Sew What’s Up Presents
The Sew What’s New Archive
This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and
quilting message board “Sew What’s New,” which was
retired in August 2007. It is being provided by
“Sew What’s Up,”
which serves as the new home for many members of “Sew What’s New.”
From: jupel76
Date: 10-29-2004, 04:00 AM (1 of 7)
|
I've decided to take the plunge and move into making clothes. I've bought two sets of patterns, a McCalls and a Butterick Easy Sew. Now what do I do with them? I understand that I have to pin these onto the fabric and cut out with a rotary cutter. The problem is, I have a hard-to-fit figure (one of the reasons I'm taking up sewing). According to my Singer Photo Guide, I wear a Misses 18/20 on top, a 16 at the waist, and a 14 on the hips. How does one cut a pattern to fit these measurements? |
User: jupel76
Member since: 10-12-2004 Total posts: 11 |
From: JezebelsJeans
Date: 10-29-2004, 04:33 AM (2 of 7)
|
I've decided to take the plunge and move into making clothes. I've bought two sets of patterns, a McCalls and a Butterick Easy Sew. Now what do I do with them? I understand that I have to pin these onto the fabric and cut out with a rotary cutter. The problem is, I have a hard-to-fit figure (one of the reasons I'm taking up sewing). According to my Singer Photo Guide, I wear a Misses 18/20 on top, a 16 at the waist, and a 14 on the hips. How does one cut a pattern to fit these measurements? Congrats on the pattern puchases!  I have so much fun picking out patterns - therefore I figured I better learn how to sew.  Quick note: you don't have to use a rotary cutter. If you are inexperienced, I would suggest buying a decent pair of scissors such as Fiskars. I am sure someone can explain this more in detail - Industry sizes (pattern sizes) differ than ready-to-wear sizes. There is a rule of thumb for this - and at the moment I have completely forgotten it. :-( What are the patterns for? (Skirt, blouse?) If you clarified this, I am sure you will get more detailed feedback and advice.
[center][FONT=ArialBellaKarma.com
What Goes Around...Comes Around...Beautiful.[/font] http://www.bellakarma.com |
User: JezebelsJeans
Member since: 10-26-2004 Total posts: 7 |
From: jupel76
Date: 10-29-2004, 08:33 AM (3 of 7)
|
Thanks for the reply, JezebelsJeans. Are industry sizes the ones that are printed on the pattern? If those are the ones, those are the ones I'm going by in this case. I'm hard to fit, regardless of the sizing standards used  I have scissors as well as a rotary cutter/board, but I do find the scissors a lot easier to use. Is there a difference to the precision of the cut between scissors and a rotary cutter? The McCalls' pattern is for a A-line, knee-length wrap-type dress, and the Butterick's are for 9 assorted "Easy Sew" skirts and tops (blouses). |
User: jupel76
Member since: 10-12-2004 Total posts: 11 |
From: cychen
Date: 10-29-2004, 01:50 PM (4 of 7)
|
Dear Jupel 76: Congratulations on picking a fun (and addictive) hobby! I think the best way to approach your first sewing project is for the members of this community to guide you through the preparation, construction, and final fitting stages one step at a time. You can pace yourself and tell us where you are, and we can offer tips to get you to the next stage. When I started sewing, I had the notion that the most difficult and time-consuming part about garment sewing is the actual sewing. I couldn't be more wrong. These days, for each sewing project, I probably spend at least 1/2 of the time altering the patterns (including making trial garments to gauge fit); 1/4 of the time preparing fabric/laying out fabric/cutting fabric, lining, and interfacing; and 1/4 of the time sewing and doing final fitting. My purpose for mentioning that is to make sure that you don’t feel compelled to rush into the laying out the pattern and cutting the fabric stage. Nothing is more frustrating than spending all this time cutting and sewing and ending up with a garment that doesn’t fit you right. The truth is, regardless of your body type, all patterns require some kind of alteration (and I don’t mean just cutting the right sizes as indicated by the pattern envelope). Essentially, everyone requires a custom fit. Someone once aptly described typical commercial patterns as being drafted to fit everyone in theory but no one in practice. My recommendation would be that you start with your Butternick skirt first. Hopefully, it’s a pull-on skirt pattern because it’s the easiest project to start with. (We want to build your confidence and skills!) Tops are more difficult because you have to worry about the fit around your neck, shoulder, armhole width, chest, torso, waist, and possibly hip as well depending on how long your top is. Wrap dresses have similar fitting problems in addition to the closeness in which the center wrap covers and lies right on top of your chest area (you don’t want to have a center gap and unwanted exposure when you move your arms). As for skirts, all you really need to worry about is how it fits your tummy and hip plus adjusting for the length. Besides, your waist and hip sizes are pretty close, so altering the pattern to fit both areas shouldn’t be too difficult. I can’t say enough good things about the step-by-step lessons that were put together by Julie Culshaw (see http://www.sew-whats-new.com/sewinglessons/). I taught myself how to sew using her lessons as well as the Singer photo guide you have and other books. As you can see, Julie starts beginners off with an easy pull-on skirt as well. For the first lesson, she covers pattern selection, layout & cutting, sewing & pressing, waist of the skirt, and hemming. Please take a look at the lesson and let us know if you need additional clarification. Lastly, each pattern company has its own size table with measurements that are different than the ready to wear clothing manufacturers. I buy size 0 or 2 clothing from stores, but I use size 6, 8, 10, or 12 to make my clothes from patterns. In addition to the differences between pattern companies, there is also the factor of “ease”. Ease means the difference between your actual body measurement and the measurement of the garment in the corresponding body parts. For example, my full hip measures 35 inches, but I may want to make a pair of slacks with a 37.5 inch hip or a pair of pajama bottoms with a 38 inch hip for comfort. The amount of ease is personal preference. Before you even start a project, have a friend measure you according to the Singer Guide Book (looks like you already did) and record it in a notebook for future reference. Also select a few of your favorite clothing items that fit you well and measure and record the circumference of the fabric surrounding a particular body part. If I find that my favorite skirt measures 37.5 inches around the hip, I would try to find out which pattern size has the closest measurement to 37.5 inches around the hip in the “finished” garment (which is different than the primary size chart listed on the back of the envelope). You can find the finished garment measurements in a separate table on the back of the pattern envelope or printed right in the hip area of the front skirt pattern tissue paper. On the pattern tissue, finished garment measurements are usually listed in the corresponding body part next to a symbol that looks like a dime size circle with a cross in the middle. What does this all mean? Even if the Singer Guide or the pattern envelope body measurement chart tells you that your raw hip measurement correspond to a size 14, depending on the pattern that you have selected (close fitting, semi-fitted or loose fitting), you may end up wanting to cut a size 10, 12, 14, or 16. For McCall, some sewers cut a size or two smaller than indicated by their raw measurement so that they wouldn’t get a potato sack shapeless garment look. McCall builds in a lot of designer ease in their garment. Definitely check out Julie Culshaw’s directions. She explains the art of sewing preparation and construction much better than I can here. Any questions? Fire away. Happy Sewing. Christine p.s. For your first project, pick an easy to sew fabric. Something that doesn’t unravel or stretch would be an ideal choice. |
User: cychen
Member since: 09-10-2004 Total posts: 15 |
From: JezebelsJeans
Date: 10-29-2004, 02:26 PM (5 of 7)
|
Hi Jupel, I hope you don't mind if I make a friendly suggestion: You may want to try Simplicity's "It's So Easy" pattern 5012. The cover shows only a dress - but in fact has a pattern for a dress, top and skirt. The skirt has only 1 pattern piece(!) and no zipper (it is an elastic pull-on). The shirt and dress are also extremely remedial (I believe only two pattern pieces). Size "A" in this pattern is for size 6-18 (there are different cutting lines for each size). This is the first pattern I ever bought - and it will be the one I learn how to sew a top with. The pattern is a good investment ($1.79 at Wal-Mart) because it has three simple sewing projects - that covers all your body (therefore, you get a better idea of how each needs altering). Cychen - wow! I really appreciated your feedback! I know I will be referring to your post time and time again. And I hope you don't mind if I too follow your advice, and consult with the board with each step. I too wear a size 0/1 -3/5 in RTW (depending on style on skirt/pants). I have yet to find a pattern company that makes a pattern any smaller than a 4 (which is still too big,i.e. Simplicity 7090). On top is a whole different story (36D) - so I am really going to need the advice on altering a dress when it comes time for that. Which reminds me: Jupel - you may know this, so I hope you don't get offended if I repeat things you have figured out on your own: when it comes time to purchase a dress pattern - you go by the bust size. Jill [center][FONT=ArialBellaKarma.com
What Goes Around...Comes Around...Beautiful.[/font] http://www.bellakarma.com |
User: JezebelsJeans
Member since: 10-26-2004 Total posts: 7 |
From: cychen
Date: 10-29-2004, 03:20 PM (6 of 7)
|
Jill, Boy do I feel your pain. (Jupel, you can go on www.simplicity.com website and enter "7090" under the Design Search option to see what I am saying below.) If you typically buy a 0/1/3/5 size bottom from stores, chances are your hip measurement is somewhere between 34 and 36 +/- 1 inch. This means according to the body measurement chart on the back of the Simplicity 7090 envelope, you might pick size 12 just to be on the safe side. However, If you were to look at the bottom of the envelope where it says garment measurements (i.e. finished garment from the pattern), a size 12 skirt would have a 43-1/2 inch hip measurement. That's a 7-9 inch ease! Looking at the front envelope picture, the model doesn't seem to have that much of a difference between her actual hip measurement and the skirt hip measurement. A 7-9 inch ease would give you a potato sack skirt, which is not terribly attractive on a smaller frame. Jupel, if Jill had wanted just a 2-1/2 or 3 inch ease around her hip, she could cut a size 4 and maybe even increase the seam allowance from the typical 5/8 inch to 7/8 so that the garment hip measurement is even smaller than 39 inches (or size 4) as listed on the chart. Yes, it means that Jill would be making adjustments to sew something that's off the pattern envelope chart. Size 12 or size 4...can you see how they might confuse beginner sewers?! Imagine the frustration after spending all this time sewing and ending up with a potato sack. And it's not even the sewer's fault! Jill, I recently made a pajama bottom using a junior pattern. The reason I did that is because I didn't want to use an adult size small pattern (knowing that it would still be too big on me and I didn't want to make very large adjustments that may make the pattern entirely useless). Junior patterns run smaller than an adult pattern size 4 and would allow you to better fit your waist and hip measurements. Granted, not every fashionable adult pattern comes in junior sizes, but for a very basic pants, skirt, dress, or top pattern, you can check out the junior section of your favorite pattern company catalog. Just a thought. Jupel and Jill, before you buy patterns, I'd recommend that you check out feedbacks on the pattern you're considering on www.patternreview.com. Users comment on whether they like the instructions provided by the pattern and any changes they have made to the instruction or the pattern to make the clothing fit them better. The site also has other useful pattern alteration and garment construction tips. However, I have found this bulletin board to be more helpful on specific questions I have. People are just so knowledgeable and willing to help here. Happy Sewing, Christine |
User: cychen
Member since: 09-10-2004 Total posts: 15 |
From: jupel76
Date: 11-03-2004, 10:01 AM (7 of 7)
|
Thanks for everyone's contributions. I have a better idea what to do now, but still don't have the nerve to cut my patterns out yet. Maybe after I'm done sewing my Christmas tote bags and making my Christmas cards. I'm rather limited here as to patterns available (haven't seen Simplicity or any patterns in the stores actually - I bought mine off Ebay), so I can't really try out any super easy ones. However my mom-in-law gifted me with a box of vintage Burda magazines, the ones that come with multiple patterns and detailed descriptions, albeit in German . It's interesting to see the styles back in the 60s and 70s, and how much of those are back in style again.
|
User: jupel76
Member since: 10-12-2004 Total posts: 11 |
Visit Sew What’s Up for the latest sewing and quilting tips and discussions.
This page was originally located on Sew What’s New (www.sew-whats-new.com) at http://www.sew-whats-new.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-14068.html
Sew What’s Up is hosted by ZenSoft