I'm still standing...

Yeah, yeah, yeah...
I didn't forget about that little patternmaking project that I was working on eons ago. It's still there. On my drafting table. Totally out of site :)

Here are some updates...
I'm on part 3 of the muslin-making process - making the 3rd muslin and praying it fits! Three's a charm, right?

I've done 2 fittings so far, each producing more work after it was all said and done. These are not the kind of weekend projects I typically go for. It's supposed to be stress-relieving, not stress-inducing! I'm not sure what's going on, but it was like I was doing alterations on a garment 2 sizes too large. I've been pinching out fabric like crazy, and the excess fabric still keeps coming. Where it's coming from, I have no clue! Honestly, it's probably still the leftover bust adjustment from the first draft. But I refuse to be defeated!!!

Anywho... I've ignored this project for a couple of months now, and this week, I plan to wrap it up, so I can move on to other things! The weather has been all over the place, and I'd like to have a few garments done by the end of the year. Wishful thinking maybe... but I have to set a goal for myself or I'll never get anything done!

More to come...

So far, so good... kind of.

I made it to the next level. Now onto step two!
[Sorry in advance for typos/grammar probs. I'm friggin exhausted!!! Patternmaking is no joke!]

Step Two - Developing the Block -

I don't want to spend a lot of time detailing patternmaking. I know it's not for everyone, which means this post will probably bore many to tears. Feel free to ask questions along the way though if you'd like. I'll do the best I can to answer. I'm giving myself a bit of a refresher course at all this as well, so we'll re-learn together.

Really quick, let me explain what a block is. A block is an original pattern (minus seam allowances) which is used to develop all other patterns. A complete block includes (but is not limited to) a bodice (front and back) and a skirt (front and back). Only one side is made (typically the right side), and you'll cut 2 of that piece or cut one  on the fold (fabric is doubled, folded at the center front (CF) or center back (CB)). From these basics blocks, you can manipulate them into just about anything your mind can imagine.

Here is draft one of my bodice (remember "we" only do 1/2 the body): [paper does not photograph well!]

Ok, so everything looks good on paper. It always does. But before I cut my pattern onto muslin, I had to make an extra adjustment - a bust adjustment. This is the part I've been dreading. I tried to put it off for a few days because I knew it would be drama... but, it wasn't too bad. I followed the bust adjustment below:

And again, it always looks soooo easy on paper. Just a little nip here, and a little tuck there, just follow the formula and it's all good, right? Wrong. It's never that simple (for me).


So here is my adjustment. It was a little wonky at first, as I slashed and spread in the wrong direction : | In my defense, I had total pattern overload when I was doing this, and I should've stopped once I felt the drowsiness coming on, but of course, in typical me fashion, I kept going until it was done! What a massive dart! :O

So, everything looks good on paper... but the reality is, I have to put it on muslin and test it *sigh* So here that is.

And again, the above muslin is only 1/2 of me for right now.
The next round will be a full mock-up which will look like a top (that ends right at the waistline).

And here that is - a view from the side front, and back:

I skipped the photos of the non-marked up muslin, because it was HUGE. Seriously overshot.

Even with the minor "tucks" made above, you can see it's still hella bunchy. Again, paper is one thing; 3-d is a whole other monster. There are all these ridges/hills/mountains, etc that need to be accommodated. When I took my measurements I tried to be as accurate as possible, and I had the d.h. re-check most of the measurements, but of course, there is always room for error. I re-checked measurements again while I tried on the muslin (the d.h. helped, took the above blurry photos lol, as well as did his best to pinch in my back adjustments - what a trooper!) and the #'s were still pretty spot on after the adjustments, so I think all the extra fabric came from the bust modification. Something didn't quite work out right on that lol. We overshot my waistline, which is why you see me wearing the tape. I just grabbed whatever was around for that. That tape will be my new waistline, so all the fabric below that will be trimmed off.

So to sum it up, what you are seeing above is additional adjustments (pinching out the excess fabric) and red lines which should help smooth out the final mock-up, fix my armhole and neckline. The key is getting a well-fitting bodice without it being too tight. My bodice has about 1/4" ease all around which felt relatively comfy, but I still tried to make it fairly snug around the bust area. I stretched and flexed as much as possible while wearing the muslin, paying close attention to how the back of the bodice felt. I do love tailored clothing, but I love breathing just a bit more ;)

Now here's the thing... I've never done this before on myself. I've done this on mannequins (easy!) and on other people before (not too painful), but NEVER on myself. This was a very trying process. I mean, I drafted the damn thing up after spending a fairly decent amount of time on just measuring alone, and then I spent another hour or 2 (or 3) translating the measurements and hoping and praying that they would work out on paper and they did, kind of hahahaaa But my reality check was sewing it up, per usual. I know I will end up sewing at least one more muslin before it is just right (yes, I'm one of those people), but that's why I took extra time with this step, pinching out fabric to make sure it was as close as possible.

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My next step is to take these adjustments, re-draft them on paper, and cut/fit another muslin. I will also re-work my darts in the front and back to make sure they are symmetrical and look good aesthetically. After the bodice is done, I will work on the skirt. I was going to cheat and use the skirt block from my last patternmaking class, but I felt guilty and decided to just do the whole thing myself.

Once all the adjustments are made, if everything works out correctly, then the paper pattern can be put on a harder/stiffer paper. I think it's manila paper, but I'm not quite sure. Anyway, that hard pattern is the final block, and that will be used to make everything else. I can't wait till I'm there!!! I want some clothing STAT! I'm having a good time though. This whole process is pretty exciting :D I'm totally dorking out over here on this!

So until next time!

And it begins...

It's been a little over a month since my last visit. So here we go.

Have I shared how much I dislike clothing shopping nowadays?
I don't know exactly when this happened. I'm sure, those of you who know me personally, probably don't know either. I just kind of "fell off." It's a total contrast to the fashionista I was/or thought I was in high school and in the earlier parts of college. Maybe it's an understatement to say that I'm probably just a little bit jaded. Or I grew up? Nah. Things got too predictable for me. And once things become predictable, I get bored, and move on to something else.

So, as if I haven't tortured myself enough, I'm going to be making my own clothing because I'm finally fed up! Argh!!! I'm not just going to Joann's, picking up a pattern and making it work. I'm going to make these damn patterns from scratch. My own personal patterns, with my dimensions, fitting my lumps and bumps and everything in between, from scratch! Sometimes frustration can be the best form of motivation.

So why now? Well, I have all the tools I need right here to get it going, so why the hell not? I also love a good challenge. I love the feeling I get from having worked hard for something, rather than something just being dropped into my lap with little to no effort. And most of all, I'm tired of complaining (and sick of hearing myself complain) about not having any clothing that is my style! Not having clothing that is well-constructed! Not having clothing that is age appropriate! And not having clothing that fits right! Poo!

I understand the challenges I'm up against, and I'll share them, whether you want to read them or not :P This blog (hopefully) will be my motivation; a way to keep me in check by tracking my progress. I may not post weekly, but at least I will be documenting the journey. That's what it's all about anyway, right? (Is that a total cop-out?) :D

Ok, blah, blah, blah. I could ramble on and on, but I'm trying hard to self-edit. [Note: I actually deleted 4 paragraphs here... rants, of course ;)]

So on to patternmaking. Step One - Taking measurements.
[Check out my Flickr page to see my notes on what is in the photo]



My advice here is to make sure you have someone who can help you with the back measurements! The back, although you might think it won't be a big deal, WILL be a big deal. I took all the measurements myself, but had the d.h. double check a few areas. The key to successful patterns is accuracy!

Pattern #2, or more prattle... you decide.

Second assignment - Shirt
I'm just gonna toss this out there...
I have a tumultuous relationship with making shirts.

They feel tedious and monotonous to me... there are so many friggin' pieces that you have to remember to make, and of course, there is so much double and triple checking or 'trueing/truing' that you have to do to make sure the pieces fit together. Not to mention all the possible lumps and bumps that you have to remember to adjust when you are fitting - that is, unless your chest and back are the same (if you are 13!). And don't get me started on sleeves.

The finished product, if it works, makes me warm and fuzzy for a hot minute, but then I remember all the drama it took to get to that point, and I start hating shirts all over again. Same goes for pants.

So for our final project, being obtuse as hell, I picked the red one to duplicate because it's got lots of stress-inducing nonsense beautiful details on it:



The image is from an old Glamour magazine (I think Fall '07 or '08) and the dress is Gucci. Actually, both dress are Gucci.

I'm gonna skip showing you the pattern on this one.
Who cares anyway?! We want to see the end result! It's the American way!!!

Here's the muslin... (which I should've ironed)
Tweaked just a bit from the above image - same pleated front but wider pleats, tweaked collar, omitted the ruffles/pleats within the collar (I'm a masochist... but not THAT crazy), widened the placket, added additional fullness in the puffed/gathered sleeve and a similar yoke. The back has pleats and a yoke as well (was that redundant?).

 

Because I get really nitpicky *cough((anal))cough* when things I've made sit in front of me too long, I had to tuck this away after my teacher saw it and approved it. She liked it more than I did, but that's how it always is for me.

But I will STILL be making a few 'minor' corrections to the pattern. For sure on the sleeve, it's just too much/too big, even for me ;) When I tried the muslin on, it reminded me of a leg of mutton. That's totally NOT the look I was going for. And the collar/placket area is kind of [really] bugging me... I really want to extend the collar all the way to the waist and just add buttons or hooks to the bottom portion of it and belt it (like in the original picture), but I know in my head at least, that it won't lay right. And I'll get docked for not having both elements... like I care!? ;) I also have to remember, if it comes out ok, that I will probably wear it [in the privacy of my home, of course ;)]... so I have to pull back in the modesty department ;) I keeps it PG-13.

I'll be working on this, this week(among what feels like 300 other things) in a lightweight cotton fabric as it's due on Friday. And of course, I'll post pictures of it when it's finished [3 months after the fact].

Prattle...

Nothing really interesting to report back on.

This after Thanksgiving blog is not going to be injected with things that I'm grateful for. I know what I'm grateful for... you readers don't care. I will say that my list of grateful's finally annihilates my list of pet peeves, and for that I am truly thankful.

Ok, so... because my attention pulls me in many directions, I don't blog when I should. When I do blog, it's usually too late, and the moment has passed me. But here are a few things from the past couple of months, that I had the chance to enjoy/and indulge in.

The first was the Vintage Fashion Expo that takes place 4x a year. I wanted so desperately to find some article(s) of clothing to come home with me, but nothing really floored me. There were a couple of items that were museum quality that were stunners (mainly heavily beaded 1920's gowns and hats), but I wasn't willing to drop $2k on any of them.

My approach to shopping...
If the item doesn't knock the wind out of me on first glance, I keep it moving.

Needless to say, I got the spit knocked out of me when I tried this on - 1940's felted wool, military pill box hat w/ mink trim in chocolate brown. SOLD!



Very strange, as I was "just looking" and on my way out. I was trying on hats, because they were so cute and loudly calling my name, and the next thing I know, this little number jumped into my bag, and you know... I couldn't tell it no...

I was so inspired by the clothing I saw, and all the drool-worthy hats that I HAD to sketch when I got back to the car, and I HAD to find a millinery supply shop STAT to start replicating/creating some of the gorgeous hats I'd seen.

So that led me to California Millinery Supply, Co. *gasp* A mess of a store (in a good way), dripping with goodies from floor to ceiling. The kind of shop where you think you're pulling one item off the shelf and one-hundred things (and a pile of dust) end up falling on you. This little gem has been around for decades, and one of the dopest things about this shop is that there are still TONS of vintage supplies stocked for costumers and/or hobbyists to replicate period accurate pieces. LOTS of feathers (which we LOVE!!!)...

Including bird wings -
Which as distasteful as they might seem, I could not walk away without them...

 

They affect me the same way glitter, mirror balls, trim, sequins or sparkly confetti does where I CAN'T stop starting at them. I can't stop touching them!!! Sometimes it's too much for me to handle in one glimpse, but I can't get enough of it. Kind of like the huge car accident on the side of the freeway - you want to drive past it, but you can't help but look. And look. And STARE until you almost cause another accident.

But come on, we've all seen stranger things then bird wings. Get over it.

A few more feathers I loved...
You can never go wrong with ostrich ;)
Unfortunately, no peacock. Booooooo!!!

 

I bought several hat forms and feather pads as well ;)

Oh, and then file this under 'found items'...
After about 2 years of wondering where my wannabe "Almost Famous" rock star, furry hippie jacket was, it appeared out of nowhere as I was looking for stuffing to put in my dogs pillow. Still in great condition, and it FITS!!!

 

I can't believe it's almost Christmas! #@%%!!!!!
Wanted to knit gifts... but realized I don't like you all enough to make you things this year. You wouldn't appreciate it anyway ;) So I'm going to be a scrooge about that type of thing.

I always think of projects to make for others, but I know I'll never get the reaction/response from them that I want (as in... holy $hit, that's genius, YOU are a genius, or the person wearing the item until it falls apart, the person washing the item properly or dry cleaning it! And one or two, or ten others that I feel are totally inappropriate to post!), so I equate that with a project not being worth my time. Next year I will be devoting my energy to completely selfish projects. But for now, I guess I'll finish the gifts that I've started cause I'm nice like that *sucker* :\ Yeah... I'm too nice, but that is seasonal as well.

Right now I'm working on fingerless gloves for me and the hubby.
I make him stuff, cause I know I can smother him in his sleep encourage him nicely if he doesn't wear it or appreciate it the way I think he should ;)

If this didn't bore you enough, peep the knitting projects on the left side of the page and flickr photos! Or hell, leave a comment! What a concept!? I won't hold my breath waiting.