A shaped Back Shoulder Yoke

Vest Success continued...
In early April, I published a blog called Vest Success.  One of our SFD ladies designed the Reversible Vest (a relatively new SFD downloadable Fashion Leaflet).  This particular lady had a back shoulder dart that she needed to deal with.  She needed the back shoulder dart for her slightly rounded shoulder blades, but didn't want the dart appearing in her vest.  When drawing the vest pattern, she simply transferred this dart into the armscye and the resulting slightly curved seam took care of the dart and she ended up with a yoke detail in the back of her vest.

Because her photos were somewhat dark, I simply outlined the stitching lines that she designed.  Now you can see where the back yoke is.

Not long after this blog was published, another SFD lady asked if I would show you the details for turning the back shoulder dart into a yoke with slightly curved stitching line.  The easiest way for me to do this was to film a short video showing you the process.

First, let's review how to add a back shoulder dart.
Step 1: Draw line A to B as illustrated.  This line should be at a level where the most rounding or protruding fullness is on your back/shoulder blades.  Then draw line C to D as shown.  This line does not have to be at a right angle to A-B, but the angle that you choose will affect the final position of the dart, therefore, it should be at a pleasing angle for your specific body shape.  You may need to sew a couple of tests to make sure you're pleased with the results.

Step 2: Cut from A to B and from C to D, leaving a paper hinge at the armscye point B and at point D on line A-B.

Step 3: Spread the shoulder area of the pattern open as shown always maintaining the paper hinge points.  This will open up a small dart shape in the shoulder seam line and will automatically lengthen CB.  Often people with rounded, protruding shoulder blades also have some rounding at the upper back and this extra length will help the bodice back to sit more comfortably.  Additionally, depending on how rounded your entire back is, you may also want to add a CB seam which is shaped/curved to suit your body contours.

Step 4: The more you open/lengthen CB that results in a wider dart, the more the upper and lower center back line becomes 'jogged'.  To maintain CB on the fold of the fabric, simply draw/true a new CB from the back neck point to the waist point.  Also re-establish a parallel straight of grain marking.  Depending on how accurately you measured your CB waist length and where this length is actually needed, you may now need to shorten CB at the waist edge and gently true from CB to the side seam.

Step 5:  This technique for adding a shoulder dart shouldn't distort the armscye significantly.  However, if the armscye appears to angled at the armscye hinge pivot point, make sure to blend/true to create a smooth curve.

This is what it looks like in 'real life'.

Now, on to changing this back shoulder dart into a back shoulder yoke that is slightly curved.  It really is a simple process.  Please watch this video to see how to accomplish this technique.

Just click on the forward arrow to begin play.  It's a short video and a simple process.  I know you'll find it easy to do.

Kindly,
Glenda...the Good Stitch!

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Skirt Styles to Suit Just You!

In the survey from a couple of weeks ago where I asked what Sure-Fit Designs can do for you to help with your fitting and sewing, a number of ladies asked for information on how to choose the best style of garment for their body shape.

Enter in Inside Out Style and Imogene Lamport.  She does a remarkable job of teaching you what your body shape is and what styles will look best on your frame.  I wouldn't even try to duplicate her expertise when she does such a good job.  I actually introduced Imogene to you a number of months ago, but this is definitely worth repeating, particularly for all our newcomers.

A couple of days ago, her blog post was titled 'The Best Skirt for Your Body Shape'.  I'm going to encourage all of you to take a few minutes to scroll through her blog site...there's more where this came from.

This is an informative blog and as you get into her Body Shapes page, you'll discover all kinds of valuable information on analyzing your body shape and learning what styles look best on it.

She doesn't always talk about specific garment styles for body shapes, but I always find her blogs of value.  If this is a topic of interest to you, her blog is definitely worth following.

Thanks so much, Imogene, for sharing your vast knowledge on this topic.

Kindly,
Glenda...the Good Stitch!

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Reversible Vest - New Fashion Leaflet

In your recent survey responses, so many of you asked for more downloadable Fashion Leaflets.  'Just keep 'em coming' one lady said.

So here's the newest...a Reversible Vest.  And while it's still winter in our northern climates, you might want to use fleece for either the fashion fabric or the lining.  I choose kind of a puffy, textured fashion fabric (fiber content unknown - thank goodness it didn't melt when pressed!) and lined it with fleece.

By way of designing this vest, I used Princess style lines, but show you how to eliminate the side seam by drawing a modified princess line in the back and connecting to the front side panel.  The SFD Dress Kit bodice is the base pattern for this particular design.

It requires a reversible, separating zipper which you should be able to find at your local fabric store, and if not, I'm sure you can get them online (though I didn't need to do that search as my local Jo Ann store had just what I was looking for).

The collar, armholes and hem edge are bound with double-wide fleece binding typically used on quilts and baby blankets.

You can pick up your downloadable copy at www,surefitdesigns.com - Downloadable Leaflets.  It's in a handy PDF format which is easy for you to print out.  Click Here

Happy Designing & Sewing!
Glenda...the Good Stitch!

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SFD with a New Look

You know I always encourage you to use your commercial patterns as a stimulus for your own creations.  And that's exactly what one SFD customer did.  Enter Nadine who used New Look 6243 for her basic dress inspiration.  She had an upcoming wedding and wanted a special dress for the event.  Here she is.  Doesn't she just look lovely in it?

I'd worked with Nadine over the previous months to make sure her bodice was fitting her to perfection.  And now the wedding was getting closer.  It was time to choose the fabric and go for it.  Here's what she did to her SFD bodice pattern.
For the sheer neck/shoulder piece, she simply sliced off her SFD bodice in mid-armscye on both front and back.

Then with the remaining lower bodice, the bust dart got transferred into a princess line style.  The bodice back was also shaped with a princess line.

She drafted a half-circle skirt and made sure the waist lines on bodice and skirt matched.

All these beads...yes, she lovingly stitched each one on individually.  Nadine used 3 different kinds of glass bugle beads...dark plum, abalone and amethyst.  They added just the right amount of  'bling' without being too showy.

Her fabric choice was the Casa line (from Jo Ann) in poly crepe with a poly chiffon for the sheer yoke all in a beautiful eggplant color which looks so lovely on Nadine.  Of course she made the matching wrap in Casa satin.

She's gained so much confidence in following through with this entire project.  And in her words, 'I am sooooo happy!  I've been smocking and sewing formal dresses for all my daughters, but now to add in the ability to fit myself...my dream come true!

I'm sure Nadine would love to hear your comments.  You truly have done a lovely ensemble that you should be so proud of!

Thanks so much for sharing with all our SFD sewists.

Glenda...the Good Stitch!

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T-Shirt Tactics

Everybody loves to wear T-shirts.  For some they are a wardrobe staple - for others they are only occasional wear.  Whatever their place is in your clothing needs, you have choices within the Sure-Fit Designs fitting and designing system as to how you approach this style of garment.

Typically, the T-shirt is relatively close fitting and does not have a bust dart and is sewn from a knit fabric.  The no-bust dart feature does present a problem for you full-busted women.  You all know you will always achieve a superior fit when your pattern has a bust dart.

The Sure-Fit Designs pattern kits provide either the darted bodice pattern from the Dress Kit, or the undarted pattern from the Shirt Kit.  Most of you already know that the Dress Kit bodice has 2 1/2" (6.4 cm) ease in the bust circumference, whereas the Shirt Kit has 5-6" (12.7 - 15.2 cm) ease in the chest circumference.

Which kit to use for your T-shirt?   Since the T-Shirt is usually undarted with a closer fit to the body, you'd use the Dress Kit bodice (with the bust dart).  If you use the Shirt Kit, you'll have a looser fit and a much deeper armscye.

Ah Ha!  In comes my new article, T-Shirt Tactics, where I offer an alternative which uses the Dress Kit bodice and I show you how to remove the dart!  The result offers a fit that is closer to your body, the armscye is not as deep as with the Shirt Kit, and this process generally provides an excellent T-shirt alternative.

Yes I know it doesn't have a bust dart anymore, so you full-busted ladies will inevitably end up with some folding in the armscye that points toward your bust.  And no doubt, the shirt will likely hike up somewhat in the front because your don't have that bust dart shaping your bustline.  But since you are going to be sewing with a forgiving knit fabric, usually these issues are minimized.  But at least, you have 3 great choices now to design your favorite T-shirt with the Sure-Fit Designs patterns.

• Dress Kit bodice with dart

• Shirt Kit pattern - no dart - deeper armscye

• Dress Kit bodice without dart

To download your copy of the T-Shirt Tactics article with instructions to remove the dart, please Click Here, then simply scroll toward the middle of the page where you'll see the link for the .pdf file.

Just for fun and for interest, I finished my T-shirt with a self-fabric 2 1/2" wide band at the hem level, scooped the neck edge 2" all the way around and then filled in with a 1 1/2" self-fabric band.  A small tab was inserted at CF while applying the neck band and finished with a decorative button.

And another great benefit is that it can be 'Made in a Day'!  It's just one more quick project for you.

Give it a try and send me your comments and photos.  When you send your photos, I'll put together a T-Shirt collage...and show off all of your work.  Please send photos to info@surefitdesigns.com.
Enjoy,
Glenda...the Good Stitch!

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Sally's Back

Remember Sally Silhouette?  She's your convenient croquis to use when drawing the garment designs you'd like to sew.

After I gave you Sally Silhouette's front view back on April 8, 2014,  I had a number of you ladies ask for the back view.  And doesn't it just make sense.  Often times there will be design details that carry through to the back of the garment as well as the back may just simply have unique design features you won't want to forget.

As a Christmas gift to all of you, here is Sally's Back.

As I mentioned before, the great part is that you don't have to have artistic abilities.  Just sketch the style lines you're seeing in the garment directly on Sally's silhouette.  Plus there's space at the bottom to jot down those special design notes.

Why sketch when you can simply take a photo with your phone?  You can do that too, but with the process of actually sketching the lines you're seeing, you help to reinforce the process of what you will need to draw on your actual pattern.  Go ahead...take the photo...but don't rely on it completely. 

Sally's Back come in a full size of 8.5"x11" (or A4 for our international customers) and a Purse size Sally, which is great to tuck in your handbag when out browsing ready-to-wear.  Just go to this website page - Sure-Fit Designs Learning Center Free Stuff - to download both sizes.  They are in PDF file format.

Enjoy this complimentary gift...and Merry Christmas to all of you!
I hope you all have a joyous holiday season with your family and friends.

Kindly,
Glenda...the Good Stitch!
(PS - You're welcome to make as many copies of Sally for your own personal use.  But if you want to share 'Sally's front or back' on your own sewing sites or blog, please acknowledge the source by giving a link back to Sure-Fit Designs Learning Center Free Stuff).

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Asymmetrical Zippered Jacket - Fashion Leaflet

It's finally done!  I know a lot of you were excited to hear that this new jacket design would be available to you.  It's one more unique design that you can draw from your SFD Dress Kit.  You can purchase this Fashion Leaflet from this page - Downloadable Fashion Leaflets.

Exposed zippers are ever so popular.  This jacket features a separating exposed zipper, a shoulder yoke that wraps from the front over the shoulder to the back, and of course, ever-flattering princess lines in both front and back.

The collar is super easy.  I used the Mandarin Collar pattern piece from the new SFD master pattern Collar Collection that is now found in the 5th edition Dress Kit.  If you don't already have the new Collar Collection, you can order it from this page - Collar Collection & 5 edition Dress Book.

 

I also used the basic Sleeve pattern (with elbow dart).  I wanted to keep this part simple, but if you were so inclined, you could always draw the 2-part, more tailored sleeve featured on pages 34 & 35 of the new 5th edition Dress Kit Instruction book.

 Wear open or closed.  It works either way.  Most of you already know I sewed this from a stretchy, squishy, sticky, spongy fabric...I wouldn't do that again.  It looks like leather but isn't.  Though in sewing, I needed to treat it like leather.  I got one chance to sew it right as the needle left holes in the fabric just like real leather.  This is a jacket I definitely recommend sewing a test mock-up of.

Remember I showed you this jacket on Imogen Lamport (Inside Out Style).  I don't know what fabric was used.  It's possible she didn't sew it.  But you can see that it's a style suitable for any season.

You can get your downloadable copy of this new jacket - Asymmetrical Zippered Jacket - on this page - Downloadable Fashion Leaflets.  $5.99.

Have fun...
Glenda...the Good Stitch!

 

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Darts and Side Seams: - Perfecting the Dart

I may have talked about this topic before - perfecting the dart extension point and the effect on the side seam.  But even if I have, it's well worth talking about again.  And now there are photos to help explain the situation and what happens.

Depending on two factors, 1) the width of the dart (A, B, C etc), and 2) the angle of the dart - it's position on the side seam in relation to your apex position, both can affect the amount of dart extension that is required for it to properly sew in straight with the side seam cut edge.

If the dart extension isn't long enough, it means that when the dart is folded in the correct finished location, the seam allowance edges won't meet when stitching the side seams.

Here's what it looks like if it's not 'perfected'.  The above photo shows the 'inside' of the bodice pattern.  The photo below shows the 'right' side of the pattern.

Even though I demo and teach how to 'perfect' the dart during the Fit & Sew Retreats, I've seen ladies skip this step (easy to forget when there's so much happening in this workshop) and then pull on the edge of the dart until it does meet the side seam when sewing front to back bodice.  Then, when the bodice is on your body, it will create a pull (drag) line from that lower dart leg toward the side and center of the bodice.  (Sorry I don't have a photo of the drag line...I accidentally deleted it when clearing the images from the camera).

But the next photo shows you how the drag line has disappeared when the seam is opened up and the dart extension point is released.

If this happens to you, it's easy to confuse this drag line as a 'fit' issue and not the 'pattern' issue that it is.  When the dart is 'perfected' properly, the drag line goes away.

The Adjust-A-Bust template is a great tool for getting the correct width of dart, but it's impossible on this template to provide all the possible scenarios for the dart's extension point.  It's always best to perfect the dart when drawing your bodice blueprint.

 Here's a short video tutorial on 'Perfecting the Dart'.   Even though I'm showing transferring the dart to the lower side seam location, the process of folding the dart in position and cutting along the seam allowance cutting edge, is still the same no matter the location of the dart.  You may end up with a really wide and long dart extension, but that can be trimmed out later.

You'll also find written directions for Perfecting the Dart on page 8 of the Dress Kit Instruction Book - 5th Edition.

Kindly,
Glenda...the Good Stitch!

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Celebrate September - National Sewing Month

There's no better way to celebrate our love of sewing than to sew something.

This year, for National Sewing Month, I'm introducing another Made in a Day project.

 

I was challenged with how best to name this new top without becoming too wordy.  So let's just call it a Blouson Cap Sleeve Top.  The big foldover pleat is actually added at center front neck point, but then tapers down to nothing at the hem level.  It's super simple to design from your SFD Dress Kit.  And of course it gives you the same good fit no matter what position you choose to transfer the bust dart to.

 

As you can see, there are a number of variations to choose from.  And if you don't like cap sleeves, or you want to make this more for cool-weather wear, then simply don't make the changes for the cap sleeve and add a sleeve in the length you desire.

I hope you enjoy drawing and sewing this new design as much as I did.

Click here to obtain your copy - it's a PDF download.

Happy Sewing,

Glenda...the Good Stitch!

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Made in a Day!

WELCOME...Made in a Day!

I'm opening up a new page in this blog called Made in a Day.  You'll see this page on the top navigation bar immediately to the right of the Home button. The garments you'll see featured are ones that could generally be easily made in a day.

I know some of you sew faster than others.  I know we often have unforeseen 'oopses' that take longer than we wish they would to correct.  And I know that many of you due to family and work commitments don't have a full day to devote to any project, much less a sewing project.  But all things considered, the projects you'll see will all be ones that could be made in a day under ideal circumstances.

Simple to design...simple to sew...that's the objective.  There are all kinds of designs already offered within the Sure-Fit Designs instructional materials and information that would fall into this category.  So for those of you who are either new to sewing or new to designing and sewing your own garments, these suggestions would be excellent starting options.

Sometimes there might be a Fashion Leaflet that shows you how to design/sew the item.  Sometimes the project will already be featured in one of the kit instruction books or in one of the designing books (Pants that Mix n Multiply or Beyond Bodice Basics or Sew Sensational Shirts).  Sometimes I might have produced a video for your instructions.  Other times, it might just be instructions within the blog.  One way or the other, you should be able to access enough information to make the project.

You'll be able to recognize the project by the new logo 'Made in a Day'.

I'd love to hear what you think of this idea, so please use the comment box below and let me know what you think.

And for those of you who have your own blog, please feel free to share this SFD 'Made in a Day' page with them...the more the merrier!

Kindly,
Glenda...the Good Stitch!
P.S.  I'd love to know what sewing projects you've made in a day (or ones that would fall into this category).  And I'd love to see your photos.

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Planning Ahead - PPO

Project management, planning & organization (and thinking ahead).  As with any project, PPO is very important!  Unless, of course, you've already done it a million times before and you know the process inside out.  So when planning a sewing project, you kind of have to think it through on the front end.  Not just fabric you want to sew it from, but when you're designing from a your body blueprint (a sloper), you need to think through the entire project.

This is actually easier than it may initially sound, since the majority of you reading this blog already know how to sew.  The following are preliminary questions:

• What do you want it to look like?

• What are the dominant design features?

• What pattern pieces will be the major players - like fronts - back - sleeve?

• What pattern pieces are needed in the supporting role - like facings - plackets - collar - cuffs?

• What length do you want?

• How much ease do you want?

• Will it be sewn from a knit or woven fabric?

• How is it all going to go together - the sewing construction steps?

• Do you know of a garment in ready-to-wear (or perhaps one hanging in your wardrobe) that you can copy?

• Do you have an old commercial pattern somewhere in your pattern stash that can help?

To help you 'see your way' through the initial designing of a sewing project, we produced a video looking at what to evaluate when drawing and copying a ready-to-wear blouse.  Blogger cooperated this time and let me paste this video into the blog.  I hope you'll take the few minutes to watch my thought process and also where to get SFD resources to help you find the information you need for your desired sewing project.

Perhaps this will help you in designing your next project with your SFD body blueprint.  Whether it's a blouse (from the Dress Kit), pants or a dartless casual shirt (from the Shirt Kit) the information presented should assist.

Here's a photo of the finished blouse.   You know the old saying 'Practice makes perfect'... and though it's not difficult...it does get easier with each new project.

 

Yes, it's a sheer fabric, which I seldom wear.  And if you'd like to know more about working with sheers (and my sheer experience), make sure you reference these 2 short blogs:

http://surefitdesigns.blogspot.com/2012/09/sheer-experiences.html and

http://surefitdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/05/sheer-experience-revisited.html 

Kindly,
Glenda...the Good Stitch!

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July 2014 Fit & Sew Retreat - a Photo Story

Last week saw a group of extremely eager and positive women attend the summer Fit & Sew Retreat with me here in Eugene Or.  They came in all shapes, heights, sizes, dimensions...and they came with their abundant enthusiasm.  It put the SFD Pants and Dress master patterns to the test and they came out with flying colors.

If you're interested in attending the October class, due to unexpected cancellations, I still have one space available.  It's October 19 - 24 and the Early Bird Discount deadline is this coming Saturday July 19.  For more information click here - SFD Fit & Sew Retreat.

Here's a photo journey of the events of the past week. 

In attendance were 2 Canadians, 3 Californians, and one local lady from Eugene, OR.

 

 

Everyone accomplished a lot.  Everyone got at least one of the final pattern projects underway.  Many got final projects finished plus more.  They are all to be commended for their positive attitudes, cheerfulness, and their cooperation with one another.

I feel very privileged to have met each and every student - they were a delight to teach and work with.

Thank you all for attending,

Glenda...the Good Stitch!

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