Yesterday's NY Times ran a piece on a Nigerian writer who was told that women in the US are not taken seriously if they are well dressed. She was brought up to be well dressed, well accessorized and to be perfectly groomed at all times. That's the norm in her country for women regardless of status or wealth or employment. Her mother would never dream of going to work or out unless perfectly put together. When she came to the US to attend college she found out that an outfit she considered casual was 'too dressy' which was pointed out to her by friends. We're talking about heels, pants and nice top. Kind of what I consider a good everyday outfit, usually minus the heels.
As an aspiring writer she attended a writing conference. The woman next to her remarked that one of the speakers, a woman who had published 3 books, couldn't be taken seriously because she was fashionably dressed. Weren't the 3 books enough to give her serious credentials?
A woman on PR posed the question of whether it's ok to be interested in fashion. It kept her from sewing because she didn't want to be taken as too self involved, which is what I think she thought of women who like fashion. She is seriously conflicted about this!
I love fashion, though probably not as much as some. I don't have the lifestyle to wear a lot of what's considered high fashion, but I search out the casual and fashionable and try and interpret the look to suit my body. I believe that there is nothing wrong with dressing well and fashionably or in loving fashion.
I am old enough to remember Bella Abzug and her hats. She was a serious politician who was not taken seriously and a lot of men made fun of her hats. How about Michelle Obama? Do we not take her seriously because she wears fashionable clothing? She'd been dressing interestingly long before she became First Lady and she held some serious jobs. Hillary Clinton and her pants suits. People talked about them and not in a good way. So, basically women can't win. If you love fashion you are shallow, dress boringly and you are criticized for that too.
In a lot of ways, though women have come a long way since we got the vote, we are still struggling to be taken seriously.
What's your take on women and fashion?
Friday, February 21, 2014
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Done, Well With the Coat Muslins At Least
Making a third muslin was worth it. I've fine tuned the fit and gotten rid of most of the issues. Oddly, it looks shorter in the front but I had Seth measure center front and back and the back is shorter by a 1/2". I've allowed a 2" hem allowance so that I can check it again when it's in the coating. This fabric is heavier than the muslin, and it worked well. There are wide seam allowances on the side seams and the sleeve seams so that I can adjust them a bit. I also have to play with the shoulder pads to get the shoulders even.
What I changed:
Added height to the sleeve cap. There were even drag lines front and back and the HBL was higher in the center. It's still a bit higher so I added a little bit more height to the pattern. It can be fine tuned.
The hips were enlarged and most of the drag lines are gone. There are some on the left. My hips are not the same shape, but not so much that I need two pattern pieces I don't think.\
I shortened the sleeves above the elbow which made them more comfortable. They look a little long to me, but I always cut sleeves too short and then my wrists are cold when I drive.
I moved the shoulder seam to lie on top of my shoulder. The shoulder end was fine, but neck there was too much of the back showing at the neck edge. When I added the rounded back alteration I added a shoulder dart. You can cut it off at the shoulder, but I like the dart. I moved it so that it matched up with the shoulder princess in front. It fits the shoulder better I think. In wool you can also ease the dart into the front if it's not too large.
The coat is fitted with a long sleeve top and a heavy sweater underneath. I also heeded Bunny's warning of how much room the heavier coating, the lining, interfacing and interlining take up in fitting ease. I left it a bit on the large size. I'll baste it together and see how it hangs.
All of the fitting changes have been transferred to the pattern and the lining pattern is finished. I am actually ready to cut fabric! Wow.
What I changed:
Added height to the sleeve cap. There were even drag lines front and back and the HBL was higher in the center. It's still a bit higher so I added a little bit more height to the pattern. It can be fine tuned.
The hips were enlarged and most of the drag lines are gone. There are some on the left. My hips are not the same shape, but not so much that I need two pattern pieces I don't think.\
I shortened the sleeves above the elbow which made them more comfortable. They look a little long to me, but I always cut sleeves too short and then my wrists are cold when I drive.
I moved the shoulder seam to lie on top of my shoulder. The shoulder end was fine, but neck there was too much of the back showing at the neck edge. When I added the rounded back alteration I added a shoulder dart. You can cut it off at the shoulder, but I like the dart. I moved it so that it matched up with the shoulder princess in front. It fits the shoulder better I think. In wool you can also ease the dart into the front if it's not too large.
The coat is fitted with a long sleeve top and a heavy sweater underneath. I also heeded Bunny's warning of how much room the heavier coating, the lining, interfacing and interlining take up in fitting ease. I left it a bit on the large size. I'll baste it together and see how it hangs.
All of the fitting changes have been transferred to the pattern and the lining pattern is finished. I am actually ready to cut fabric! Wow.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
A Quick Thank You
Thank you for your support and suggestions; I really needed them! Bunny, your comment about heavy fabric eating up ease is a good reminder. I had this issue with a coat a few years ago. I will add a little more ease to the next and hopefully last muslin as well as wider seam allowances. I found some heavier fabric in the stash that arrived for free with some order or other. Good use for it.
I laughed when two people said that my left shoulder is lower. Actually you are seeing well padded shoulders and I obviously added a tad too much to the right shoulder, so thank you for pointing that out. I have a low right shoulder due to a torn rotator cuff over 30 years ago. They only repaired these back then if you were an athlete. The doctor said, you don't want a big scar on your shoulder. You know what? I should have taken the scar! It's an odd issue to fit since the bone, I think the collar bone, causes a bump just in from the shoulder and then drops off so that the top of the shoulder just past it is quite a bit lower. The bone makes it look like it's a bit higher than the left shoulder, but only the top of the bone is higher. Fun to fit, right? One of the reasons I like knits so much, they just gloss over this problem and I only lower the slope of the shoulder. It also makes my narrow shoulders that much narrower.
I've got so many different lines on my coat pattern that I am tracing a new one so that I can make sense of it.
I laughed when two people said that my left shoulder is lower. Actually you are seeing well padded shoulders and I obviously added a tad too much to the right shoulder, so thank you for pointing that out. I have a low right shoulder due to a torn rotator cuff over 30 years ago. They only repaired these back then if you were an athlete. The doctor said, you don't want a big scar on your shoulder. You know what? I should have taken the scar! It's an odd issue to fit since the bone, I think the collar bone, causes a bump just in from the shoulder and then drops off so that the top of the shoulder just past it is quite a bit lower. The bone makes it look like it's a bit higher than the left shoulder, but only the top of the bone is higher. Fun to fit, right? One of the reasons I like knits so much, they just gloss over this problem and I only lower the slope of the shoulder. It also makes my narrow shoulders that much narrower.
I've got so many different lines on my coat pattern that I am tracing a new one so that I can make sense of it.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Learning to Fit
Fitting is certainly a process! I've needed a new coat for awhile now and I've collected several coating fabrics to that end. But, I've procrastinated because of the amount of work involved and fitting challenges that I haven't managed to fix. I've bought new fitting books, taken fitting clinics and drafted a moulage and slopers all in the hopes that I'd finally learn how to fit myself. I've got pants that fit, knits are fine but when it comes jackets and coats there are issues. I can wear the pieces but they just aren't as good as they could be.
I took Kenneth King's coat class on Craftsy and thought I'd make that jacket. Except it really didn't excite me. Net a Porter is my favorite snoop shopping site. I saw this simple Fendi coat. It was perfect. Of course it's $2600 and doesn't come in my size. The back is simple and the front has an S shaped darted seam running from neck to hip. This is not a flattering line for me so I kept the shoulder princess of the Burda style 113 coat from 12/13.
The fabric is this nubby burgundy and black wool from Emmaonesock. It was a yard end from Philip Lim if I remember correctly. I'm using a silk charmeuse to line the coat and interlining with cotton flannel. With a warm fabric it makes a coat warm enough for our Long Island weather. At least most of the time. Bunny from La Sewista made her back stay on the coat she's sewing, out of cotton flannel. I always make a back stay but I never thought to make it out of flannel. It will add another layer just where the wind hits.
Back to fitting. I made my usual fitting adjustments to the pattern. I was getting the same drag lines I always get with jackets and coats. My neckline is too high in back with a fold at the base of my neck. I still have trouble reading drag lines; mine runs from the upper back to my hip. I bought Lynda Maynard's fitting class on Craftsy. Everything I did didn't solve all the issues. I have a high rounded back that is part of the problem. but the neck wrinkle isn't solved by the fix for a rounded back. My husband took some pictures that I posted on Craftsy. am anxious to see what Lynda says about my fit. I'd like to get started while it's still winter.
I did figure out that I needed more height in the sleeve cap and that the armscye seam needs to be deeper in the lower back and front.
My sleeves fits better if I shorten it above the elbow. Much more comfortable. As you can see, I still have drag lines. Grr.
I
While I'm waiting I'm going to cut out Sewing Workshop's Olive top in black wool jersey from Manhattan Fabrics. My favorite Riri zipper is waiting for the back. Most of their patterns are not my taste or style. Like that blouse I posted recently, they are mostly just too shapeless and big for me. But I liked the lines of the Olive. The photos in the their gallery showed a flattering fit on all of the women shown; perfect.
I am definitely spoiled by the ease of fitting knits. The stretch just glosses over some of the more glaring fitting issues that I have. Also, I think that I am a little more forgiving of knit fit. But I do know that I need a break from fitting this coat!
An addendum, I think that I am going to make a muslin of the coat with it's alterations from KK's class. I'm not sure about the round neck on the Burda.
I took Kenneth King's coat class on Craftsy and thought I'd make that jacket. Except it really didn't excite me. Net a Porter is my favorite snoop shopping site. I saw this simple Fendi coat. It was perfect. Of course it's $2600 and doesn't come in my size. The back is simple and the front has an S shaped darted seam running from neck to hip. This is not a flattering line for me so I kept the shoulder princess of the Burda style 113 coat from 12/13.
Burda 113 12/13
The fabric is this nubby burgundy and black wool from Emmaonesock. It was a yard end from Philip Lim if I remember correctly. I'm using a silk charmeuse to line the coat and interlining with cotton flannel. With a warm fabric it makes a coat warm enough for our Long Island weather. At least most of the time. Bunny from La Sewista made her back stay on the coat she's sewing, out of cotton flannel. I always make a back stay but I never thought to make it out of flannel. It will add another layer just where the wind hits.
Back to fitting. I made my usual fitting adjustments to the pattern. I was getting the same drag lines I always get with jackets and coats. My neckline is too high in back with a fold at the base of my neck. I still have trouble reading drag lines; mine runs from the upper back to my hip. I bought Lynda Maynard's fitting class on Craftsy. Everything I did didn't solve all the issues. I have a high rounded back that is part of the problem. but the neck wrinkle isn't solved by the fix for a rounded back. My husband took some pictures that I posted on Craftsy. am anxious to see what Lynda says about my fit. I'd like to get started while it's still winter.
I did figure out that I needed more height in the sleeve cap and that the armscye seam needs to be deeper in the lower back and front.
My sleeves fits better if I shorten it above the elbow. Much more comfortable. As you can see, I still have drag lines. Grr.
I
While I'm waiting I'm going to cut out Sewing Workshop's Olive top in black wool jersey from Manhattan Fabrics. My favorite Riri zipper is waiting for the back. Most of their patterns are not my taste or style. Like that blouse I posted recently, they are mostly just too shapeless and big for me. But I liked the lines of the Olive. The photos in the their gallery showed a flattering fit on all of the women shown; perfect.
I am definitely spoiled by the ease of fitting knits. The stretch just glosses over some of the more glaring fitting issues that I have. Also, I think that I am a little more forgiving of knit fit. But I do know that I need a break from fitting this coat!
An addendum, I think that I am going to make a muslin of the coat with it's alterations from KK's class. I'm not sure about the round neck on the Burda.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Burda. Burda, how can I count the ways that you are a pita. Supposedly they have two English speakers who are actually American. Really? Kind of hard to believe. Most of us who sew with Burda magazine patterns complain about the directions but 117 11/13 has got to be the worst I've seen in awhile. For one thing they aren't just obtuse, they are wrong. They have you put the zipper in wrong side up and on the wrong panel. You cannot have the zipper pulls on the underneath panel. I won't continue, just be forewarned if you are planning to sew this.
The pattern calls for a ponte, and from the look of it a fairly heavy weight one. But my wool (The fabric is from Emmaonesock, one of my favorite online fabric stores) sweater knit is probably too heavy and it, unlike ponte, ravels. Consequently I had to change the order of construction and some of the construction details. This fabric is so thick that multiple layers barely fit under the presser foot.To keep everything in place I hand basted all of my seams with cotton basting thread and then used a four thread serger stitch.
There was no way that I could face the peplum with self fabric. It is way too thick for that. Instead I used a piece of the gray wool rayon jersey from the color blocked top to face the hem. I did not use it to line the peplum because after serging the waist seam there was no easy way to attach it., It's very light so I interfaced it with Pro-tricot deluxe from Fashion Sewing Supply. After sewing it to the hem I hemmed it with my coverstitch machine. It seemed fine when I sewed it, and yes I tried it on. But, as I worked on it the knit has just grew. I took it in before I hemmed it, and thought that that was enough. I'd finished applying the leather and the jacket was still too big. My next move was to remove the top stitched hem and take in the sides. Believe it or not I needed to remove another 2" from each side and I had already taken in the sides and the bust before I ever coverstitched anything. Also, it was too big all the way from underarm to hem, so it really wasn't just the coverstiching. I re-hemmed it by hand with a catch stitch. I made another sample from some leftover fabric of the coverstitch at it highest differential feed and measured the piece before and after. 8" grew to 8 1/2 so this definitely caused part of the problem. I have a Janome cs1000. A question to those of you with other brands of covertstitch, have you experienced the same issue with sweater knits?
The other problem I had is that the heavy zipper, my favorite Riri zipper of course, really pulls the jacket forward. I ended up ordering two weights of chain when the first piece seemed too light. This one is from M&J Trim and it does seem to hold the jacket in place better than without it.
Another issue I have with this jacket is really more to do with my fba. It added just too much length in the front panels. I should have taken up the upper cf panels, but I didn't. It's ok but as you can see the front is really longer than it should be. I am going to experiment with a Y fba. I've never used it because I thought it would add too much width to my cross front. The other oddity I found is that even though I added about 3/4" to the length of the peplum it looks shorter than the picture on the magazine. Maybe it's just the upper curve of my hip which the model certainly does not have!
I like this jacket much less than I thought I would. Why? Because it's a jacket that has to be 'arranged' when you put it on for the collar to look anything like the picture in Burda. I feel like the jacket is wearing me rather than the other way around. The zipper has to be zipped up just to the right point for both sides of the collar to be even. Mehh. The pattern calls for two large snaps to hold the under layer in place. This is where having notions in my stash is lovely. I think that these large plastic snaps came from Botani buttons in NYC.
I am wearing the jacket open as I type this because it is very warm with two layers across the front! To wear this jacket comfortably inside the heat needs to be off and it needs to be a cold day! It will certainly work as an outside jacket in warmer weather, but I really like to have pockets in outer wear and I couldn't face adding pockets to this unstable fabric.
SWAP 2014
This is the first piece in a planned SWAP that's running at the Stitcher's Guild. I hesitate to mention it because I am afraid of jinxing my finishing it, which is generally the case with me and these types of things. However I really like the format. It's very flexible and an easy way to plan a wardrobe. There are the usual 11 garments required. Two wild cards, which can be anything with a few restrictions. Then there are 3-3 packs. Everything doesn't have to go with everything else but they all have to look like they belong together. In other words, a collection. I've found that it's a good format for planning.
Next up is a coat, which is one of my wild cards.
More about it next time.
Friday, January 10, 2014
What Are Your Favorite New Independent Pattern Companies?
When I look at reviews on Pattern Review there are lots of new, or at least new to me, independent pattern companies out there. Years ago my mother in law was a small business counselor for Score. She said that she got no end of prospective business owners wanting to set up pizza parlors in neighborhoods with established stores. She would ask them what makes your product different enough to get people to change where they are currently buying their pizza? That's the feeling I get when I look at a lot of these new companies. There are an awful lot of t shirts out there and I can't help but think what makes them worthy of my spending my hard earned dollars especially when I can pay $3.99 for Vogue on sale. I mostly sew with Burda Style Magazine and Vogue. I have bought and sewn Hot Patterns to mixed results, but my tnt pants pattern is based on their Razer pant and my jeans pattern is from them as well. I've found the reviews on Style Arc and some of the designs worthy of paying not only for the pattern but the shipping from Australia. I haven't made any of these patterns yet but they are in my sewing queue. I've sewn a Pamela's Patterns cardigan, and one of Silhouette's knit tops but her sizing confounds me and prevents me from sewing anything else. That and the styles aren't well, stylish or current for the most part. Not very stylish is my impression of most of the newer companies. I don't need another t shirt or knit dress pattern that I've seen a million times. I may be older but I like fashion and like to sew garments that are current, if not avant garde. Part of the problem for me is that a lot of the patterns are just too young for me. But, if I was in my twenties I wouldn't be looking to sew them up either. I remember what I sewed in my twenties and thirties and it was a lot more detailed and interesting than what I see out there. I was sewing a lot of Vogue designer patterns and there were a lot more of them back then too. Issey Miyake when he was still doing the designs, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Geoffrey Beene. Those were the days.
Here's a list of pattern companies that I found on the Threads magazine site. Wow, I had no idea there were so many! I eliminated all of the historical and vintage patterns. I didn't eliminate children's patterns because I am not sure what some of these companies design. I don't sew accessories but some of you probably do.
Which ones have you used? Which pattern companies are worth a second look or sew? Which patterns companies are worth the money?
Here's a list of pattern companies that I found on the Threads magazine site. Wow, I had no idea there were so many! I eliminated all of the historical and vintage patterns. I didn't eliminate children's patterns because I am not sure what some of these companies design. I don't sew accessories but some of you probably do.
Which ones have you used? Which pattern companies are worth a second look or sew? Which patterns companies are worth the money?
CONTEMPORARY FASHION, ACESSORY, and OTHER APPAREL PATTERNS (adult and children)
Lauren Marsh Sewing Patterns
Shapes Patterns (cuttinglinedesigns.com AND sewingworkshop.com)
ONTEMPORARY FASHION, ACESSORY, and OTHER APPAREL PATTERNS (adult and children)
Lauren Marsh Sewing Patterns
Shapes Patterns (cuttinglinedesigns.com AND sewingworkshop.com)
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