Simplicity 2497: Research, Research, Research

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Most of the pattern companies make plus sized patterns.  I own a few that I have yet to try out.  Part of that is laziness.  The other part is that some of them are just less aesthetically pleasing or they would be better suited to that rarest of plus sized creatures-the ten foot tall perfectly proportional giantess with curves everywhere except her belly.

In any case, I prefer dicking around with straight size patterns.  There's that moment of triumph when I make the damn thing fit.  There's also the thrill of slashing and taping and all of that . . . it feels like I'm going rogue.  I pretty much love anything that lets me feel like I'm going rouge.

The first step in fitting the pattern is deciding which areas will need the most adjustment.  If you are just starting out sewing garments, I recommend Simplicity's Simply the Best Sewing Book.  In fact, this is a great general sewing reference book that has a comb binding so it opens and lies flat.  You get a great overview of how patterns are created and sized, how to pick the pattern size best for you, and an overview of basic alterations you might make.

Check it out!

This book suggests using your high bust measurement to determine your size.  This little tidbit is what opened up the world of straight sizes to me.  If you use the high bust measurement, you can pick a pattern size that might only require a full bust alteration and the neckline and shoulders will still fit.

For those who might be interested in plus-size sewing, I really like, and use pretty much every time I work on a new pattern, Sewing for Plus Sizes by Barbara Deckert.  The photos and illustrations feature some banging eighties and nineties fashion, but you can pretty much find info on how to do anything you want.  I also like that there is a emphasis on alterations that might be especially beneficial to plus size people.

Check it out!

In addition to these two resources, I also do fairly serious internet research.  If you put a pattern title and number in google image search, you can find personal blogs of people who have sewn it before.  This is really helpful if you have the time.  If a pattern has some quirks, reading about others' experiences will help you plan ahead.

Pattern Review is another great web resource.   In addition to pattern reviews, you can see images of finished garments.  Additionally, questions posted on the forums are answered quickly by people who know what they are doing.

This pattern has some pleating on the sleeve and an inseam side zipper that opens into a pocket.  I researched both of those details as well as the full bust adjustment and adding width to sleeves and waist.

Simplicity 2497

I had some time off a couple of weeks ago and having time on my hands led to several ideas. . . . Some considerably better than others.

Idea 1: I should make something. (Inner Me: I totally should! I love making shit!)

Idea 2: I bet I could thread my own eyebrows. (Inner Me: I totally could! I'll learn how on youtube!  This is a great idea!)

I'll talk about Idea 1 today as I do, indeed, love to make shit.  I'm still trying to come to terms with Idea 2 as I do, indeed, occasionally lie to myself. 

I think I originally cut this pattern out two years ago.  Is letting it languish in my pattern books laziness-or something more sinister?  (I don't really think it's sinister. Probably just lazy.  Had the opportunity to use the word "sinister" in a sentence and didn't want to let it pass.)

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 Whatever, it was kind of a nice surprise to find the fussiest part already done when I finally unpacked my pattern books.

I am working on view B because it has sleeves and does not have the neck ruffle.  A basic Google image search suggests that View C seems to be the most popular version by far.  

Google Image Search

It's cute and all, but I'm pretty sure it's not for me.  I don't think I have enough neck for a ruff and this particular neck ruffle makes me think of those dinosaurs with the neck thing. 

 

Google Image Search

I also don't think I have to poise to pull a neck ruffle off.  I have this idea wearing a dress with all that going on around the collar would be a lot like feeling like you walked into a cobweb without being able to find it . . .  like all the time.

I'm uncomfortable just thinking about it..

View B is more my style and might result in a dress I feel comfortable enough in to actually wear.  The fun part, is figuring out how to make this bad boy fit.

Who Decided Journaling Needed Leveling Up?

I decided to pick up journaling again.  Shifting from the placidly-unemployed-grad-student phase to the professional-in-need-of-meaningful-and-lucrative-work-because-I-am-officially-too-old-to-live-on-Spaghettios phase is anxiety inducing.  This process of finding a teaching job is so unlike any other process I have ever gone through.  I can't adequately describe it to Wes, or even to myself.  It's difficult to talk about the things going through my head so I decided to write them down.  

I used to journal pretty regularly when I was younger.  Fifteen year old me had (read: imagined) enough drama to fill several months worth of daytime soaps.  I picked up a plain bound sketchbook for the purpose from Hobby Lobby yesterday.

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It looked a lot like this one, but it was a Master's Touch and only $5.99.  With a coupon it ended up being three dollars and some change.  It has blank pages and is good for pen, ink, and watercolor.  I have some watercolor pencils I bought for no reason and have since been dying to try out.

"Master's Touch?," you say.  "Well aren't you fancy."

Well, . . .  I blame Pinterest.  

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 Who decided journaling needed leveling up?  (One could also argue that sketches have also been leveled up here.)  Who decided there should be an advanced journaling skill that elevates the process of writing down things you don't want to keep in your head into art that people apparently want to share?

Well who wouldn't want to share this?  It's beautiful.  Everything she does is great check her out.

I am both envious and annoyed.

These are beautiful.  These are art.  These are journaling.  I want to write like that, but now I'm wondering if I should and I sadly suspect that I can't.  That won't actually stop me from trying, but oh the ENVY!

This last one links to an online course in art journaling.  I'm tempted.  I'm so, so, so, so, so tempted. 

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What do you think?  Will this be like scrapbooking?  An awesome idea that leads to the purchase of adorable stuff that I will never, ever, ever use?

Prioritizing Projects

All Images are Mine

We have a family weekend coming up and I think it might be the perfect opportunity to get some home projects started.  I'll have Wes around all weekend to be the muscle and to execute my orders.

I like to give orders when I attempt something new.  That way, if it goes all cockeyed it's not really my fault.

I also have been picking up some great ideas on my daily blog rounds and I can not wait to try some of them out!  In fact, there is so much great stuff swirling around in my head these days that it is a little difficult to decide where to start. 

There is also the question of project storage.  Since a lot of my raw materials are refugees from the wedding they literally have no place to go until I make something out of them.  So the question becomes, do I go room by room or do I prioritize emptying the big box of junk that is currently located in the Kid's room?

Room by room would satisfy my secretly orderly soul, but I think I might have to just tackle the big box o' stuff first.  Kid needs room to play right?

Right.

The Island of Misfit Wedding Projects

Nothing, and I do mean nothing, went as planned on our wedding day.  It's an epic tale of personal despair, lost luggage, emergency room visits, sleep deprivation, and crankypants five year olds.  I just don't feel up to talking about it yet.

Don't get me wrong.  Despite the things that went wrong, it was still a beautiful ceremony and a beautiful moment.  I just never, ever, ever want to do it again.  Maybe not such a bad feeling to have going into a marriage.

What I find myself dealing with now is a big box full of unfinished and unused wedding items and only a handful of receipts.  What to do?

Some of it will definitely be returned.  However, some things are just begging to become something else.

Stay tuned, we'll see what kinds of things I come up with!

Bouquet Alternatives

The crazy train has officially started!

The wedding is a little more than two months away, and I am neck deep in summer school.  We are going to have to get serious to get all of our DIT projects done.

Speaking of projects-I decided on one more.  Lookit . . .

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Pretty right?  Get this-they are PAPER.  

I love this as an alternative bouquet option.  I'm going to be practicing with various web tutorials, coffee filters, and crepe paper to see what I can come up with. 

Here are my first attempts.  Not perfect-clearly, but not bad either.  I think they could be perfected easily and a little paint would make all the difference.

Personal Photo

Personal Photo

Would you attempt a crafty bouquet at the not quite zero hour?

UFOs

Or unfinished objects in the sewist's parlance.

My current project file bag

Right now I have wedding dress-huge project, a sundress that needs hemming for my mother, another sundress for me in the same fabric (matching outfits? What was I thinking?).  The wedding dress is the big project of course and I've spend most of this evening researching different construction techniques. 

I'm dragging ass on the sundresses even though the weather lately has been pretty much begging for them.  Why am I dragging ass?  Because they are evil, heinous, fucking knits.  And I complicated my life by adding bias tape and my seams just were not the business.  Also, the wide shoulder straps bring out the linebacker in me so I'm really not feeling the style. 

This is unfortunate because I had plans last summer for a zebra print maxi dress that I still have the fabric for.  Maybe I will find a way to alter the pattern into something I actually like.

I have been cruising sewing enthusiasts blogs lately and compared to some, my fabric stash is actually pretty small.  In addition to the zebra knit, I also have some black jersey and some black shirting to make some work clothes.  I am determined to be productive this year.  I also think that fitting and sewing other garments will refresh and reinforce my sewing skills so that my wedding dress won't look completely amateurish. 

That's the plan anyway.  I have binders full of patterns and I'm already on the hunt for more.

How to Organize Sewing Patterns

Last summer I met a new love.  The pattern sale.

Just look at all my beauties . . . .

All Images By Moi

I never bought patterns in bulk before but when they are $.99 to $1.99 . . . well, what's a girl to do?  Since I suddenly had so many patterns I decided that the best way to make them functional would be to pre-prep them and organize them in a space saving manner.

You know how once you unfold that pattern tissue the mass of the whole thing quadruples?  Well, here is my solution to that problem.  Three ring binders, paper, and sheet protectors.  When one has been a student for as long as I have, one has all of these things in abundance.

Ahh . . . . visual bliss

How do you do it? Well, first prepare yourself for tedium.

Place a sheet of paper in the sheet protector.

Put the pattern envelope on one side and the instructions on the other.

 

 

Cut out all the pieces and group them together in subsequent sheet protectors.  I do groups of five.

Place in binder.

Repeat.

It is initially time consuming and tedious but I have to say, there is nothing like just pulling out the pieces you need when you are ready to use them.  Some people prefer filing their patterns but I really like my binder method.  It makes it easier to keep track of the various pieces, especially the smaller ones that might slip out of a file folder.  I also find it convenient as I can toss the whole thing in a shoulder bag and haul it to the fabric store if necessary.  The added benefit there is that no one would question whether or not the pattern you're holding had already been purchased.

 

Plus, I store fabric in the file cabinet.

How To Fix a Sloppy Quilt

Wes' son is obsessed with Thomas the Train.  Maybe it's a toddler thing but he kind of has a crack-fiend jones on for him.  My mother is obsessed with the idea of having grandchildren.  My brother is halfway to social security and clearly I'm hopeless so she has just decided to adopt Wes' kid.  Hence . . . THE QUILT.

My mother is one of those hard core quilters.  She sees fabric she likes-she buys it.  And she can sense cartoon characters like a heat seeking missile.  She saw Thomas.  Had to have Thomas.  Had to make her "grandbaby" a quilt.  Which all meant that I had to sew it.  Which I did.  Not at all well.

So here, exactly twelve months after the fact, is my do-over.