardon the not-ironed-ness of them):

This photo is of the jeans' pocket area (right side). I'm not going to include the tiny coin pocket. I have drawn in the stitching line of the side front, but you don't see this from the outside of the pants.

The same area but from the inside. I lightened it so you can see the details:

• Both layers of the pocket bag go to the center (zipper), which is at the left of the photo.

• The red-thread X is stitched through only the innermost layer (pocket back). I think that this is part of the "tummy tuck" (ahem) feature of these jeans. The stitch itself seems to be a stretch stitch. However, the fabrics of the jeans AND the pockets are 96% cotton, 4% Spandex. So I'm not sure how much stabilizing that X stitching is. It would, though, stabilize the crosswise fabric of a fabric that has no stretch.

I'll be using a woven fabric with no stretch, so I want to give this a try. However, I don't have this fancy kind of stitch, so I wonder if maybe two rows of straight stitching will work. No, I think that any strain in wearing might pop the stitches. What kind of stitch might work? (My machine is a Bernina 1130, if that helps.)

My next pondering relates to the order of construction. Here's my thinking so far. Please chime in.

1. Cut 2 rectangles of pocket bag fabric the length plus top and bottom seam allowances and width from center to side seams plus seam allowances.
2. Stitch X (with what stitch?) on the pocket back, ending about 1 in. from bottom. This is the innermost piece of the pocket, which can be seen from the inside of the garment.
3. Stitch this pocket back to the side front piece, which is cut from the fashion fabric, along curve.
4. Stitch again, 1/4 in. from first line of curved stitching. Trim away pocket back along curve.
5. Sew second piece of pocket, which I'm calling the pocket bag front, to pants front, along curve, which is about 2 in. smaller than the curve of the pocket back. Press stitching, then press open, then fold pocket bag to wrong side and press along curve. Topstitch curve, close to the folded and pressed edge, then topstitch again 1/4 in. from edge. (In my NYDJs, it looks like there is a piece of bias on the inside of the curve that covers the seam. ???)
6. Stitch bottom of pocket pieces, right sides together. Press, press seam open, turn, and press again. Trim and topstitch close to this bottom seam, then stitch again 1/4 in. from first row of stitching. Or stitch a French seam.
7. Attach at center front and side seams.

If by any chance you have followed my train of thought, do you have any suggestions or warnings? It would be just so loverly to not have to pick out stitches (at best) and/or recut the pants fabric (at second best). 

Or maybe you have a question or two? I'll be happy to clarify anything I can. I'm really looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks!

Blessings and peace...

My Review of Sure-Fit Designs

Garment sewing, and in particular, learning how to get patterns that fit my body, has been my greatest sewing challenge in my decades of sewing. I have read just about every book on the subject, taken pattern-fitting classes, attended seminars, purchased computerized pattern systems, and browsed the Internet. Did I miss anything? Even if I haven't listed it here, if it has anything to do with garment sewing and pattern fitting, consider me "Been there, done that."

Used with permission from Sure-Fit Designs™

Cowl neck tops, crossover tops, yoga pants, and lots more—these are some of the current fashions you can make.

More than a year ago, based on many reviews and watching videos on YouTube and at Sure-Fit Designs (SFD), I purchased three SFD kits (pants, dress/bodice/skirt, and shirts).  

I am someone who buys or receives something as a gift and then immediately puts it to use, preferably the same day. Somehow, though, I was so lacking in confidence, even of taking my own measurements, that I had the package here, unopened, for all this time. When I received an email from Glenda this winter about classes to learn the SFD system, I decided to go for it. I signed up for both classes: pants fitting and bodice fitting. This is my report. It's all my opinion only; I have no affiliation with SFD or the owner, Glenda Sparling.

I went to Eugene, Oregon, in early April to take these classes. In preparation for the classes, Glenda asked us to watch the DVD that comes with the system (How did she know I hadn't watched it yet? oops!), to view a selection of her videos at the Sure-Fit Designs Learning Center Library, and, if possible, to take measurements and make a muslin.  

I procrastinated getting started until two weeks before departure day (Why? Fear of failure? Fear of disappointment? Yes and yes.) 

Once I started watching the DVD, I thought, "Hey, this makes a lot of sense! I think this is the answer I've been looking for all these years!" I (somehow) found the time to take measurements and make a bodice muslin. I tried it on and my jaw dropped. I couldn't believe it. No kidding. It fit better than any and every thing I've tried to make for myself. Honest to Pete. Not perfect, but the best ever, for me.

So I set out on my travels, arrived in Eugene, met my pre-arranged roommate (Hi, Kay!), picked up our rental car (optional, not really needed), and went to the Residence Inn and checked into our suite. We each had our own bedroom and bath, and we had a common kitchen and sitting room. Nice! 

There were five of us in the class, a perfect class size for this kind of learning, from all over the United States. 

Each day began with a brief presentation, demonstration, and show and tell of garments Glenda has made from SFD. Throughout the week, Glenda was consistently well prepared, knowledgeable, gracious, helpful, kind, and generous. How on earth she was able to keep each student's fitting concerns in mind at all times is beyond me, but she did it! We then set out to work on our task for the morning or day. We gathered again at the end of the day to recap and learn a bit about the plan for the next day.

Have you ever taken a sewing class and felt:

• Like you spent all your time waiting around for the instructor?
• Like you didn't get the help you needed?
• Like you couldn't see or hear what you needed to?
• Frustrated that the instructor didn't explain things clearly?
• Like maybe just maybe you were wasting your time and money?
• Like the class location was severely lacking in good lighting, comfortable seating, and amenities?

Well, over the years, I have experienced all of these things, and then some. But! This was different, really different.

• At SFD, while we each had to wait for Glenda once in a while, it was never for very long, and there was always something useful to do while waiting.
• Glenda made sure throughout each day that we felt we were getting the help we needed. She didn't just wait for us to come to her with questions; she moved throughout the classroom from one of us to another, asking how we were doing.
• The arrangement and class size were such that everybody was just a few feet from Glenda during the presentations and demonstrations, so nobody missed anything, at least I didn't and it didn't seem like anybody else did, either.
• Glenda is such a well-prepared, knowledgeable, and articulate instructor that I found it easy to pay attention and soak in her insights and wisdom.
• I prefer to be thrifty with myself so that I can be more generous to others, so taking this class, especially when you add in the cost of travel and hotel, was a big expenditure for me. Was it worth it? Absolutely yes!
• Oh and the class location, Our Sewing Room, more than exceeded my expectations. Nice, high cutting tables. Lots of great lighting. Comfy chairs. A kitchen with coffee, tea, refrigerator, and microwave. Lovely, just lovely.

Okay, down to business. What is it about SFD that sets it apart? I think of it like this: buying a pattern (Vogue, Butterick, McCalls, and Simplicity are the "Big Four"; and independent pattern companies from around the world) and changing it to try to make it fit me is like trying to fit a round peg into a square hole, whereas with SFD I am fitting a round peg into an almost exact duplicate round peg. The modifications needed after the initial creation of my “blueprint” are truly minor. That means that I have created my own blueprint—from which I can make anything!

I had no confidence in my ability to take my own measurements, so imagine my surprise when the measurements taken in class (we used a buddy system and then Glenda came around and checked every single measurement) were very close to those I took at home! So I’ll pause here and say this: If you have the SFD kit(s) but haven’t gotten started with it yet, go for it! Do it! You will be most pleasantly surprised at the results! Watching the DVD and the online videos helped me a lot.

Many figure variations and fitting concerns were represented in the group, and I believe that everyone left completely satisfied. 
 

Glenda makes herself so available (by email, phone I think, and Skype) to help with any questions that you have, whether you take a class or buy a kit.

Finally, I make four recommendations: 

1. If you already own the SFD kit(s) but haven’t gotten started yet, unpack it, watch the DVD and online videos and get started, even if you don’t have a sewing friend to help you to take your measurements. But maybe I'm the only one who bought it but didn't use it for (ahem) some time?
2. If you have gotten started with SFD but haven’t used it in a while, dust it off and start using it again. 
3. If pattern fitting has been holding you back from making clothing, consider purchasing one or more of the kits.
4. If you have the opportunity (time and money) to take classes with Glenda, I think that you will be delighted with the experience.

As Glenda says, “No matter your shape and size...you can achieve amazing personalized fit!”

I welcome your feedback about this review. Thanks; you know I love to hear from you!

Excuse me but I have to go sew my yoga pants now… from my SFD pants kit.

Blessings and peace...