Stitch and bitch thread #8. It’s all starting to unravel

[NutellaEllaElla]

Welcome back and welcome for the first time to any newbies. As we go back into autumn/winter mode, sewing days are more and more appealing as the wind gales outside. I enjoyed looking back over the last thread, there were so many beautiful patterns (so little time), such beautiful makes, that thread is an absolute goldmine for inspiration. Also such wisdom from you lovely lot! Thank you. I couldn't do it without you actually as no one around me sews and you have imparted such great advice, hints and tips.

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Sadly I fear that a transwoman block would suit me. If I look at all the adjustments and grading I do I’m widening shoulders and narrowing hips all the time. Dart positioning will be a big issue as well.

I recently made a pattern from a company that a lot of transwomen seem to like and I had to take so much length off everything that it became obvious why. I usually have to shorten sleeves by an inch or two but I left a whole 4" cuff off this one. I steer clear of "unisex" patterns, as it is.

I made a shirt for DH, a couple of years ago (it won't be happening again) and, at the time, we had virtually identical chest, waist and hip measurements, despite being completely different shapes.

can anyone help this poster?

Any sewing experts around? Sewing machine can't cope with my lovely fabric! | Mumsnet

i suspect it's the needles

@pastabest I think tatb are simply showing (yet again) that they give zero fecks about pattern drafting for size 18+ women. Look at the Esti pattern cover! Gorgeous plus sized model made to look ridiculously uncomfortable.

Notice how they haven't asked for trans models for their 0-16 clothing. I think it's very telling.

I broke my No shop bought clothes vow yesterday and picked up a shirt dress in denim style tencel which was on Tesco’s sale rail. Reduced to £8 and my colleague discount courtesy of DS2 made it £6.40.

It is the least flattering garment I have ever worn and is going back. Just shows how much better handmade can be

I wonder why they're looking for more/new plus sized models? Could it be that the other lass has fallen out with them because they made her look such a state?

In my opinion, a plus sized transwoman will carry their weight in different places than a plus sized woman. On a woman, the weight is generally spread over the body (limbs especially - chubby thighs, calves . You rarely hear of a bloke struggling to buy wellies for their chubby legs) as well as on the stomach. Because of hips/bust, this means there is a more 'cylindrical' shape. On a man, weight concentrates on the stomach area, giving that very prominent dart players belly. So the adjustments required to get a good fit will be much different.

It's just a classic "we don't want to get mithered on our socials" move isn't it?

I’ve never sewn a TatB pattern, but this latest search for a new model definitely raises a few questions about how well they understand the proportions of a plus size body.

Nearly every time I see their promotional materials, I get the overwhelming feeling that they don’t really know how to dress a plus sized model, let alone draft for one. Dare I mention their pictures of the Marnie? Regardless of what you think of that pattern, I’m sure it’d have been possible through better fabric choices to not make the plus sized model look like a cross between a giant toddler and a clown. How is that supposed to inspire anyone?

You had me all excited with the description of that dress jins ...until I read what it actually looked like in practice 😂

I'm with you on the Marnie. There are so many patterns with everything gathered onto a yoke out there which manage to look elegant, despite the volume then there's that giant 1980s baby dress like my younger sister wore. All TATB needs to do is create a pattern for frilly knickers and matching bibs and they'll be able sell to a whole different demographic 🙄

I know @CrimsonAlligator. I was gutted about the dress. I picked up some tencel twill joggers a few days ago reduced to £15 (£12 with staff discount - cheers DS2) and they are fine. Legs the right length, waist a wee bit high but not too much of an issue. The dress though - it put about 4 stone on me in all the wrong places. All down to the waistband placement but nothing I can do about it

Sussed without any loss of sleep! Binding on top of folded back on itself button band, trim and turn it all the right way out and the end of the binding is inside the button band. 👍

The last tatb pattern made was Marnie. I made it according to my chest measurement as it has so much ease everywhere as per instructions. I was sceptical as even with my limited experience of fitting it seemed not quite right when cutting out. It was too tight across my shoulders and neck. I won't be buying anymore of their patterns , which is a shame as I found them very helpful when I was getting back into it a few years ago. They really seem to have lost their way in the last year.

Also , I've made their Stevie top in a 14 and a 20. The size 14 person found it a lovely fit , simple , but it worked. The size 20 top was dreadful. The neckline was ridiculously wide and it was almost like it was just graded out at the hip to silly proportions. The only way you'd know it was the same top was the tie feature. These were cut from the same pattern packet.

I’ve said it before but I’ve never found a TATB pattern that I wanted to buy so I can’t really judge them. I’m not in a plus size but tend towards dumpiness so I always look for sewn examples of patterns in larger sizes and I’ve found the TATB examples very off putting.
Some of the indie patterns seem to look fine on plus size models so I’ve no idea why TATB fail so regularly

@Jins I always assumed that it's because they had to be dragged kicking and screaming into expanding their size range. I've heard that building a plus sized block is such a specialist area that it can be costly to find a professional to do it. So it could be that they don't want to/can't afford that. This is just speculation of course. I'm sure others know more.

I'm playing around with the leg pieces for the Anna Allen Philippa trousers after the last pair came out not great. Not awful, and better once I took in the sides and redid the waistband. This time I've used a favourite pair of jeans as a template, reduced the rise by an inch (turns out I really don't like super high rise) and slimmed the legs a bit. So we will see. I've got some corduroy for the next pair - never sewn with corduroy before so need to remember about the nap etc when cutting out. Also going to do a curved waistband this time - I should have learned with the Lander trousers that I don't like a straight waistband.

@Jins, many of the TatB patterns are a bit shapeless. Easier to fit perhaps, but can also easily end up looking like a sack, especially on larger frames.

It’s a shame as TatB seem to have been really successful in demystifying the sewing process for many people, but they are stuck in an odd aesthetic at the moment. But what do I know? May be all those frills & colour combos really appeal to younger sewists?

I had a go at tidying up my craft supplies yesterday. Made some progress, but then had the genius idea of making a toolroll for one of my other hobbies instead. So all the sewing supplies came out again and much mess was created, but a couple of hours later at least one of my hobbies is organised 😂

I’m really pleased with how this came out. I have a shop bought one for my watercolour brushes, which cost me £25 and is dull black canvas. This is so much nicer.

That is lovely. I made one quite similar for my knitting needles as a break from my long hiatus from sewing. It's not wonderfully sewn as I was out of practice but has outlasted anything else. I'd been using.

That's lovely! I've been meaning to make something similar for my interchangeable knitting needles but just haven't got around to it.

No sewing here this weekend - we've had OK weather so I did some gardening while the soil wasn't completely sodden. Need to prep for a job interview this week so no sewing for a while!

Great idea! I've done bugger all sewing lately but i'm pretty excited/ a little nervous for the draping on the stand course which starts tomorrow! For the whole week. Lovely to have a week off work, thinking about nothing to to do with work.

Will you post some pics of your creations? I have never done anything like that so am intrigued to see how it all works.

Enjoy the course @NutellaEllaElla

Thanks, well day 1 was draping a basic bodice block. Think tomorrow is sleeves...

I've done 2 days flat pattern drafting before but I'm not good at translating flat to 3D in my mind. I think it makes more sense to me doing it from the mannequin.

That looks like a great course @NutellaEllaElla .

I went to the Chanel exhibition at the V&A at the weekend and just want to try everything that I saw out in some sewing, but realistically I don't have any time for a few weeks.

I’d love to try doing that. Would be really interesting to do it with a friend and create blocks for each other- hard to do it accurately on yourself!

I did briefly wonder about one of those personalised mannequins but then found out they cost £1200 or something, and I’m not sure I want to see myself in all my slightly overweight and untoned glory 😬