PANTS, OR MY OBSESSION WITH FIT

 I am obsessed with pants fit.  Not just mine, but I look at womens rear ends to see if any of them actually wear pants that fit.  Not too many do.  I own a lot of fitting books and every article Threads has ever published on fitting and I still have had problems.  Until I read the latest article Kenneth King wrote for the current issue of Threads magazine.  There was another one  in September 2002, #102 also outlining his method.  But what really got me to make yet another muslin of my pants were the pictures that Mardel posted of Kenneth King fitting her pants on her   at the Sit and Sew she attended last fall.  I've learned a lot about fitting over the years and even came close to perfect fit.  Then I went and gained some weight and proceeded to totally screw up my former TNT pattern and even that one wasn't perfect!

Enter Kenneth King.  Not in person unfortunately, but in the form of his articles and his cd The Trouser Draft.  That was one of the patterns that I screwed up totally and I didn't feel like starting from scratch again, so I started with Hot Patterns Razer pant which fits me remarkably well except for the drag line in back and the front crotch.  I repeatedly have gotten what I refer to as the front pleat.  It's like have a skirt with a single front pleat, but only mine shows up on pants and starts around the crotch.

This is from  Kenneth Kings  The Trouser Draft

"MY OUTLOOK ON FIT:

  I've gone to fitting classes and heard the sentence:  "The drag line points to the problem."  This was never followed up with an explanation that met with my satisfaction, and so it became  a quest for me--I came to believe that to understand what this sentence meant would explain the underlying principle of fitting."

Having read a lot of books and articles on fitting I can really relate to this!

KK:  " The object of the game here is to achieve the correct outline of the pattern, to fit the three-dimensional shape underneath.  At first it seemed logical to look to the edges of the pattern to achieve this.  A paradigm shift here for me was to look to the interior portion of the pattern, for the information I needed to adjust the outline correctly.

Over time, I came to understand that, when there was a drag line in a garment, it represented an incorrect relationships of square inches (in the interior of the pattern piece) to the figure it was draping.  Correcting the interior square inches of the pattern would automatically correct the outline of the pattern."

He goes on to discuss three types outcomes: Net loss, Net Gain, and no Net Change.

It really works!  I re-read his section on pants and the new article in Threads, which by the way is the first of a series, and made my muslin.  I pinned out those pesky pleats at the crotch.  I pinned out the wrinkles I always get below my stomach.  These were net losses.  I also had a net gain at the back drag line.  I have a high right hip.  This one I cheated on.  On my last pair of pants I measured down from my waist to where the drag line met my side seam.  Then I lowered opened the zipper and lowered the side until the drag line disappeared.  I needed about 1/2" more on that side.  I slit the side seam on my pattern at the correct place  front and back and added in that amount at the seamline.

You can see the oval sections that I marked from my pinning out the wrinkles and drag lines. This is the amount that I removed from the closest seamlines.

Here you can see how I transferred the markings to my pattern.  The horizontal lines are used to transfer the exact measurement of the pinned area to the seam lines.  You'll notice the quirky curve below my crotch.  It works.  I am in currently making these up and should have them ready to photograph in a few days.  I did have to lower the left side to remove the extra I needed for the right side.  In these pants, without pockets it doesn't matter, but I if I make a pair of jeans, which I am planning to, it will matter as the amount I lowered the left side is a very noticeable 3/4".  I think that I am going to transfer that amount  and lower  the pocket edge and see if that works for me.  I'd either have to do this after I cut the pants out or cut it separately and have different left and right pattern pieces.

It's also time to re trace my pattern.  I've made so many change that it becomes confusing after a while.  The other thing that I've learned over time is to make changes on copies and to date everything so that I can go backwards to an earlier version if I have to.

These  look nothing like the HP Razer pant I started with.   I added a contour waistband and eliminated the side front pockets. (They always gape on me no matter what I do and they add bulk that my hips don't need.)  I do like the back crotch on the Razer, which is why I used it as my base.  The other reason that I prefer a waistband is my uneven waist.  You'll notice that the amount I removed from the front waist gives me a very curvy seam line.  It is very evident if I make a faced pant and hidden if I use a waistband, either contour or straight.

If you have fitting issues, I really hope that you'll buy this issue of Threads, or if you have the new DVD take a look at the earlier article.  His method is simple and effective and you don't really need to know why your muslin has wrinkles to eliminate them and get a garment that looks like it was draped on you.

Hopefully I will remember this epiphany and use his method in the future.  It works better than anything I've done in the past.  You might also want to buy his cd, The Trouser Draft because the fitting section on pants details his method in great detail and the articles he did for Threads only covers jackets.  The only downside to this is you really need a fitting buddy if you have lot of changes to make in the back.  Upside is that the person only has to be able to pin out wrinkles, not be knowledgeable about sewing.

Happy sewing.

   

    

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE PATTERNS THAT FLATTER?

Before I get started on the post, I want to thank you all for the lovely comments and congratulations on the birth of our first grandchild.  He is of course, wonderful.

Now to the topic.   I spend a lot of time looking for garments on high end websites like Net a Porter for ideas of what  I want to sew.  Then  comes the obsessive trolling for patterns to see if I can even come close to what I envision because my pattern drafting skills are not up to drafting from scratch.   I also spend a lot of time trying to figure out if it will look good on me and be worth my time to sew.   I'll use my croquis to give me a feel for how the style will look on my body if I am in doubt.  If its a Vogue pattern I'll look at the  key to figure flattery.  Which often makes no sense to me and isn't really helpful at all.

According to the chart I am a triangle.  I am of the small shoulders and large bust variety and my width is at my upper hip, just below my waist so I am often puzzled by their choices.   I need bust darts and fitting seams.  I also find drop shoulders or too much width across the bust line to be unflattering and I often see both of these in a recommended garment.   I like how I look in a pencil skirt but a triangle rarely appears on one of these.

# 1168 is a new Donna Karan that has a triangle in the guide.  (its the one in the upper right) This has a sleeveless top with not one fitting seam or dart in sight.  There is no way that this will look good on me, but on a small busted triangle it may look quite nice.  How about #1167, the one in the lower left.  The photo must have been clothes pinned in back for the photo, because the drawing of the jacket looks like a shapeless rectangle.   There are bust darts, but it will fall straight down from a large bust  and make me look larger than I really am. You'll notice that this is actually supposed to be suitable for all body types.
#8624 is another one that will add pounds to my figure.  Look at those wide wings from underarm to hip.
Obviously this set of 4 keys is just not enough to really decide figure flattery.  There are other systems out there that work better, but they are rather  cumbersome.  So what do I do?  I could keep to the tried and true, but that would be boring.  If it's something I am unsure of I'll draw it on my croquis.  I look at the proportions especially .  Will it divide my body in unflattering ways?  Is it the right length for me.  Sometimes just adjusting the length will be enough.  Are there slimming seamlines?   The Knipmode dress as drafted would have fallen at an unflattering point on my legs so of course I shortened it but what attracted me to be honest, was how good it looks on Oprah who is not a sylph.  Not exactly my figure type, but a curvy woman too.

I have a drawer full of patterns I haven't sewn and sometimes its because I let the pattern seduce me, not seeing the unsuitability of their lines.  Fortunately I only wasted a few dollars, not my fabric or my time.   I have a harder time as I get older finding chic, interesting garments to sew.  I still want to look stylish.  I'd have an easier time of it if I worked in an office where I was required to dress up a bit.  But I don't and finding interesting looks that suit my life is often difficult.  This issue of Vogue pattern magazine has some lovely things, but the best of them are dresses that are of limited use to me.  I do like the Rachel Comey top and skirt, #1170  third down on the right above, obviously making the skirt longer, or just making the blouse.  I also like the  knit dress from Donna Karan that I think will look good on me. It's the third down on the right below.  There's a sale coming up at Joann's so if I invest a few dollars in them it  won't hurt all that much if I don't make them.  I've been sewing more from Burda Style (BWOF) lately and there I am on my own in figuring out what will look good on me.

So dear reader, how do you decide what to sew?  Do you agonize as much as I do in choosing patterns or do you make quick decisions?

KNIPMODE DRESS AND THE BRIT

We're back!   I am smitten.  So far Jakob is a really easy baby who sleeps and eats.  Josh and I cooked  Shabbat dinner together on Friday.  We made a childhood favorite of his, what the kids called yellow chicken because of the turmeric.  Its from Copeland and Marks The Varied Kitchens of India and this is from the chapter on the Jews of India.  It's sweet and sour and has shredded carrots cooked in the sauce.
The brit was on Sunday.  I counted wrong, and traditionally the brit would have been on Saturday, but without a moyel in the community, this one drove in from Baltimore, it's hard to have one on shabbat.  Jake was a real trooper,as soon as the Rabbi put his diaper back on after his circumcision he was asleep.  Here are some pictures from the brit and at dinner afterward.  My MIL will be 90 this summer and my bil and sil drove her up. Unfortunately it was just too much for my Dad to come up from Florida.  There is no easy way to get to Roanoke and he just can't fly by himself anymore.

Josh and Seth       Josh is wearing his bar mitzvah tallit(prayer shawl) and it was full sized on him back then.  He's grown a bit.                                     

T                                            
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NOW FOR MY DRESS
I bought this issue of Knipmode just for this dress; a selection of 3 outfits that Oprah was photographed in are showcased.  There are no designers credited, so I think that they just drafted it from the photos.  Sigrid and I are both of the opinion that the  garments  Knip drafts from designer patterns and doesn't publish a picture of their version leave a bit to be desired.  They don't seem to fix all the kinks.  I had to make a few changes in the draft on this, but on the whole I am pleased with the dress.  I shortened it, and then didn't shorten the front ties.  Woops. But, I like it anyway.  It is a Spanx dress however. 

This is a plus sized dress and I am at the high end of regular, so I can usually grade plus sizes to fit me.  I grade the shoulders down and the hips are fine.  Pear shaped here.    But, honestly the waist shaping was really curvy and if I hadn't  straightened the waist curve it would have been really skin tight and I don't like to showcase my mid section. It has pockets in the lower seams which I really like.
Here's a link to my Pattern Review review.
I have a BWOF top to review that I made before this dress.  I need some photos of that one before that can happen though.
Next up, wool pants, it's cold on Long Island!  We got off easy the last couple of winters and I was a bit spoiled by the warmer winters.  Obviously, not this year.

Father and Son

Ok, I lied. Here's another post on my grandson.  I just couldn't  resist posting this terrific picture of my son Josh and his son Jakob. 

A NEW TITLE!

NANA  is what I told my son I'd like to be called.  My mother's Mom was Nana and she was the most wonderful grandmother.  I hope that Jakob will think as highly of me when he's old enough to have an opinion.  He was born at 2:43 this afternoon and mother and son are doing well.  It's certainly exciting; even my husband who doesn't show excitement was teary eyed.  We'll go down for the brit milah, which if it is done according to tradition will be next Sunday.  He's a very considerate child so far.
Here he is at about 10 minutes old sent from the new Dad's Blackberry.  The hospital has wi fi, so we got regular updates during labor.

Isn't he fabulous!  Josh says that he has a full head of hair under the cap.
We called our daughter Alex in Korea when we found out Sarah was in labor, and she insisted that I call her even if it was the middle of the night her time, which it was.   You can see how excited she is if you read her blog entry, the link is over on the left in my blog roll.  AAA Alex's Adventures in Asia.
I promise that I won't post too much on Jake, but this first day is pretty special.

SNOW, AND MORE SNOW

It's officially a blizzard and a record snow.  We had 25" of snow and of course this is when my dh's old Ram Charger that he keeps going for the plow decided not to stay running.  We have a 700 foot driveway.  Fortunately we share it with several other houses and the main, shared driveway has been plowed.  But, getting my car down to it may be a little hard.  Ah, well I work at home.  I may get stir crazy, but hopefully I'll get a lot done. But, not the shoveling.  Here's my husband clearing a path for the dog. 

I USED A PRINT!

I actually got one of my prints cut and sewn into this terrific sweater coat.  Hot Patterns has some very nice designs for knits these days including this great  1018 Riviera Cardigan.
I've posted a complete review over on PR, though there isn't a lot to say about such a simple project.  It took me longer to match and cut it out than to sew it up.  
Hot Patterns Riviera Cardigan 1018 review

The pants are a wool blend with a small amount of lycra from Emmaonesock, as is the sweater coat fabric.  I used my trusty tnt Hot Patterns Razer pant that I narrowed down to an 18" leg at the hem.  I used this method from Threads,  a much better way to narrow down a pant leg than just drawing it in narrower as many books instruct.  This one does not leave you with excess fabric below the rear end or in the thigh.
Oh, by the way, I took this with my new camera.  It has a cool setting where the self timer recognizes your face when you enter the scene. It didn't work in front of my brick fireplace wall, but it did work above.  It's meant to enable the photographer to enter a group photo and it recognizes a new face, but it worked here quite well for my purposes.    You can also set the number of pictures it will take.  

Did anyone see the column in the NY Times yesterday? Altered by a Sewing Machine by Michelle Slatalla..  This is the third article I've seen recently about women who have decided to learn how to sew.  Michelle talks about learning that sewing is about process and she's all about product, though she does conclude that sewing is changing her.   I've been sewing for a lot of years and it's still about process to me.  I love the planning not only of wardrobes, but how I'm going to make something.  I make samples of techniques, even when I've done them before.  I fit as I sew and sometimes I still get surprised by the outcome.  It isn't about how fast I can make something or how cheaply I can make it.  I am not looking to save money by sewing.  I love the process of it all.  This is not to say that I don't want a great finished garment when I am done, but that isn't why I love sewing.  What about you,are you a process or product sewer?