Colleterie: Why do you sew?

I have my issues with Collette Patterns, but I cannot do without the conversations in the Comments section of Coletterie, their blog. Some real conversations, not just a pile on of 'yes I think that's cute too' and "me too" stuff. Always worth my time.

Most recent is asking: why do you sew?

It's a more inspiring list than you might think. Sometimes we sewists are really pretty cool.

Just go over and read em. You'll walk a little taller.

http://www.coletterie.com/chatter/why-do-you-sew#comments

Thinking about trousers: the FBumA Alteration

I keep seeing people talk about doing a sway back alteration on their pattern as they work for fit, but...I never see a 'big bum alteration'.

Could we call it a FBumA (playing on the full bust alteration formula)? It would have similar alteration issues (opening space between seams).

When you're adding to a pants pattern, the back piece is all you have to deal with. If it's a jeans alteration, the seam between the upper yoke and the main back piece IS the dart you're altering on. However, let's just stick to trouser style for the moment.

Assuming you started with a pants pattern that was perfect enough in the waist (A) and thighs, just needed more in the back, adding width (B) and a dart (red v-shape) above that width gives you more in the thigh and leg (C) than you wanted.

I'm not fond of slashing entire pieces by length to get what I want, so if I could avoid it, I would.

Version D is throwing off the grain line on the side seam and that's going to get weird in a hurry. 

So we go towards the back center line with E. 

 I have nipped off a little at the back waist and the side hip, because that is what I end up doing. I am bigger in the back than the front and I need all that width through the meaty part.  Essentially all I've added in the crotch is the equivalent of a gusset (which has been an alteration staple of my pants wardrobe for years) while adding who knows how many inches across the back. I could make the back crotch deeper as well, lengthening the center seam upwards to make the seam longer

(version F).

I confess I work the other way; identify the sizing from the butt and taking in the other parts. And I always have issues with how pants fit through the waist in the back. I am reconsideing this in light of reading about pattern adjustments; getting the fit right through the shoulders is trickier than getting the bust to fit.  But you'd buy a blouse pattern based on your chest measurement, which would tend to throw the rest of it off.

Perhaps the moral of this story is: you gotta make a muslin first.

Purse Pen Pocket (hinge pocket)

Nestled in the corner, another pocket. Or is it lurking?

Yes, I have a pocket problem 

(took me a minute to type 'prob//, no, it's not a problem! It's a series of tutorials! Yeah!)

I got tired of hunting in the bottom of the purse for a pencil, a pen, a pointy thing. And I just couldn't figure out where to add one.

Until I pulled out the lining mending the zipper.

So, make a long pouch (make it wider than one pen. I went for three inches wide, folded over to an inch and a half / 5 cm.

Stitch up the bottom and the open side. 

Find that long seam in the lining, and fold it out so it's an edge.

Sew your pouch edge to that edge. I didn't even take out the content tag.

I tacked the lining down when I was done. I swear, most of my stuff is better sewn when I'm done with it. I'm like my dad; I'm a remodeler.

I am thinking this is going to show up again somewhere else. A hinge pocket could be great, could be a big pain, we'll see where it lands.

Free Sloper Patterns Still Exist But They Keep Moving

Ah, the free sloper is a moving target. Since this post, Ralph Pink's freebies went away. Link at the end is dead.

However, the JJ is still on Burda, hiding.

Still on burdastyle.com/patterns, as  'flynow-top-pleated-culottes'.

No culottes, but the multisized, easy peasy sloper, from 32 to 46 inches.

No linky. You can find that all by yourself.

And Ralph, love the pants sloper! 

--erniek- sept 17, 2014

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It has come to my attention (my email from BurdaStyle for today) that the era of the free and easily acquired bodice sloper is over. Yes, the JJ multisized sloper is gone, replaced by single size models, mostly for $.

I am very fond of Ralph Pink, and today I am fonder. He seems to be the last bastion of the freebie, and quite the set there is. Womenswear has skirt, dress, bodice, trousers (all sized 10). Menswear is jacket, shirt, and something called an "Overgarment".

Okay, I had trouble figuring it out myself. And it's a little puzzling to open and print, but pretty much, you need Adobe Reader and WINzip (to decompress the files), both freeware that have links on the same dang page.

Yes, the womens are in size 10. Yes, you can get this to work for you, without enlarging it after you've learned Photoshop or Illustrator (I am pulling my hairs doing that in my other spare time).

This situation offends me (no snaps to Ralph Pink, who never offends me). Slopers should be free. You have to put so much work into them, the basic layout should be a freebie.

I'm going to get to work on this.

In the meantime

Ralph Pink Patterns