Somebody's else's pants fitting Bridal Edition

McCall's 7910 on the left is the pattern we went with for the bridal jumpsuit, and the right photos are the inspiration pics that drove the fabric decisions.

There was pattern alteration and tissue tracing fun

 Remember the phrase "the wrinkles point the way"? We're going to come back to that.

I am made the toile in a pink ponte that I didn't want anyone to fall in love with. I wanted to make mistakes and take chances with this.

Trying it on with the seams on the outside really helps.

Wedding jumpsuit

First try on was way too long in the waist and neckline needed rethink. She is alllll legs.

I sewed other things to break things up: I made another Closet Core Kalle because I can make that placket in my sleep, I need to be reminded I know something about sewing here and here's a burrito yoke photo

Spoonyflower coffee cup fabric in cotton sateen. Mmmmmm

Back to the knit

Second fitting for this jumpsuit. The first one was a 'so do ya think this is going to work' (also had to see if we needed a side zip and yes we do) and 'is this what you wanted and what else do you want?'

She wants it fitted through the thighs, swooshy at the legs. She's the boss.

There are terrible photos but they let me see what I could not see when my beloved goddaughter was standing in front of me. Looking at the photos here, it's obvious where we need to go. Space and time to think.

hoiked way up in the front

hoiked up back view

Now, I know the back is fine without being adjusted, pulling them up looks terrible; it's the front that has the trouble. there's too much in the crotch point, even after shaving some off. The next set of changes include adding a stable lining for the bodice to support the pants at a stable waistline. 

When I get stuck, I have a couple places I go to on the internet: this one is for pants

https://5outof4.com/pants-fitting-guide/

This is a pretty comprehensive 'photo shows problem, diagram solves problem' run down of what can go wrong and how to fix it. 

This not related photo that illustrates the point that the wrinkles point to the problem: there's not enough fabric in the armscye for the fella to raise his arm. this is an exaggeration of the problem, but it illustrated the problem to the tailors that it's bad enough and he needs a remake of the sport jacket, because this is just too tight. He's not lifting boxes, but this jacket will not fit over a thin sweater, not even a shirt with sleeves.

For videos, Style Sew Me does a nice job

https://youtu.be/1gsHHK5TlEw

has a nice set of action shots (you have to smooth and reshape that seam as you sew) and some nice advice. 

I would undo the seam , baste it, check it and then stitch it, because my problem is not equally distributed front and back (and probably no one's is)

Baste and check before you cut.

And don't be afraid to put fabric back on if you're making a toile.

Spent a lot of time second guessing

Recut, resewn, recut in final fabric.

Better (also has elastic in waist)

It took me an entire afternoon to get this result, and a lot of mis-makes. Making the loops on the ribbon gave me my best results, but a whole lotta other folks would say differently.

This was a mistake. Pressing and putting the steam board over it was smart. leaving it on the ironing board overnight was a big error. The side seam pooched out to a bigger curve than it needed to be, so the side hip has a little bag to it. Bride is going to steam it back flatter, which should work. Still, a rookie mistake!

Clipped out excess in hem seam, used random pressing aide to hold steam in to set the crease.

So much to sew through at the side and so hard to get it all to line up. Ponte knit is heavy and wants to fall on the floor and pull out of my hands. 

I was very concerned with making sure the side seam for the zipper lined up at the waist seam and the top edge, and there was a lot of basting and swearing and the usual poor vocabulary exercising. It's like a white on white on white sandwich.

 Basted the zip seam closed to add the zipper,

I did this about fortybillion times.

Made a sash of the lace and poly organza. 

Sewed all ten feet of it, turned it, pressed it

Handstitched motifs to secure to the back at about one in the morning because I forgot I hadn't finished it. 

Bodice to pants, and this time I pull out the pins before I sew over them.

that's fancy sewing here.

this is as long as I can get the stitches to go.

Plushy elastic on waist gets little ribbon ends

Missing: photo of entirely hand inserted zipper. Gaaaaaah.

SUPER fancy sewing

I make checklists for any day or process that has more than two steps, so I won't forget something. 

I did not embellish the sash: I was too damn tired.

And Whitney doesn't read this blog so she won't know I snagged a lil Lovecraft for her.

Finished photo of jumpsuit? No. Too tired to think of it.

Second Shirt, with variations

 Doug did buy fabric for two shirts when he was at Mood.

https://erniekdesigns.blogspot.com/2021/12/new-shirts-new-fabrics-not-for-me.html

I traced this off last winter, and made the long sleeve that I knew I would need for this version, with long sleeves and cuffs.

I barely took photos cutting this out. Here's the box. 

I was busy watching Devil Doll on Svengoolie. A very creepy film.

During the spare time waiting for my awful exam results, I did some sewing together of things

the burrito method is magic

one version here 

https://erniekdesigns.blogspot.com/2015/06/burrito-roll-facing-trick.html

You just have to roll the entire shirt into the gap inside the yoke. Do this before you add the pocket or the interfacings or anything bulky.

It's just so nice looking when it comes out.

and this is where we are for the  moment, as Accounting 120 is KILLING ME.

There never have been enough hours in the day but this is getting ridiculous.

And while this is on the table,

I am in discussions with Doug's eldest child, who is planning an August wedding

"Ultimately I just want to be really comfortable while still feeling like a pretty pretty princess."

Well, YEAH. I think we can have it all here.

So it begins (each and every one a etsy/ebay purchase)

There will be more on this topic as things transpire.

Another story from the House Of Dud

Sometimes whatever I do just turns into a fail. They tend to run in packs, these failures, and it gets pretty demoralizing. "Who the hell am I, what do I think I'm doing writing about sewing when I can't even: blah blah blah.

And then there's the actual item itself. Do I consider making it into something else, and consign it to the UFO tub or do I just recycle it? And is this a scrap pile recycle, or a hard 'send it in the bag to the thrift' expulsion?

No, I didn't forget the seam allowances. I graded up 7 friggin inches for my spacious behind. And no, just no.

Or could I burn it in some ritual sacrifice? Sigh. No. I'd have to pull the nylon zipper out so I wouldn't be making some toxic stuff to accidentally breathe in; because when you burn a failure, you are always downwind. Always.

This is when I turn to mending. Generally, if it's in the mending pile, it's not carrying a heavy weight of expectations. And I am better at mending that most things. 

Edgar Martinez Day is coming up. I bought this back in the days before children, when I weighed as much as a sack of dog food.

I also smoked like a chimney; it was not all good times.

Going to have to open the whole seam out to widen it for my adult frame. That's what I said and that's what I'm calling it now. The sleeve gusset is just not enough.

Making another shirt for the blond one.  This is the same pattern I made the purple plaid jacket from. Apparently I did not write about the plaid shirt jacket, cause I can't find it on here. How can this be? It was EPIC.

He's just taller, not wider, and it's short sleeved. This is an easy peasy make, from some hoarded linen (two years? It was foisted on me at Pacific Fabrics and I could not stop myself from buying it because POLKA DOTS).

He makes the next one.

Shark Quilt

 This is a project I've pondered forever, but it wasn't until a trip to Joanns awhile ago that it bore fruit.

Cause we all know how much I love novelty prints.

Fleece 

Quilting cottons (pretty rough quality)

Of course, when I went back all they had was the fleece, so I had to go online and search for them. It amuses me that I can buy something on their website from the very same store I was just in, something that wasn't on the floor and the staff swore they had never seen.

Okay, I know, working at Joanns can suck the fun out of you. But really? You had all this.

Anyway, online works. Ebay helped. I got a few other pieces, for five prints altogether.

And to break down the whole thing into a simple motif, I went looking for the original poster and instead found this:

Calm the Ham

Not available on their website anymore, but all visible on their Pinterest

sketched it up a little, redid proportions

reduced it to black and white, put a grid on it in Paint (then did a screenshot to capture grid)

From there, it's just enlarging using the grid system, just like I learned in high school.

Mostly I just sketched it while staring at the grid.  

made a big template

traced it

assembled the base 'waves'

Oh good god it's crooked. Well, it's crooked for good.

You can see where this is going.

I am going to edge and back it with the fleece and my niece will finally get that Jaws lap quilt I threatened promised her. Should be done this week.

I am working on a longer post about one piece pants, but it needs more photos and more thinking. 

And things are going to slow down sewing wise because I have a big cat to feed at work.

Where every day is Caturday