Can You See A Pattern Here?

The benefits of pattern-surfing can tell the story of one's current sense of style.

Theoretically, I could make any of these purportedly simple projects using fabric I already own:

Named Kielo Wrap Dress

I'd definitely shorten this above the knee, and make it in a knit.

Papercut Patterns Bowline Sweater

Sure, I've got a lot of tops that already work this asymmetrical angle (ha!) but who can't use another?

StyleArc Jessica Dress

This one is cute but runs the risk of being bulky at the twist and I don't know that it would be the most flattering .

StyleArc Pamela Dress

Interestingly, I own a rayon that would probably work well with the Pamela Dress (it calls for a stretch woven).

Special mention goes to the Toni Dress, for which I have a decided soft-spot, despite the fact that this dress is very "of a style" (and that style's name is science-fiction hippie). The likelihood that this would be VERY difficult to fit on me is high. I mean, if the shoulders are drafted wide or long, I'd pretty well have to start from scratch. And that collar could go all kinds of wrong...:

StyleArc Toni Dress

Of course, I also have a bunch of appropriate patterns in my stash which, according to Felicia, I might be using in lieu of online shopping. While I completely agree with her in her latest (really interesting) post, that window shopping catalyzes desire, not gratitude, I find it hard to begrudge the activity when it comes to pdf patterns. I mean, yes, this activity may have derailed me from using patterns that I already own, but it's also sparked my current creativity and it allows me to connect with things anew. I'm not necessarily in the same mood today as I was six months ago when I bought my last batch of patterns. I don't have to pay (or use resources) to ship these and they take up veritably no space (unless I use them). Not to mention that it allows me to support independent creative business owners. (Update: Apparently, the Pamela Dress isn't available in pdf...)

So these are some things I'm thinking of making up. Any preferences?

Fall Sewing: I Need Your Feedback!

You know how I got that great fabric last weekend. Well, I have been thinking hard about what to make with it. I do have a few ideas - most of which are patterns I've made before, namely:

• Vogue 8323 - This surplice-esque top would be terrific in the lavender modal or electric blue bamboo jersey.

• Vogue 8790 - This is another surplice top might work with the drapiest of the fabrics (the bamboo).

• True Bias Hudson Pant - I'll likely try my hand at a cropped (below knee) version next time- this is calling out for either the slate or navy French terry jersey. That stuff is sick, btw.

• Victory Patterns Lola Dress (not yet made - or altered, more to the point). This would be great in the French terry or the thick navy jersey. And shout out for local talent...

• StyleArc Elita jacket - While this could be made in the thick navy jersey - the imp in me wants to make it in French Terry!

• Tiramisu dress - I love the one I made in that gorgeous, spongy black ponte. This dress needs a fabric with density and weight in order to keep the surplice well in place and to fix the underbust gathers optimally, not to mention that it shows off the full skirt to its best advantage. I made it once in wool jersey (didn't drape well and it itched). I could probably use the thick navy to good effect. It's got great recovery, surprisingly, and it's quite heavy. This isn't a useful dress for winter though, what with short sleeves.

• I could also remake a dress I drafted a while ago from a highly-altered, vintage Simplicity, kimono sleeve top. I know I took photos of it but damn if I can find them in archived posts... That garment, while I didn't like it at first, was phenomenally popular whenever I wore it and really looked so much better as a dress than a top. Alas it no longer fits (admittedly it was a snug fit in the waist to begin with). But a redo of this one is quite appealing now that I think about it. It would be great in either the modal or the bamboo but it would have more impact in the bamboo (what with its electric blue-ness).

But I'm getting a bit sick of the few patterns I've got that I'm actually inclined to make. (Note: I feel a cull in my future.) So I decided to check out the StyleArc Etsy store. Since they opened the online shop and started populating it consistently with new and former patterns, you can get great patterns AND instant gratification. Cuz let's face it. There's no fun in waiting a month to get your loot from Australia - after having paid for shipping.

Here are the patterns I found that are a) available for download and b) currently appealing to me:

Danni Dolman Dress

This one could be rather attractive (and good for fancy meetings) - or a dud. But ain't it always the way... It would work in the modal or bamboo.

Emily Knit Top

There's apparently a tutorial to make sense of the box pleat at the neck. It's chic, no? The bamboo or modal are perfect for this.

Fiona Knit Top

This one is an outlier, given its relative boringness. But it could be a good basic. Not sure if any of my new fabrics are better for this than some I've got in the stash.

Lotti Top

I like the colour-blocking potential of this one. You can use some wovens (silk charmeuse?) along with knits.

Sunny Cocoon Top

This could be good in the French terry - with some denim leggings. You can eat all the cookies wearing this (and the sleeves are very fitted, for sleekification, from online versions I've seen).

Toni Designer Dress

This one could be hideous. I don't see this in the near future (it's too late in the season to make a dress that's best for summer), but good to have for next spring. Perhaps.

I'd love your feedback on these options! Can you assist me in determining which patterns to buy? FYI, the whole lot would be 70CDN, which is very reasonable, IMO. But I've made some dubious pattern choices in the past - something I'd prefer not to repeat.

Let's talk!

Finished Object: StyleArc Elita

If you're looking for a quick win, I recommend the StyleArc Elita:

Isn't this a chic silhouette?

You can see the extra length of fabric (just above the closure) that could be removed by a dart to improve the fit.

Top-stitched, centre back seam at neck. The shoulders come together very nicely - with none of the hassle of Vogue 8790 (which has the same basic shoulder construction).

This is what happens if you opt to wear the cowl un-wrapped. It actually looks quite good, and totally different than the wrapped version...

It really fits the bill, and trust me, these days I have no patience.

Keep in mind, it fits large. I made a modified size 10 - using a stable knit - but I could have made the 8 and I still would have had to take it in. The fabric I used is from Fabrications. I can't recall what exactly it's made of but it's cotton and synthetic and it was listed the sweatshirting section, if I'm not mistaken. It's more refined than fleece. The back is a vaguely stripey, very soft black/grey and the right side is slate. It's structured but drapey. It's dress-, jacket- and pant-weight.

My alterations were:

• Shortening the length of the bodice and sleeves by 2 inches. (This is standard for me, esp. with StyleArc, which designs for a long torso.)

• I didn't use the tie closure. I've opted for a snap closure which is weird since I always have trouble with these. In this instance I had to resew the placement 3 times and it's still not right. The fabric isn't quite firm enough to deflect warping under the strain. The jacket is in no way too-small - the snap just doesn't want to hold up against the drag of the fabric. Maybe the snap is too small?

• I removed an inch from the centre back. I know it says that the unaltered version fits shoulders of 15", but mine are @15" and this top would have been an inch too wide in the shoulders and back if I hadn't done this.

• I narrowed the shoulders slightly (and then discovered I needed to sew another seam .25" inside the original seam to achieve a perfect fit.

• I raised the armscye slightly. (This was done intuitively, not using math.)

• I finished the hem seams with a half-inch hem (stablilized with stretch interfacing tape) for a more refined end-product. I also hemmed the edges that meet at the centre front. I feel that raw edges can look unrefined.

• I shortened the sleeve head by about an inch. This is also standard for me. Let me say, I don't know how the sleeve, as drafted, could work with the armscye, because I barely altered the armscye and yet I had to take my standard 1" from the top of the sleeve. Something is up. The instructions advise that you should use the basting ease method. Why? Draft the arm to fit the armscye and save everyone the trouble. It's not rocket science.

Next time, I'll do what Anne suggests, which is to remove a dart of fabric from the cowl where it meets the bodice front. There's too much fabric there and it drags slightly. This isn't particularly observable because of the cut of the garment and the cowl, but the fit could be improved. And I don't think it has to do with fabric choice. Sure, Anne used a very drapey silk jersey but I used a robust ponte and I'm having the same issue.

Furthermore, this pattern, sleeves notwithstanding, is very well drafted and easy to assemble. The instructions, with tech drawings, really make it a pleasure to construct. I taped the pattern, made alterations and cut the fabric in one session. Next session I marked the fabric, set up my machines and sewed the garment. The sewing took 3 hours from start to finish.

The silhouette is quite good, even if it does fit on the large side, before alterations. It's forgiving so I imagine it would be a sensible first knit project. Keep in mind, if this doesn't fit in the shoulders it's going to look amateur so if that's the only thing you perfect, make sure you don't just assume that the back width is going to work.

It's a really practical, slightly edgy garment, just the kind I love to make. Thoughts?

Spring Sewing: Rosie Top - All the Other Muslins to Come

Do not think I've lost my interest in fitting the Rosie top, though truly I am coming to hate the process (as I always do). This is fitting a woven bodice, after all.

Fact is, I ran out of the burgundy fabric. Instead I used some butterfly charmeuse, alotted for lining. It has about the same stretch and it's drapey - but in every other way it's all wrong. It was a bitch to sew, it's shiny and slippery. Ugh. Really, 90 per cent of the time, one should use stash fabric for the purpose intended.

Needless to say that the butterfly fabric version is yet another muslin. Which it would have to be, even if I liked the fabric, because the fit is nightmarish in a whole new series of ways.

Seriously, when I read posts about pants-fitting, and the fitee in question is losing her mind because the scenario (given her proportions) is so challenging, I feel nothing but empathy. That sewist's developed upper legs or wide derriere or shelf-hips or sloped waist or thick calves are analagous to my boobs (which seem to pop off the front of my chest like alien creatures as soon as a woven fabric is involved) and my super short/high armscye.

People, this is painful and I don't know how it's going to end. I can simply say that I'll keep going...

So, what happens next?

Well, I just spent 45 minutes on the phone with Fabrications (best customer service ever, not joking) ordering 5 yards of silk crepe and rayon challis (both of which have the same amount of stretch as the burgundy fabric that is, so sadly, gone). That's enough to make 3 more Rosies. Theoretically, two will be muslins and one will be a beautifully-fitted, finished garment. But I'm prepared to accept that they may all be muslins. I have to wait for my fabric to arrive before I can make another of these - a week I suspect.

(Side Note: My sister is in the wedding party of a mega bridezilla who made her buy a dress on Etsy that is a) hideous and b) horrendously fitted. My sister's hysteria, bolstered by photos that show the truth of things, has inspired me to refit the dress in advance of the upcoming wedding. Point is, as soon as that dress, and a bit of extra fabric, arrive in the post, it's going to be all sewing for others, all the time - if with short turn-around.)

What I've Learned from Muslin 4:

• I had to lower the bust apex by another inch. Ahem. Let's not discuss this.

• I had to do my ever-present "small bust adjustment" above my "large bust adustment". That means that, given my full bust is 38" and my upper bust is 33.5", I get a lot of fabric pooling above the full bust to the neckline. I've had to take 0.5 inches off of each princess seam above the full bust. Don't know if this will be enough but it's a start.

• I had to adjust some seam lines - I forgot that darting the side front would shorten the armscye. Given that there's a kimono sleeve, I've just opted to shorten the back sleeve at the underarm. Of course, this might not be optimal, but we'll have to wait and see.

Potential Alterations that I won't be able to confirm till I make the next muslin (you can't do too much at one time or you can't keep everything straight):

• I also might have a big problem - but I'm not going to know until I make this round of revisions: I might need to pull out more fabric from the armscye in a dart that, currently, goes to the bust apex - effectively spanning 2 pieces. I don't know how I'll do this on the front piece in such a way that I can actually close the dart. This would be less concerning on a garment that doesn't already have a (conflicting) princess seam joining two pieces together.  

• I suspect I'm going to need to make the waist smaller again.

• I might need to make the peplum longer.

• And finally, those princess seams really are trickily positioned. I might have to realign them (closer together - by removing width from the front piece, Lord help me).

So you can see, I'm basically making my own top, with some nice bits of pattern paper from StyleArc. You can take comfort knowing that this will certainly be easier for anybody else than it has been for me.

I should disclose that I'm not looking at fitting books during this process. I find them confusing. I've come to realize that I need to make things and fit them on my body, as many times as it takes. Flat pattern alterations are meaningless to me if I can't see how they come about by draping the fabric over my own body. I'm pleased to say, though, that I've picked up a lot by reading when I'm not in the sewing fray: lowering the bust apex, for example. (Well, I'll disclose that I didn't look it up but I remembered how to cut the too-high apex out of the pattern piece (in a little box) and lower it to the desired height.)

If I choose to view this process as a weird experiment that takes a bunch of fabric, lots of time and the creative impulse, well, then I cannot lose. I promise I'll keep you posted.

Till then, I've got a knit to sew up.

Spring Sewing: Rosie Top - The Next Muslin

I don't know what made me think I'd only need to make one muslin of this Rosie top but, man, it is a production. By contrast, I'd rather muslin pants any day of the week...

On the plus side, it's a fascinating process. Really. My bodice proportion is SO renegade.

I'm am grateful to have just about enough of my burgundy fabric left to give it one more go - because so much of this fit is tied up in the beautiful crepe. Part of me is horrified that I may sacrifice it all to muslin but, really, this fabric is doing yeoman's work and we're in it together. Were I to use a new fabric, I'd practically have to start from scratch. Do not be misled, my next life plan is to find mega-drapey, top-weight woven (crepe - silk or otherwise) with 20-25% mechanical stretch (or lycra - I'll take lycra!). And then I'm buying it, shipping be damned.

But let's have a look at the insanity, yes?

Rosie Top modified as per dictates of muslin 2. This is the pattern for the next muslin (or wearable top?!)

Alterations as per the info provided by muslin 2:

• I added back all the width of the original pattern at the peplum hem (the pattern refers to it as "the skirt"). Mind you, I didn't add it all back at the waist.

• In fact, this time I had to take out an inch, over all, from the side seams at the waist. I've decided I want a fitted top, nay, I require a fitted top, so I'm going to insert a side zip at the waist. I suspect, if you are hourglass shaped and you desire a top that isn't shapeless in the waist (to allow you to get it over your bust), you're going to need to do a side zip or make this in a true knit (like ponte).

• I lengthened the back skirt to reflect the 2 inches I removed from the back waist. It was coming up too short.

• I lowered the bust apex by 2 inches. So much for "it's not cut high in the bust!". Note: I did dart at the armscye (between muslin 1 and muslin 2) so that raised the apex artificially - though not by 2 inches, I'm sure.

• The full bust was ridiculously tight. When I vertically slashed the muslin, to see what would happen, I discovered I need another 2.5 inches of extra width at the apex of my bust.

• This time, the princess seams were ridiculously wide - splayed to the outside of my breasts. I can see how someone else had this issue. If you have a small bust, chances are that all you need to do is make the front piece (top left of the photo) narrower. However, as I seem to have to add another 2.5 inches to the full bust (I know, it's insane) this makes things that much more tricky, given that I want that seam to go over the bust, or very close to it. My only recourse is to add width onto the side front piece (top centre of the photo). First I removed some volume I'd added to the front piece above the bust (unnecessary). Then I lengthened the front piece by 0.75 inch to account for the extra length required in light of the alterations of the side front piece.

• I realize that the new bust curve on the side front piece looks insane, I'd prefer to create it over 2 seams (front and side front), as is the usual technique, but that's not going to narrow the princess seams.* I mean, it's going to be an interesting exercise in easing, if nothing else. Thing is, the waist on this is high (not empire, but definitely at the "real" waist). Given that I've got a short waist and large tits, I don't have a lot of room to maneuver. The way this will work for me is in that it will be incredibly fitted under the bust (see that dip below full bust moving towards the waist).

• Updated to reflect further consideration: While I didn't narrow the front piece from the centre (see asterisk below), given that I'd already widened it by an inch (wherein it went from being a good width to too wide), I removed the extra inch and added it, where? Well onto that side front piece. So now it looks even more curvy insane than it does in the photo above. But the princess seam should sit where I want it to.

By the way, I have no idea of what the next muslin will reveal. I felt confident that I'd resolved the issues on the (last) garment but it was destined to become muslin 2. So, I take it, I've got to keep an open mind. What does it matter how long it takes me to fix this? If and when I do make a woven top that fits, I'll have that much more information at my access - which will only help me when next I decide to tackle a woven bodice.

In the meanwhile, that's why we have knits.

Thoughts?

* It just occurred to me that I could have narrowed the front piece at the centre (removing inch, for example) and then adding on to the front piece side seams on either side. That would have allowed me to put the extra space on either side of the princess seam. But that seems unnecessarily convoluted. Of course, it may have displaced the volume better and would make the sewing of that insane princess seam less complicated...

Spring Sewing: Rosie Top, The Muslin

I made a muslin of the Rosie Top and it's actually very interesting.

As it happens, I might have been just as well off making the original pattern in lieu of my very altered one. It would have been better in some ways (though worse in others).

What I altered in the muslin:

• I removed a 2-inch, horizontal wedge of fabric from the centre back.
• Narrowed the shoulders.
• Narrowed the waist circumference, over a variety of seams, by 6 inches.
• I decided to forgo the facing, in favour of self-made bias binding around the neck. I loathe facing.

What I need to do next time: 

• For starters, I have to replace a good 4 inches of the six I removed in the waist. That was a sound alteration, but I totally overdid it given that one's supposed to be able to put this on like a T shirt (and that waist seam was not going over the boobs!). Note: I'm willing to put in a side zip if it gives me a fitted look I prefer...
• The centre back alteration worked really well. I might need to refine it (once I see how everything else plays out) but I sense that's a good plan, in general. The bias binding also works very well in lieu of facing.
• Although the shoulder shortening is not unattractive, it does make the sleeves a bit shorter than I'd like. So I have reversed that alteration.
• Additionally, somehow I still have to add 2 inches to the full bust circumference so I added this at 1 inch over both sides of each princess seam.
• I also added a dart at the front armscye (on the side front piece, slanting towards the bust apex). I've discovered that this is de rigeur with woven bodices. In order to get the full bust to fit, I often need to add volume at the side bust. That's fine, but it over-impacts the armscye given that my armsyce is very high and short.

What I really appreciate about this top:

• My disbelief notwithstanding, it's a beautifully drafted pattern. The shoulders are not wide, even as the technical drawing makes it seem that they might be.
• It's super simple to construct. You can make and use bias binding practically as easily as cutting and sewing in the facing.
• The bust apex isn't drafted stupidly high (like for flat-chested teens).
• My crepe fabric is a perfect choice for this top - it has a good amount of mechanical stretch and a gorgeous drape. The colour is rich - although not one I often wear (burgundy). It sews beautifully and serges just as well.
• You can make practically the entire thing on your serger, with the exception of top stitching a few seams. 
• It's very neat on the inside, because it's simple.

I'm not insane. I deliberately decided to tackle this woven top very specifically. It has a back seam, to facilitate fit in the back waist. I used a drapey, naturally stretchy woven, not a thick, stiff fabric. I made a muslin (in the same fabric as the finished garment will be made in) to avoid fabric variables on the next attempt. I used a pattern with princess seams - which are relatively easy to alter to increase the full bust circumference. I used a pattern with a defined waist. Even if made to fit "loosely", the waist seam provides definition.

And, as a result, although I'm not sure that the next one will be perfect, I do hope that it's wearable.

This top is chicer than I thought it would be. It will look great with a suit or with jeans and it nicely covers the part of one's stomach that one might choose to downplay.

Today or tomorrow, I intend to finish the next version. Stay tuned for more...

Spring Sewing: Rosie Top and Lady Skater Dress (And Another Issy)

I've got an extra long weekend and I'm trying to make the most of it, sewing-wise.

Yesterday I put together another version of the Issy top (photo to follow - I can only do so many things at once and I'm overwhelmed by the tracing and cutting and marking and sewing etc.). Alas, it was a miserable process. The finished top is wearable, but has the wrong-side look of drunken mice at work.

I have to say, I will not be making the Issy again any time soon. This is my third one. The first is a massive hit, which is why I threw caution to the wind of my crap spatial reasoning to make the second (with alterations). The second was a failure for a bunch of reasons, not least of which was alteration-related. This time, I went back to the original pattern. In my coral rayon jersey, it fits in the neck perfectly and doesn't do what the leopard-print does (neckband falls backwards slightly over time). The good news is that the issue, I believe, is in the leopard-print fabric rather than in my construction. The bad news is that, nonetheless, I had to go through the same, hideous pain this time as I've experienced in the construction of each Issy top. My brain just doesn't understand what the fuck is going on. The instructions (stupidly basic to begin with) are useless cuz I trashed them with my iron. So the whole thing is like a nightmare of endless attempts and ripping out. Doesn't make me want to wear the finished garment but I hope that I'll get over it.

On the plus side, the coral fabric is truly delicious - soft, perfectly drapey and stretchy enough to hide the worst of it.

But moving on, I have plans to make 2 other garments this weekend:

StyleArc Rosie Top

and

Lady Skater by Kitschy Koo

It appears that practically no one's made the Rosie - last month's free pattern from StyleArc. Admittedly I wouldn't have bought it (given that I rarely wear woven tops). On the other hand, there's no one left who hasn't made the Lady Skater...

Thoughts About The Rosie Top:

This one is truly a wild card. I have NO idea of how to alter woven bodices to achieve the desired outcome. That didn't stop me from spending 2 hours altering the size 10 down to something in the neighbourhood of a size 4 ??? May I remind you that I don't make woven tops because I'm super small in the shoulders and far less small in the bust? Thing is, I did the math (ok, potentially incorrectly) and this would be a tent in its original format. Natch, I didn't make the bust any smaller!! But I've taken 6 inches out of the waist and an inch from the shoulders. It's a loose-fitting garment but 46" at the waist (for a size 10) is absurd.

Now, I'm not hopeful. It would be stupid to be hopeful given my lack of experience with wovens and the seemingly-incomprehensible sizing of the pattern. Mind you, gotta start somewhere. And the pattern was free!

I'm going to use a crepe with some stretch, recently gifted to me by S (my fitting friend). It's very light fabric in burgundy. We'll have to see how it goes but I've got enough to make a muslin and then another version - always the best plan of attack when you don't know what you're doing with fit.

I'll go into fitting in detail once I've made the Rosie, if it isn't an abject failure, but the main thing I've done is to remove a wedge of 2 inches from the centre back waist-length. I can do this because there's a centre back seam. Effectively I just took out a horizontal dart and closed it (adjusting the base of the bodice to maintain the lines). I haven't touched the length of the front bodice because I have to assume (as with all tops), I'll need more length there to compensate for the boobs. Mind you, the side seams are the same length, front and back, so one hopes (even if the proportions are off) that the alteration is sound.

Thoughts About The Lady Skater Dress

I scarcely know what I can say about this that hasn't been said already. OK, I'm game: The envelope drawing is a real deterrent to purchasing this pattern. I'm glad that so many others have shown that it's a lovely finished garment. Furthermore, it's a pdf download. I'm more willing than some to tape 22 pages (especially if it means I don't have to trace) but the lines were somewhat off, which really offended my sense of order. I mean, it's fixable with some attention to the grain, but really... On a side note, it appears that the newly-released Colette Patterns Moneta is pretty-well the same pattern. I'm intrigued to hear about how people feel one compares to the other.

I reviewed the unaltered Lady Skater pattern against my T shirt sloper and I had to make massive changes to the armscyes and sleeves. My sleeves and armscye are actually a size 1 (smallest) while the bust and waist remain a size 4. I had to change the angle of the shoulder seam dramatically - and to cut about an inch off the depth of the armscye and sleeve head. Happily, I knew this before cutting into my fabric. Slopers for the win (we hope).

Now, thing is, the dress requires about 2 yards of fabric for the size 4, 3/4 length sleeve version. I've got a 1.5 yards of stripes. It's going to take some serious layout skill to make this happen while pattern-matching striped fabric. Having said that, my version is really more of a size 1 than a size 4. And I'm willing to fuck with the volume and grainlines of the skirt as I have to.

Ridiculously, I don't have 2 yards of any T shirt fabric in the stash. The minute I buy it, it's gone and I cannot justify buying another piece of fabric till I've used at least 8 yards of the stash. Why? Cuz it's only economical to buy 6+ yards online (re: shipping) - which is where the best of the T shirting comes from. And I don't have space for that volume in the cupboard at this point.

At any rate, please tell me what you think of these pattern choices. Do you like them? Have you made them? Did you find either completely nutty size-wise? Let's talk!

Style Arc Issy Top: Another Alteration (The Centre Back / Neck)

It never pays to speak too soon. There I was all high on me, having merely tried on the Issy top, and not yet having worn it in the world. Now that I have worn it, I have found a new fit dilemma.

Don't misunderstand, my cheetah-print version is the most wearable of muslins, but it's still a muslin. See, a semi-regular challenge has reasserted itself in this pattern. The back neck falls backwards as if there is too much fabric lengthwise. It appears, however, on experimentation, that the issue is about back and neck width. I'm narrower in this place than are the dimensions of the original pattern.

Here's the thing, when I pull out a dart that starts on the collar and moves into the centre back of the top, the issue resolves itself.



Below is a makeshift pinned-up version for a quick visual. Ignore the pull lines, I didn't organize the top well on the dress form so it's caught on the fabric of the form. Of course, in the finished version, the neck will come together evenly, not askew as it shows below:

 

But this alteration is not that simple to enact on the flat pattern, given that the neck band has a highly unusual construction. It has to be done on 2 pieces (back and front) .

As you can see in the (unaltered for this fix) version (below), there are two tabs on the front piece that come together to produce the collar band, on the top left and right of the pic. Fold lines indicate how the neck doubles on itself.  The sides, parallel to the fold lines, eventually form the piece of the collar band that attaches to the neck of the back piece. What is challenging to imagine is how those neck tabs come together to form the back neck unit. Effectively, the top parts (on the diagonal) form a seam that will run perpendicular to the neck of the back piece. Trust me, it works.

Now here's my altered flat pattern version of the collar band (remember - this is on the front piece of the top):

Part A of the Centre Back Narrowing alteration

What I had to do, and it was really counter intuitive, was to determine how to cut the collar part of the dart wedge, seen in the photo, second from top. It involved removing fabric but also tapering it to form a slightly arrow-like shape.

Below, you can see a loose representation of how that arrow will eventually dart into the back piece. Of course, when you seam the collar band to the neckline of the back piece, you have both tabs connected and folded over - I cannot represent that visually with the paper which won't mold like fabric.

Part B of the Centre Back Narrowing Alteration - the centre back dart.

In total, I had to take out 3 inches of fabric in the collar band tapering to a 2 inch dart on the back piece. The overall length is about 4.5 inches stopping at the part of my back that gets a bit round (and therefore needs more width/length). I'd prefer to make 2 smaller darts, but I truly have no idea how the back neck would adapt to 2 darts.

Another alternative is to make a centre back seam (currently the back is one piece) and just remove the paper at the dart.

I'm kind of amazed that the required alteration is so relatively extreme - especially given that the cheetah-print version looks pretty good (this issue aside).

I also wonder what this means in terms of how I fit into tailored jackets - for example the Janet (with which I had so much trouble in the collar area). I don't recall having this dilemma with patterns other than those by StyleArc, but then, I didn't know as much about fit a year ago as I do now.

Pls. note: I have completely made up this alteration. I don't know if it works yet. So I suggest you let me take the risk and provide more feedback once I do.

Today's question: Does any of you have a really narrow upper back, more so at the centre point (spine) than at the shoulders? How do you deal with it??

Roar

This is one of those sewing projects that took me all weekend. Four hours on Saturday and 8 hours today and I only just finished the Issy top. Anything that could go wrong, did. I had difficulty figuring out how to alter the pieces. I had difficulty figuring out how to put them together. I had difficulty sewing the rayon jersey (you know how rayon jersey can be). I'd finally figure something out (something nit-picky and critical) and realize that my bobbin was shot. My entire body is in knots.

But I fucking love this top.

Don't you love the drape of the neckline??

See these gathers? I set them by pulling basted stitches and then basting the front gathers to the back gathers. Then I serged. It took a while...

OK, here's the lowdown:

• Next time I'm making this in a solid colour - there's too much fabulousness in the construction to obscure with (an admittedly fantastic) pattern.

• I fucking nailed the alterations. I'm a convert to the sloper concept. Yeah, it took hours to figure out where exactly to remove the fabric from but I did it and the shoulders are perfect.

• Yeah, this pattern fits smaller than the envelope measurements but I still needed to pull out almost an inch in the shoulders, remove a bit of fabric from the arm circumference and to raise the armsyce by another inch. I didn't make any other alterations. It fits in the boobs. It fits in the waist. It fits in the hips. I appear to be a consistent size 10 in StyleArc knit tops - with alterations, of course. I might be able to get away with an 8, based on experience, but then I'd have to fit by increasing the bust and waist (and doing other things potentially that I cannot predict). I'm happy using the 10 as a starting point.

• If you don't like people staring at your tits, this probably isn't the top for you.

• Some have mentioned that they're not nuts about the asymmetric hem (in addition to the asymmetric neck and asymmetric gathers). I LOVE it. I even love it at almost tunic-length, which is the length of the garment currently. I might shorten the next version (for a different look) but this would be great with leggings or skinnies.

• This looks like it would cost $150.00 at some cute boutique (or $500.00 at Holt Renfrew). It's TOTALLY au courant. I cannot say enough about StyleArc from the vantage point of chic and modern design. Sure, I've had a few challenges with the company (largely because of business-growth, growing pains), but you cannot fault the silhouette. And much of the time, the drafting is very good also. This is why I joined the Club and will likely order mainly from StyleArc for a good long while.

• The instructions are more fulsome than they generally are with StyleArc, but I trashed them by ironing the thermal paper, so it was a slog for me. And really, I was not at my spatial best. What can I say? There's a reason that Anne has a blog called the Clothing Engineer and I do not have a blog called the Clothing Civil Servant.

• Given all the challenges I had figuring out the construction, this fabric took a beating and the inside is not my neatest work. Mind you, I worked out the glitches and figured out what to do so, next time, I should be able to produce a neat interior.

• The rayon jersey is lovely and the stretch factor is optimal for this top. If I'd understood things better, I would have used my seam interfacing strips along the entire front and back neck to stabilize things. Then I'd have had a chance at stitching the underturned back neck, in the ditch, from the right side. As it is, I had to use a short zig zag on that area and it's not gorgeous. But no one but me will notice it, I'm sure.

No question, I will be making this again. I mean, after all the time I spend on alterations, it would be crazy not to make everything at least twice.

So, whatcha think??

Issy Fit

In a miraculous turn, my latest Style Arc package arrived on Friday afternoon. Since I joined the Club, it included my ordered pattern (Elle pants), my free pattern (Janet Jacket - yup had to reorder since I trashed my first pattern), my free pattern of the month (Issy top, which thrills me from a design perspective) and some more of the black Bengaline (more to come on the topic of this fabric at a later date).

In brief - I ordered the Elle pants in the wrong size (12 vs 10, my error) so I wonder how difficult it will be to make them. Fortunately, Andrea ordered them in my right size, so I may just trace hers.

Apparently, the Janet Jacket was delayed because they discovered an drafting concern in the bust of the size 12 - the one I muslined to hell, so it's not so relevant to my latest, hideously-fitting version of this jacket - and they had to change it. Since I'm starting from scratch, I don't suppose this makes much difference to me - but apparently, the original 12 was drafted too tight in the bust. Alas, I'm not going to be working with the same original version as I started with last time, so I'm not going to be able to take every (correct) alteration for granted. Whatevs. I'll worry about this next week.

Now, let's get to today's topic - the Issy Top:

IMPORTANT: On the topic of omnipresent, minor irritation with Style Arc (despite improvements in communication and delivery time), this pattern is printed on thermal paper - unlike the previous patterns I've received from them. That means, when I pressed the pattern on the right side (I know, you're not supposed to do it but I always do and there's no problem), it melted:

I then had to spend an hour with my husband scanning and processing the instructions and tech drawings to make them legible again. Yeah, I ironed those bits first. They're only nominally readable now. What a pain in the ass. Intriguingly, when I carefully experimented next with ironing from the wrong side of the paper (gotta get those freakin' creases out in order to trace, after all) the ink came through on the wrong side and got darker on the right side, but there were no problems with melted ink. Proceed with caution.

I'm really trying to get with the whole "I don't care how long this takes, it's my fucking hobby" philosophy because I've worked on it for 3 hrs and haven't got to the pattern tracing yet.

Here's the deal - this pattern, as drafted, is not shaped like me at all. Well, altered-Issy, she is Kristin-shaped, we gotta hope. Cuz I sure put in the effort.

To wit:

My arm circumference is smaller than the size 10 and higher too but the unaltered sleeve head curve is pretty much like mine...

Oh, this is where things start to go to hell, from an alteration perspective. My shoulders are narrower than the pattern's, though the Clothing Engineer has indicated that the pattern fits small in the shoulders (and my math corroborates this).

The thing is that the alterations for the front and back - especially given the whack look of the pattern pieces - have to equal one another, though it's unclear exactly where I need to remove my shoulder length. My sloper is for a crew neck T. This is a high-necked, wrap-V. It's not really an apples-to-apples comparison.

After considering the outcome of every change (I hope), I landed on these alterations (penciled around the original pattern lines:

Altered back piece

Altered front piece - see what I mean about the challenge of enacting this alteration on asymmetric pieces that fold all weird-style??

Altered sleeve

This is the fabric I'm going to use:

Appropriately stretchy rayon jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics - it's by some designer apparently...

On an unrelated note - or maybe it's quite related since I seem to be making a sexy, knit top in animal print - I just received info that my 25 year high school reunion is coming up. Process that, if you will: I have been out of high school for most of my life which, given that I am still a Clementine to my core, is rather confusing to me. I'm tremendously grateful to still know much of my graduating class (there were 20 of us), so it will be more like a party in a weird venue than a total reintroduction to a bunch of middle-aged people I don't know. Seriously though...

StyleArc Claudia Pants: The Reveal

I don't know if one ought to put the words "pants" and "reveal" in the same title, but there you go.

Let's start with a zillion photos of what I'm calling a wearable muslin. In truth, it's rather wearable:

These are the pattern pieces I used to make the finished pants. Note: They're not the final pattern pieces. There are more changes I have made on the basis of the "wearable muslin".

Pants really don't look great lying on the floor. But this does give you a sense of the fabric and overall shape.

The darts were a bitch to sew in this rayon "denim" Oh yeah, I shortened the stitch length at the point, I curved the dart slightly at the point, I hammered these things with a clapper after serious pressing. The fabric is SO drapey that it just doesn't take darts well. Fortunately you can't seen those little bumps when the pants are on. They nicely flatten out over one's derriere.

Front facing from the wrong side

Back facing from the wrong side

The rather crappily inserted (but totally strong and functional) zipper. Whatevs. No one cares what the zipper looks like on the inside. See how, since I opted to use a slot zipper (regular) vs an invisible zipper, the facing attaches differently than it would have otherwise. I had a clean finish with the invisible zip. On the fly, I just serged the ends off the facing where it abuts the zipper. I didn't want to fold under and incur unnecessary bulk.

And then there are the money shots:

I freakin' love the drape of these pants.

OK, here's what I learned / what I did / what I'll do next etc...

• I'm going to sew these up in every fabric imaginable, using my new (unphotoed) version of the pattern wherein I learned a few things on this go round:
• I could use another 0.5" of length along the back crotch (fabric depending).
• I could use a slightly shorter length of front crotch (fabric depending).
• The inner thighs are slightly roomy. Next time I'll remove about 1/4" from that wedge I added on after muslin 1 (see top photo, back piece)
• I have to remove about 0.5 inches from the hips with fabric having @20% stretch.
• I want them a bit longer so I'll add another 0.5" to the hem and hem at about 0.5" vs. the 1" hem of these pants.
• The waist is a bit big. But that will serve me well if I use a very firm stretch woven.
• I'm really not a fan of facing. It always flips up a bit, even when well-understitched and pressed to hell. I've learned that, in future, I do not want to clip the seam allowance that attaches the top of the pants to the facing. 0.25" is a good seam allowance and is adequately non-bulky but also long enough so that you can understitch  at a point that will optimally maintain the turn of cloth from the inside. Enough with the clipping!

• Alterations I'll happily stick with:
• The lengthening of the back rise meant that I could remove an inch from the top of the back waist. My need was not for more length at the waist, but at the fullest part of the derriere.
• The slot zipper is a much better bet than an invisible one. Sure, it's not invisible but who cares? It's not bulky or unattractive and it will last for much longer, I suspect. (Don't forget to interface the seam allowances under the zipper. It will keep everything secure and you won't get dreaded bubble zip at the base. This is particularly important if you are using a stretchy fabric with an invisible zip.)
• The waist-height is pretty perfect.
• A propos of waist facings that like to shift, these pants - with all of their darts and seams - give plenty of places wherein one can invisibly tack, by hand, the facing to the pants. It now maintains its fall perfectly.

So that's what I can tell you about this process. I thought of titling this post "Work Very Hard. Then Pat Yourself On the Back" because that's kind of what I've done here. Don't misunderstand, perfection is not achieved. I don't think one can ensure ease and perfection making a pattern until one has remade it in many fabrics, many times, refining things as she goes. This however, is a promising start.

StyleArc Claudia Pants: Original Pattern To Muslin 3

First... (Unaltered)

Then... (Muslin 1)

Now... (Muslin 3)

See last post for deets about the latest round of alterations.

I wonder if this time's a charm?? I do have to say that the latest curve looks resonant, in a weird, internal seams of clothing kind of way. I relate to the short, flatness of the front and the scoopy back (which deepens just at the base). And those hips are very me.

BTW, I did have enough fabric to cut a second pair of pants - though I did repurpose the waist facing. Mind you, I cut the waist facing twice... Point is, 2 yards of 60 wide fabric will make 2 pairs of these in a size 10...

StyleArc Claudia Pants: Muslin 3

I don't know how this is, but I'm onto muslin 3 of the Claudia pants and I'm actually having some fun. But man, I've got SO many new alterations for this next attempt, it's crazy...

On finishing my latest version yesterday, let's call it muslin 2, here's what I learned:

• This is a new glitch: I have front crotch "smiles" or extra fabric because the front crotch curve is too long. Apparently, when one has a full abdomen, this is quite common. First time for me, however... I'm going to apply this alteration - wedging out 2/3" of fabric to nothing at the side seam and then adding the length back to the base of the curve.

• Why oh why am I so incapable of noting the difference between waist facing and waist bands?? These pants have facing - which means they don't have additional height of a band at the top. The result is that now I have to add ALL the fabric I removed from the crotch curve back into the waist because I'm not joking about making pants that fit at the true waist. I'm not dealing with muffin top. On the plus side, I've gained an inch in length...

• And, on the topic of length, I've got to add half an inch back to the base of the leg - I'm getting longer still!

• The original line of these pants is not optimal, IMO. They're SUPER 80s, not my fave era, as you know. I've got to get rid of the leg dart. It's killing me with its stirrup legging vibe. I'm also going to alter them into straight leg (rather than tapered). I think it will be a more modern silhouette and will balance my proportions better.

• Gotta add back that inch in the hips that I removed last go around!

• And, while I'm at it, I'm giving a tiny bit more fabric to the front inner thigh.

• Finally, I'm closing the front from 2 pieces with seam to one, uncut piece. I don't need a line bisecting me at this juncture. I also think it's dated, given the line of the rest of the pants. And it takes some effort to finish that seam nicely - which is just stupid given that I don't like it.

You know, if this were my third jacket muslin, I'd be ready to kill myself. And here I am, third go round with So. Many. New. Alterations.

But it's cool, peeps. For some reason, I don't bring judgement to my fitting of pants in the way I do to the fitting of the tops. I feel like I've got a chance to turn these into a very well-fitted garment - nay, sloper, if I put in the time.

Stay tuned.

StyleArc Claudia Pants: The Fitting Continues

Well this is getting interesting...

Remember this altered pattern, which I lengthened by 3/8" at the top and to which I added fabric to the crotch curve and inner thigh?

Left pieces are the front of the pants, right piece is the back...

Well, I spent a while basting the shell together, to see what would come of it and here's what I discovered (other than, man - they were way too big just about everywhere):

The fabric shows my first iteration of the altered pattern, discussed in the previous post linked to above. The paper shows the new alterations on the basis of what I learned having basted the first iteration, cut fabric together.

Just to complicate things visually, in this pic, the left piece is the back of the pants and the right pieces are the front. The pattern has been altered to reflect the changes I believe are required having tried on the basted muslin for fit.

Important note: Ordinarily, I would start with new fabric because I shortened the crotch from the midpoint of the crotch curve, where that flap of fabric is now, and the back piece (having a hem dart) from below the knee. Alas, one cannot do that with one's already cut fabric, so I'm shortening this muslin from the top and bottom of the pattern. Because I have SO much excess fabric, I can do this (though we don't know if it will have unknown impacts re: grain). I suspect not, given the lengthwise and widthwise stretch of this fabric, but I do think it bears mention.

This round of alterations:

• Adding 3/8" of fabric at the waist wasn't a bad idea - but I did need to remove 1.25" of depth in the crotch all around.

• Shortened the length of the pants, below the knee, by 2 inches. I guess my legs are really not that long...

• When I shortened the front curve, it made almost NO difference to the line of the front crotch because that front curve is practically flat almost to the base. I did have to take some width out of the hip (probably that extra inch I added in when I altered the original pattern per my denim leggings pattern) and a bit out of the inner and outer legs. BTW, I sense that the front curve looks like that because of the relative fullness of my abdomen.

• The back piece got most of the attention... That little wedge of paper taped on top of the piece is the amount I had to remove from the previously altered back crotch curve once I shortened the rise (as I trued the pattern piece to reflect the new rise). If you look at the top photo (the one showing my starting point before this round of alterations) you'll observe that what I've done, essentially, is return the curve to that of the original pattern by removing a lot of the extra width I added into the primary alteration of this crotch curve (on the basis of what I learned the last time I made stretch woven pants (denim leggings)). My point is, all I've really done to alter this pattern is shorten the crotch curve by 1.25 inches and add about an inch of extra fabric to the inner thigh (from the back piece). Oh, and shorten the legs below the knee.

• Less notably, I also had to remove a reasonable amount of width from the hip and leg on the back piece...

What actually fit right out of the envelope? Well, the proportion was almost smack on for my body, which you can more or less discern by looking at the newly altered pieces atop the, as-yet unaltered cut fabric. The waist height, once I addressed the crotch depth, was almost perfect. The darts were a good width, as drawn. The waist fit almost perfectly.

Even though, when I tried on the basted muslin, I might have called it a disaster, on 5 minutes of reflection, this was fairly easy to improve.

Now let's see how the next version works. This time I'm actually going to sew.