Stitch and bitch #7. Hanging by a thread

That is really frustrating @NutellaEllaElla have you managed to do the alteration on the pattern for re cutting with your lowered bust?

I’m late to this thread and would love to the dress @Jins

I am having to sit on my hands to stop me from making something until September. Soooo hard

@Dellabob123 i think I managed to avoid the cameras so there won’t be any with me wearing it but it’s McCalls 7969 with the huge sleeves

That's so pretty @Jins

Hi
Just found this thread and loving the sewing chat and recommendations. @CrimsonAlligator have you tried lulou designs? I have had some lovely quality plains from them and they do some selections by season so might find some autumnal shades: https://luloudesigns.co.uk/products/ziva-cotton-poplin-apple-cider
Am currently working on a Sew Over It Nicole dress in cotton, hope I can get it finished before the nice weather disappears completely!

I'm on the hunt for a skirt pattern.

I did a toile of the Style Arc Richmond utility which was a dud, sadly. The wide waist yoke and pleats did not help my ample figure!

I want kind of midi. Possibly button front, interesting pockets. Good for linen.

I quite like the look of Sew Liberated Gypsum or Estuary.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

It needs to accommodate waist of 47", hip of 57"...

Meantime, I am also considering another pair of Arthur pants. Or maybe Bob, or one of the other balloon/barrel leg options.

Wow, thanks everyone for all your suggestions! I’ve looked at all of them...and concluded that what I want probably doesn’t exist. I did finally buy some fabric though! I’m almost embarrassed to post that after all of this, I’ve gone for a small check pattern in a not particularly autumnal colour. It’s not even lawn...or cotton, but at least it’s something!

I’ve noted down all your suggestions, in case I ever become a more adventurous dresser 🙃

You have my sympathy.

I got bogged down in a dart positioning black hole. The jacket I am making has darts going up the front. All fine except that I decided to take the pattern up one size and lengthen it by 10cm. Much tracing paper got consumed in the process.

While waiting to get my hair cut I found just the right fabric for my 'mother of the bride' outfit. A petrol coloured silk to make a longline jacket and trousers with a floral patterned cotton to wear underneath. DD has given me her sign of approval so do I commit and buy now or wait. Wedding is November 2024.

Buy the fabric, even if you don't use it for the wedding outfit you can make something fabulous with it.
(As previously mentioned, I'm an enabler)

Oh darts! One thing that is essential is trueing the seams after you've adjusted. And with dart adjustments that often means redrawing the dart roof and side seams so that the sides do match.

One thing to know if that with a larger bust adjustment you might need to add side width as well as front space for the whole bust.

So, to move or alter the dart shape, size or position, first of all determine your new position, using the apex as a guide.

Make the adjustment, and add extra paper, then fold up the dart on the paper as it would be on the fabric,

Then I use a tracing wheel to mark the new dart roof and side seams - from the stitching line, NOT the cutting line, blending down into the lower side seam,

Unfold it all, redraw the lines, tidy it up and you're done.

During lockdown I did an online fitting course with Alexandra Morgan which was brilliant. She explains clearly and her videos are really clear and professional. I really recommend if you're interested.

www.inhousepatternsstudio.com/blog?tag=fitting+the+bust

@Jins high praise from the fashionable niece!

welcome to the thread @florentini - sadly since I’ve just made a sundress I think summer is now officially over 😂

@TragicMuse the Closet Core Fiore might fit the bill? There’s not much out there that’s visually interesting and has pockets if you want a skirt is there! Loads of trouser patterns though.

@CrimsonAlligator lovely colour!

@GnomeDePlume petrol coloured silk sounds amazing. I’d buy it even without an outfit in mind just because it sound’s beautiful.

I want kind of midi. Possibly button front, interesting pockets. Good for linen.

You've got a clearly defined waist in relation to your hips, so that's great - I wonder though about ways to "smoothe" and ease a fulness of skirt for your hips, into a much smaller waist. And whether you might look at a skirt with a sort of princess line cut, or with sort of longish shaped pleats that then make up a fitted waistband that is part of the skirt?

That is, imagine a princess line dress - fit & flare - that's cut off a bit above your natural waistline and the seam lines open put into soft big pleats. THat style is very flattering for people with a clear waistline & broader hips. The fulness of the skirt flows from the line between waist & the fullest part of the hips.

I don't tend to rate "indie" patterns (I prefer stuff much more designed & tailored), so can't help you there, but here's the sort of thing I mean

https://www.sewdirect.com/product/m7906-pdf/

I remember your pics of the other skirt you made (was it you?) and I think the problem was the pleats into the waistline were far too skimpy in the cut, design & drafting of the pattern (not your sewing). If you want a pleated skirt & full, it needs to be properly full!

Or this one - it has a yoke - but the skirt looks more generous.

https://www.sewdirect.com/product/vogue-patterns-v1813/

I've found the trick with the yoke skirt is to ensure that the top of the yoke sits on your waist & is pretty perfect in fitting - then you can adjust below the waist for your measurements. THe main thing is to have a nice clean line in the design that shows that nice difference between waist& hips (as you're lucky enough to have that shape!)

I made a toile of https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/natasha-tiered-dress-sewing-pattern-size-6-14-000757018.html don't think I'm going to make it for real as I feel like I should be stood covering a loo roll. Also I hate sewing gathers. There's another midi dress on the pattern so might make that with my nicer fabric. Please excuse hairy legs/no styling - I'm wearing it working at home so I get a wear out of it before it goes in the wash to get the tailors chalk off.

I love the tiered dress - I saw that pattern in Clothkits in Chichester a few weeks ago and debated buying it but couldn’t decide about all the gathering! It looks nice on you though

@TragicMuse i also have a 10 inch (plus) difference between my waist and hip measurements. I find that anything that adds bulk around the waist/ thigh area doesn’t work for me, so no pleats or patch pockets for me.

Last year I bought the Grainline Reed, which may be along the lines of what you’re looking for. I haven’t sewn it up yet, but I liked the style lines and in particular the way the slanted pockets in one of the views add interest, but no bulk. I have a similar (shop bought) skirt and the long vertical lines work really well for me. I’m tall anyway, but those lines make my legs look longer, which helps to balance things out a bit.

@GnomeDePlume i’m not a fabric enabler, but in this case I hope you went and bought that fabric! Perfection doesn’t come around often...

@kittykarate I hate gathering too.
Your fabric does look a little stiffer than the one on the pattern cover, perhaps that’s influencing your loo-roll-dolly thoughts.

I finished my Helen’s Closet Orchard dress. I blended between sizes (14 bust, 12 waist and hips) which worked well, but if I make it again I’d shorten the straps by about 3cm and lengthen the pattern.

I hated sewing gathers too but nowadays I use the gathering function on my overlocker if I can. I didn’t use it on the dress I’ve just made but I wish I had. I usually gather less than required then pin it out evenly and pull the central thread to gather the sections up.

Works well with cottons. Haven’t really experimented with viscose

I will say - if you don't mind gathering, it's a nice pattern to sew up - it only took me a day to make (starting at cutting out the fabric at 11am, button attached at about 5pm). I think it's just I'm not a flouncy person and the stiffness of the fabric is making it more. I do fancy making the other variant with the A Line skirt. I can find very few photos of people out there who have made either version so it's a bit of a stab in the dark.

@TragicMuse how about the free one by SOI https://sewoverit.com/product/ruby-skirt-pdf-sewing-pattern/ . I think that had some of the things you were looking for?

Thanks for the welcomes! @NutellaEllaElla and @SBAM I am loving watching everyone's projects. I don't have much sewing time at present so I'm living vicariously.

Thank you!

I love the first one you've shared. It's outside my size but I think I can probably grade it. Or draft something. Tbh, as soon as I think about needing to grade I usually decide to draft instead!!

I know! It's a pain isn't it?!

I long to be a fit out of the envelope kind of person but even thin people have fit issues so I guess it's just the way pattern makers have to standardise. That's why we sew isn't it!!

Gathering - one my dreads! I know the double row of stitches on a sewing machine method and I know it’s possible on an overlocker - but how do you control the amount of gather on an overlocker?

Thanks @SBAM the Closer Core is nice, but not quite speaking to me, if you know what I mean!

@CrimsonAlligator I love the Grainline! Lots of interest and features, a definite contender!

@florentini welcome! Straight out of the traps with another contender, thank you! And free! Even better. I've always given SOI a wide berth on the assumption that she didn't draft for my size, now I can see I was wrong and will be exploring her patterns more closely!!