My First Real TNT Pattern

My first real TNT pattern, my self drafted skirt pattern. I have it up a total of 5 times already if you include the muslin and I have may more plans for the future. As a matter of fact for March I have two more planned. In the ten years that I have been sewing I have never made a pattern up that many times, the only one to come close is Simplicity 2725 and is because of the contest and that was 4 times if you include the muslin. But they are not as successful as my skirt pattern because they don't flatter me so I don't wear them at all. But my skirts are my favorite. I drafted this pattern I think around Nov 2010 but I was not able to do much with it since I was pregnant. So I was only able to make the blue paisley cord and purple before I got too big and I was already pregnant when I made it. Also so far they are the only two that were made as a straight A-line skirt. Next up was my black and white anthro inspired skirt which I made this past fall and now my red four gore skirt.
Getting to this point has been a process for me. I had been looking for a maxi skirt pattern for awhile but most patterns just weren't the simple A-line pattern I wanted and when I did find one it just wasn't long enough or full enough for me. So before I came to my final draft I drafted this pattern at least three times before. Once I had a draft I was pleased with it still took me a while to use it since I had no directions to make it up, I just kept feeling like it was not right or something. But once I had made it up twice and had worked out the sewing order and construction, I love it. Once I wore the purple plaid and DH asked me if I had made it, it wasn't that it looked badly sewn, but he remarked at how well it fit me as if it was made for me. I didn't tell him that I had drafted the pattern myself.

So far the red sateen and blue paisley cord are my favorite versions of this pattern, but sadly some kind of way my blue paisley got a whole in it so I only wear it around the house. I'm hoping to make two more next month, but not sure how or if I'll change it up some more time will tell.

Sidenote: I drafted my pattern using Design it Yourself Clothes Patternmaking Simplified

Until next time happy sewing...

Working Simplicity 2599

 So Simplicity 2614 just is not going to work out for me, the bust portion needs to be lowered and the upper back is too tight and lower back there is like a pool of fabric. Its is just too much for a top I don't think I'll make a lot of. So once again I visited Simplicity 2599, its like the third time I have gone to this pattern in the last two weeks, so far it has the best starting point being a size twelve with a D-cup. I already had a muslin sewn up and I remember that I loved the fit of it even with out any alterations even tho it clearly needs some. So all in all I think this is the best I have come across in my small pattern stash.

 Just as you can see here, the back pools on me. I don't know if this is from a swayback or large derrie  that is causing it. Also it is on the bias so I don't know if that is playing a factor in the pooling and if so how do I alter it, is it the same as something on the grain? I'm taking all of this as a learning experience but I know that this top is not one that I want to spend a lot of time on if I don't see me making it up that much.

 So back to Simplicity 2599. Since I already had a muslin of the pattern unaltered, I wore it around the house for a few hours doing house work and working with my kids and so far these are the adjustments I made, I lowered the bust dart one inch, add a half in to the upper back and add one inch to the hip area. So I'm hoping to get time this weekend and sew up the new muslin and see how it fits.

I really have to keep the goal in mind because using all of this time for just working with patterns and no clothes to show is a bit downing. But once I have a good pattern to work with there is no limit to what I can do with it, I know I may still need to alter later but I just want a good starting point. I just have to take everything as a learning experience and take it one step at a time. So my goal this weekend is to sew up my new muslin and record my findings.

Until next time happy sewing...

January Progress

So here it is the last day of the month and all I have to show for it is nothing. But it has not been a productive month for me, I actually did get somethings done that I hope will make me more productive in the coming days and weeks ahead.

I put the black pants on hold temporally, and decided to some tracing, fitting and testing new patterns that I hope will become some TNTs for me. I came to the conclusion that I much as I like to make the latest new patterns and dive into the latest new Burda mag, I can't. Sewing now is not like it was when I started about 8 years ago when I had just one kid and one on the way. At that time I could just pick a pattern and work on it for large amounts of time and have a nice looking garment in no time. I was still a beginner but I took my time and it made all the difference in the world. I still have a shirt that I made as a total beginner, it took me about three weeks to get it done but that was because everything was new to me then and I wanted it to look like something I got from a fine boutique instead of someone asking if I had made it. When I was done I almost could not belive I had made it, and I wore it out for years after that until I accidently got a bleach stain on it. No one ever asked me if I made it or bought it until about 4 years ago I was at a little get together and someone was asking me about sewing and I mentioned that I had made the shirt I was wearing, another person who was sitting next to me remarked I would have never guessed you made that, that made my evening. Well now it is many years  and children later and things have to change. I have said this many times before but I really do need some Tried and True patterns that work for me and I would love to make over and over with some changes here and there.

I look at other sewing bloggers and watch as they push out garment after garment, at times I do get a little jealous I do admit because its what I want to do, make beautiful well fitted clothes for myself. But then I have to remember I'm not like them. A lot of them are emptynesters , have older children that can do for themselves, or not as many children as me, or no children at all. So I had to do some long and hard thinking about my sewing time and how to be more productive. Tracing patterns, cutting tissues, fitting tissues, making adjustments, making muslins , making more adjustments and then making a final muslin is very time consuming and I don't have a lot of time. So I made a list of patterns that I have sewn that I like and fit well and also new patterns that I like and style that I think are very classic and chic and that will work with my lifestyle.

So for the past week I put the pants aside and have tracing, fitting, and testing patterns. I have done at least 10 so far and I am almost done. I have so far two skirts, three knit tops, 3 woven top and 1 pair of pants, some these I already made up and did not have to work with and some are new. A lot of the newer things did not work out and some did of course. I still have about 5 more patterns to work on and two of them are dresses and I think I'll be done after these. I already have a few outfits I'm ready to work on from my TNT set but first I want to complete this stage. This does not me I will not try out new patterns from time to time, I have no plans of giving up on trying new ones but at least I'll have some TNTs to fall back on.

As always happy sewing everyone.