Real Sewing Returns

I am finally starting some real sewing, after this hiatus I am ready to roar. The remodel is finally complete. The holidays came and went and the nasty,nasty flu is but a memory. I even got the final leg of my sewing room re-org complete today. The "fabric closet" which joins the studio with the back "fabric room" got a thourough going through this morning and a total scrub down as well. What to begin with?

So many things have been backed up in the queue but it made logical sense to me to do my dress form re-do. I am sure you have seen Kenneth King's custom dress form in Threads recently. There have been more than a few successful outcomes out there in blog land of this technique. Oh, you remember the duct tape form my BFF and I did? In late August I think the heat and humidity just did it in and all sort of sagged in the most awful way. At first I thought it was just continuing to mimic my ever changing and aging shape but truth be told, It just died. So a different "mini-me" has been on my mind ever since. To get started I picked out my Vogue Sloper pattern, Vogue 1004. It's been around for years. I never have quite gotten the sloper thing, at least the part where you make it work on a different pattern, so I never took this out of the envelope till today.

 I folded the skirt pieces under to just give me the hip length needed to cover my current dress form. At this point all pieces have been cut out, marked, and are ready to sew. I did NO alterations to this pattern as tempted as I was. This is a size 8 and upon reading the finer print I realize they are nowhere near my own measurements. A disadvantage of this pattern is that it comes in one size, the one you decide will work. Since I usually use a Vogue size 8 and then do my usual alterations, I went with an 8. I followed the initial instructions for measuring and quickly realized I probably have the wrong size but I know if I had the "right" size it would be swimming on me. Anyway, you can see the very generous seam allowances so I think in the end I will be fine. Also, the pattern does provide pieces for different bust cup sizes. According to the measurements on the directions I needed the D front. When I alter a pattern it is always to a C cup and that's been fine so we will see how this turns out.

Here you can see the horizontal balance and grain lines marked in with marker. You can't see all the other lines, every single one of them, which are marked with waxed transfer paper and a serrated wheel. Love that technique!

I will say, this sloper pattern has LOTS of information inside, six pages both sides, on how to do all sorts of alterations. It's a great reference. But remember, they are teaching you to make a bodice sloper, something you can use to later fit patterns. I am going for a skin tight facsimile of my personal body space so it will be a tad more snug. I am going to sew everything up with big stitches right where they want me to. Then I will do further adjustments. I will probably wait for my BFF to come over for that next weekend. Then it will be Stuff the Dummy time, yahoo! Cross those fingers.

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I am still languishing over the pattern for my winter coat. I will probably be sewing it over Fourth of July! Some years back I tried on a 3000.00 swing coat at a store in Boston, can't remember which. It was the most beautiful thing I think I have ever tried on. It was simple and exquisite black wool. It took everything I had to not hand over the plastic. Ever since that day I have been craving me a gorgeous swing coat. I have seen on PR a few iterations and the upper part of the current patterns seems to have a lot of volume. The sleeves are huge as well, which I do understand is a nod to it's retro roots. But all that fabric would be overwhelming on me. I want a narrow upper chest and a wide triangle at the bottom. Today while looking for this sloper pattern, which required that I go through every pattern box I own, I found this forgotten swing coat pattern that may be the one.

It's from 1995. I like the collar a lot as it fits the need to keep the neck extra warm in this climate. Other patterns and their collars have never been just right. This one is. The sleeves also don't seem to be as voluminous as other patterns currently available and I like that. Given that the date of the pattern is 1995, around the time when I tried on the 3000.00 coat, those shoulders shouldn't be as wide as those of the eighties but a muslin will prove that out.  I also like that this coat has long sleeves. Every other SC pattern I have seen has 3/4 sleeves and that won't work up here. I also like the version shown with the tie belt. So this may be the one. It's McCalls 7947. But first  I have to get my "mini-me" put together!....Bunny