Monday, October 31, 2011

Round Two: Pattern 2, Karen 0

Well, I adjusted & re-adjusted & fiddled with darts & played & played with the fabric version of this pattern (I took out an inch from the center front, for example)...and finally realized that it's too big. It's a 44, and I think I'm a 38. It doesn't seem like that much, but it is.  And why didn't I pay more attention to the size?  I'll tell you why...because I'm one of those lucky people who mostly fit into things:  I'm average height, average width, etc.  So I just assume things will fit.  For example, the slenderette dress (Route 66), I didn't do any adjustment at all, just cut it out & sewed.  I never even held up the pattern to see if it sort of looked right!  And that fits perfectly...so I'm spoiled.

However, this too-large pattern is definitely going to take some work to get this down to the right size.  And I want to add a v-neck & a collar to this.  Hmmmm.  Am I even capable of that?! You can see from the photos (taken w/ my iphone--so no flash) that I've already taken out an inch in the front center, I also took out the darts in the front (I even had one on the armhole on the front) to try to start again.  There are so many problems that I'm really rather stuck...for example, it hangs like a sack at the back waist.  I'm guessing this is just a length problem?

I think it would be good for me to learn this, but I'm not sure I'm up to it.  I'll try to find a book tomorrow to help me thru that.  So, along with a trip to the hardware store to pick out tile, paint, lights, etc. for the south wing, I guess we're headed to the library, too.  I think this is my official excuse about why I don't finish as many projects as some of the other sewists in the blogosphere!

In the meantime, since I often can't sit & just watch a movie, I've been doing some surfing & discovered this page about re-sizing vintage patterns from So Vintage.

Here's another problem...after a pretty gloomy day of rain & snow & darkling skies, it's gorgeous out now, cold, but beautiful, clear & sunny.  Do I really want to spend the day inside fighting w/ a pattern, when the pattern may well win?!  Helen help me...

Music?!  Well, how about Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo?

2 comments:

  1. But it look so mucH easier with a dummy..... Good luck with it! I'm not much help I'm afraid!!

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  2. Thanks, SBT! I don't know, maybe it would be easier w/ a class? I just cannot seem to get it to fit correctly. I've re-done the darts 5-6 times now and it's still not quite right. I was off work today (I get every other Monday off), and had to just leave it. Sewing, ironing & fitting & unsewing & re-sewing & fitting &...got to be a bit too much! So I'm cooking turnips now. Yum.

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