"Skirting" the issue

A skirt is easy to make, you just need two measurements, right? WRONG. VERY WRONG!
Maybe that's true for some people, but definitely not for those who have curves in all dimensions. Case in point - consider my skirt muslin:
See how that side seam is crooked and the skirt hikes up in the back? This is a problem I have with all RTW skirts - and why I hardly ever wear them anymore. So you can see, if I can conquer the fit, I can fill a HUGE void in my wardrobe. I'm especially frustrated with this because I'm going home to visit my parents next month, and it's still more socially acceptable to wear skirts there. At this rate, however, I won't have a single skirt to take back with me.

I know the problems. I have a protruding stomach and protruding rear end. I also don't have enough "hippage" to match the curve of the side seam from waist to hip - something I have no clue how to remedy, and is an issue on the pants pattern I'm working with as well.
See?
I don't look too amused do I? Honestly, I'm so frustrated, I feel like ripping the muslin to shreds. I have this same problem with A-line skirts. A long time ago I made two, and I just made the seam dip lower in the back so it "looked" level from far away. However, like this one, the side seam was angled backwards.
Okay, talking about it has made me upset again. I want to cry because I have soooo much fabric just waiting for me to crack the fitting code. I have so many garments in my mind, but reality is just too cruel.

More on my next dilemma - the evasive pants pattern - later.

Brian Sews

Gold, Tanya, Sherril, Aminat:
Thank you SO much for your encouragement! You're right, I should dust myself off and work on something easy to build my confidence back up. I'm thinking of pulling Simplicity 3789 back out and creating another top or two. It will be a while, as I have a busy few evenings ahead and will probably not be able to sew until Sunday.

In other news...
I'd like to introduce Brian. Some of you know him as RocketBoy (now BrianSews) from PatternReview. I recently discovered that BRIAN HAS A BLOG! On it he shares a lot of great information, video demos, great machines, and a refreshing perspective on sewing. I find his blog especially fun to read because he's one of the few people who fearlessly approached (and conquered) sewing denim jeans! He is planning to start a weekly sewing show on his blog. Please check him out if you have a chance.

Off to sleep for me now...

Sigh...

Nothing new to show. Not that I haven't been sewing - on the contrary I've produced two skirt muslins and one pair of shorts. None of them fit properly. I'm despairing because it takes me so long just to work up a muslin...
So, I'm discouraged. I'll eventually post pictures of my non-fitting items, but right now am feeling too miserable to do so.
Huge sigh... where to go from here?

What I've been up to...

Where have I been? Out of town part of the time. I was a bridesmaid at a friend's wedding in Houston. Although we had a lot to do and didn't get enough sleep, we had an amazing time. These are friends from way back in our grade school days in Nigeria - some I've known since 1st grade. It was our first time being all together since we graduated high school - 14 years ago! Here I am on bridesmaid duty (pic taken by a friend on fb)I've been back from Houston for a week now though, so what else have I been up to? Working on this pattern Burda 8755. I received it in a batch of 4 Burda patterns from an ebay purchase. It's a pair of pants with a seam down each back leg that ends in a vent.
In the quest to make this a pattern I can use over and over, I decided to take some time making alterations. First I made the pattern as-is. It ended up tight, with a huge chunk of gaposis in the back waist. My junk definitely did not fit in that trunk.

Sooo... I graded up about a size and a half, and then armed with Nancy Zieman's Pattern Fitting With Confidence, I made the following changes:
- Lengthened the crotch
- Decreased the waist width
My next muslin (long shorts to conserve fabric) was right on with the fit (as in - I forgot to add wearing ease!), but the crotch length in the front was too long. This meant I then had to
-Shorten the crotch by moving length from the front crotch area to the back waistline.
- Add to the side seams for wearing ease

The result follows:

This was made with fabric I was gifted by a PatternReview member from whom I purchased some BWOF magazines. I added cording to the side seams and to the waistline. In hindsight I should have added it to the bottom waistband seam instead since it can't really be seen.
The fit in the back looks decent, and I really like the fact that the seams in the back serve as the darts that would otherwise have been there. I do still have to work on the front crotch length as indicated in this close-up. There is just too much fabric there. After making that adjustment, I may also need to increase the length and width of the front waist darts.
This is the first time I've put so much work into a pattern! I'm hoping it will be easier going forward. I'm a little disappointed that I'm still not quite there, but the light at the end of the tunnel is that once I get the fit right, this will be a fabulous TNT pattern, and I can just change the shape of the legs as I desire.
I already have some khaki-colored twill and some black "Rodeo" bottomweight fabric washed and lined up for two pairs of shorts once I've got the fit right. Then I'll try some pants in lightweight denim.

BWOF 05/2009 dress 131 - Finished

I finished this dress tonight (and have to go to bed soon), so the pictures are not complete. Here's a peek at the finished garment.I've been really bad at putting up reviews on patternreview, so I need to get round to that sometime. I made this in a size 46.

BWOF 05/2009 dress 131

I completed the muslin for this dress last week. Here are some quick pictures I took.
The only real change I wanted to make was to raise the neckline at the center front by about 1 inch. I also planned to have the straps fasten a little lower on the bodice.

Next project

Before I go on, I want to thank all of those who took a moment to comment on my last (first) dress project. I really appreciate the encouragement and suggestions! The dress made its debut at church two weeks ago. In spite of the fit issues, I felt very comfortable in it, and can't wait to make another one! I also really liked the lining in the Kona cotton muslin fabric. The muslin itself wrinkles easily, but does a great job of keeping the outer fabric from wrinkling. This dress helped to to realize the importance of that concept.

This past Sunday, it seemed like all the ladies were wearing sleeveless cotton dresses like mine. I guess I was one week ahead of that trend! I will have to work on the pattern some more to perfect the fit, but for now I wanted to try another simple dress. I chose the dress pattern from the May 2009 Burda World of Fashion (Dress 131)
As you can see, it's a simple dress. The muslin was completed yesterday and fits relatively well. The only change I will be making is to redraft the V of the front neckline so it is not as low. I will post a picture of the muslin as soon as I get a chance to do so! Hopefully I'll be able to start on the actual dress tomorrow evening.

Out of town

I've been quiet lately because I'm out of town for a conference in Boston. Hopefully will sew another dress or a top this weekend...

My first dress! Simplicity 4118

I made my first dress this weekend - which is so exciting for me! The pattern is Simplicity 4118, a Threads pattern.

(still needs hemming) I made minimal changes to the pattern, and actually did make a muslin first. I can see if I make this again I will have to do at least the following:
1. Swayback adjustment
2. Use the original side seam allowances and blend to a larger size in the hips.
3. Figure out how to keep the top of the center back seam (see below) from sticking out.



I used a cotton print from Joann and lined it with Kona cotton muslin. It's very comfortable...

I also used an invisible zipper, so I had to change the construction steps a little. It was surprisingly easy, although I still didn't get it quite even at the top.

I'm ready to try another dress pattern. This one will probably get hemmed and worn - in spite of the fitting issues. It took me a day and a half to make, but the instructions were pretty good, and great for a first dress.

Almost finished...

I recently joined the American Sewing Guild, and have attended two of the neighborhood group meetings for my area. My group is made up of some wonderful ladies, all with a plethora of skills. Our last meeting was a UFO (unfinished object) challenge, where we were supposed to bring in something we had finally finished the week before.
Well, it's still not finished, but it was pretty close, so I brought in the Simplicity 3628 jacket. Here are pictures taken during the meeting (thanks Peggy!).

What's left? The hem and buttons/buttonholes...