Monday 2 June 2014

A stupid confession and an epic win!


First, I have to tell you all something completely ridiculous and shameful: I have owned my new sewing machine for almost a year and I ONLY JUST worked out how to use the backstitch function properly. No, really. I am just that much of an idiot. /o\ How did I discover how to do it? In one of my breaks from work today I suddenly thought to myself: It is NOT POSSIBLE that my mid-priced Janome does not backstitch correctly. I should spend five minutes and look it up in the instruction manual, because it's much more likely that I am doing it wrong. The only thing wrong with this statement is that it took 30 seconds, not five minutes. /o\  I have been backstitching everything with glee this evening. It is all really rather sad.

Second, I have had a BREAKTHROUGH of epic proportions, I think. Well, I've had some kind of breakthrough anyway, and I am hoping it is going to help me sew some of my most urgently required garments.

When I started sewing clothes, one of my most pressing concerns was that I am rarely able to RTW woven tops that fit, because boobs. Unfortunately, I soon discovered that fitting woven tops when you're sewing is no less Herculean a task than finding RTW tops that fit in the shops, also because boobs. The gargantuan FBA that I require has taken me many MANY attempts to begin to feel like I know what I am doing, and I still need Fit for Real People open in front of me every time.

I've been working on and off on a close-fitting princess bodice block for summer dress purposes, because I feel like princess seams are the best friend of anyone with uber boobs, but every time I work on it I ask myself why I am doing that rather than addressing my most urgent need, which is a block that will help me make moderately loose-fitting shirts and blouses.

Connie Crawford F/G sloper. Doesn't this illustration make you want to work on it? :|
It's not like I haven't tried before. About eighteen months ago, I bought the Connie Crawford F/G-cup sloper blouse block, hoping that having the huge dart pre-done would help. I spent ages and ages on it, trying to develop a close fitting block. Then I tried using the block I'd developed with a blouse pattern from Burda but didn't get past the muslin stage. After that I kind of abandoned the whole project when I began to lose weight, on the rather specious grounds that fitting a moving target was no fun. I say specious because what I overlooked was that actually, I lose weight very consistently for the most part. Although it's a moving target, my actual proportions and fitting issues don't vary much: I am a different size of the same shape, if that makes any sense.

Ottobre 02-2014-05
The last time I played with my much-adjusted blouse block, I was trying to make a very close-fitting top, which, it turns out, translates at my present weight to a size and shape of top that actually really works for me in terms of ease. I figured this out by comparing the block without seam allowances to a pattern I had been thinking of making in my approximately my size. In this case: Ottobre 02-2014-05, a woven t-shirt with darts, in a size 42 for my shoulders (it is a toss-up whether I need a 40 or a 42 at the shoulder, I went with the larger size on this occasion). They were basically the same, except my block has the hugenormous dart already in the right place. So this evening I sewed up the block exactly as I left it a year ago, in random pieces from my muslin stash with 1.5cm seam allowances, and HURRAY, I have a t-shirt. The bust fit looks great, even if the dart execution is a bit dubious. I am kind of impressed with Past!Me for the job I did on my fitting, even if I didn't really know what I was doing. Way to go, Past!Me!

It's not perfect however: I messed up when I was cutting out and accidentally decreased the hip circumference by about 6cm, which it turns out is a fairly fatal error for my hips. From memory, and based on the photos of that Burda blouse muslin, I think I also did a bad job with my hip fitting way back when as well, because, as I said at the time, it just didn't go over my butt. I also struggled sewing that hugenormous dart nicely. The dart take-up is massive and I ended up with a large puff of fabric near the end of the dart. I think I'm going to try splitting the dart into two side seam darts tomorrow to see if I can tame that. And then I am going to try making some kind of very very simple darted top using my basic block. \o/ If I manage this, it will be an ENORMOUS step forward in my garment sewing goals.

6 comments:

  1. Looking forward to seeing your "real" version of the Ottobre top. That one has been on my "list" since the issue came out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can already tell you that I am going to have to change the neckline. As written, it is cut REALLY high, way higher than I would be happy to wear.

      Delete
  2. I have the Ottobre top on my list, too. The neckline was also a concern to me.

    I understand not wanting to make adjustments while losing weight. I recently lost, and have now found, about 10 pounds. I plan on losing it (again) so I am hesitant on making those adjustments until I lose the weight.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I mean, it's clear from the magazine image that the neckline is going to be high, but when I pulled the muslin over my head (a) it barely fit over my big fat head; and (b) I felt like it was strangling me. Also, (c) the giant boobs of doom don't look good with jewel neck collars. However, since it's a bound neckline rather than facings I feel like it's a trivial fix anyway. I'll just steal a neckline from something else.

      I've come to realize that if I wait for my weight to be stable, I'll be waiting forever. Due to all my medical drama I am on and off medication that makes me retain water, gain weight, lose weight due to constant nausea, etc etc etc, and that is all extremely tedious anyway, let alone not sewing because of it. I am just resigned to the idea that I will always have clothes that don't fit in my wardrobe.

      Delete
  3. I noticed today while looking on the BiuBiu website (Polish company that makes clothes to fit larger busts) that every item I looked at had princess seams. I think I need to explore this avenue too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Princess seams are the best friend of the large busted, for serious!

      Delete