Desperately Seeking Shorts (With lots of Fitting Photos)

From Peanut Butter Macramé

Dear readers, I need your expertise! I have been wanting to make the above shorts (view B) for some time now. They seem the perfect type, high waist, slightly tailored with an almost skirt look to them. This means I could dress them up for the office, or down for a BBQ. Different fabrics for a different occasions. But I've hesitated because I just have NO clue how to fit shorts or trousers. I have "Pants Fit for Real People" and its been of some help. I decided to take pictures to not only help myself but to ask for your help too.

I probably should have used the same shirt for both sessions but I wanted something a bit thicker tucked in as that is one way I'll wear them (albeit with a more fitted blouse). Also, in the process of taking photos i realized that my hips are uneven. Probably due to my favoring my right side for a very very long time (back surgery). Anyway. Enough of that, on to photos!

(Front with wonky zipper installed)

(Front without zipper)

(Right side with zipper installed, as you can see, its pulling to the back)

(Right side without zipper. Seams are straight! I need to add more waist width)

(Back with zipper in. I actually like the way it hangs here)

(This is without the zipper, and oh yeah, I have elastic in at the waist. I pulled it u and the sides upper back is better, but the pleat comes open. Does anyone know how this would fix it?)

Ok, so I've determined I need more in the side seams to about the fullest part of my hip. That seems to take care of the full tummy problem. I know I need a swayback adjustment (you can't really see it, but I have it pulled up some). But how do I fix the pleat? Or do I need to? HELP!

Oh, there is a 1-inch waist band. With that said, the finished product should come just above my belly button (my high-waist). I really do appreciate any fitting feedback you wonderful people can help with! In the meantime, I leave you with my favorite photo I took on the Fourth of July!

From Eddie's 4th of July Party

Occupational Hazards of Being a Viking

So in case you're wondering where I've been, well lets just say I've been buried under piles of fabric and trying to get my body adjusted to my new work schedule. I'll be working 10pm to 10am three or four days a week. OH BOY. Oh, and I'm organizing a camping trip with horseback riding through the Appalachian mountains with a girlfriend of mine and our combined kids*. The horseback ride is what my son wants for his birthday.

But enough about that. I've been reorganizing my fabrics and planning projects. Thanks to Charlotte over at Sew Weekly, I've been inspired to built a basic wardrobe based on fabrics on hand and things we need in our daily rotation. More thoughtful planning as it were, but that's a whole blog post on its own.

See, the REAL reason I'm posting this is because of my futile search for a dress form that LOOKS LIKE ME. I made a duct tape form once but then used it for a corset project and once it gets bent out of shape, it doesn't go back to its original size. And duct tape gets sticky. We tried last night with packing tape, but it wasn't the kind that you wet and stick. SO that was no good.

We (me and hubby) have looked into getting me a custom form. Which is expensive, to say the least. I had emailed PGM Dressforms about help finding one that fits. They asked that I send my measurements and they can help me pick out a pre-made one. So I took my measurements and wrote them down and compared them to the chart. And what i saw crazy to me. So much so I made a visual representation for everyone else.

I would also like to point out that my x-shoulder measurements were 17 inches at the age of thirteen. So can you see why I have problems with finding a good dress form? Or find anything off the wrack that is non-knit that fits (or if it does, it looks like a tent). I am totally made for swinging battle axes from the back of a horse. This would explain why, even at under 150 pounds, I still had to wear large sizes and take them in at the waist. Long story short (TOO LATE!), if I want a dress form that is anywhere close to me-shape it will have to be custom made. Either by yours truly or for an absurd amount of money.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some fishing villages to terrorize.

*My friend has one boy age 5, I have an eight year old girl and an almost 10 year old boy. Its just going to be us two adults. No grown men coming with us. So two adults and three kids. Hopefully I won't go insane.

There Are Those Days...

I found this photo going through my archives. At first I thought it was an accident, but I think my husband took this one on purpose. It captures that "something" that's hard for a parent (or equivalent) to explain. Possibly one of those "Joys of Parenthood" things*. I'm posting it because I've had a hard couple days at work. Nothing earth shattering, but sometimes we need a reminder of why we work and why we go on. So tell me, on those days you feel down, or blue, what keeps you going?

*I do not belittle or scoff at those that choose to not have children. There is nothing wrong with that choice. These are just a thoughts of someone that did.

The New York Vacation Dress

(Click to Embiggen)

I'm back! Did you miss me? I had a wonderfully relaxing vacation visiting my lovely friend Beth Ann in up-state New York. I did go into The City for a day to peruse the garment district and finally get to meet my online friend of five years, Maeve, in person. She is not a sewist (yet, I'm trying to convert her) but is INDEED an expert knitter. In fact, she got stopped outside of Mood by another lady who gave her a card and said "Friend me on Ravelry!".

Beth Ann was much amused by all of this. She was on the hunt for neat fabrics out of which she'll make cool stuff animals. I coveted her partner's three-eyed monster one but somewhere there was a threat of painful death if I took it. O.o Or I could be imagining things, its possible. Beth Ann took the photos of me waiting for the train back home. I did not wear it into the city because of rain. Phooey patooie. (Loot post comes later)

So! In any case I wanted to show off the construction of this dress, of which I'm rather proud. Its V8645, a very simple pattern. I did this in a size 18 with a four inch FBA. In retrospect I probably only needed three inches with the wide shoulder adjustment and then taken it some in the waist. Its rather shapeless with without a belt even if I did take it in a bit. The cotton lawn I got at Fashion Fabrics Club on sale and upon handling it for the first time felt it needed a contrasting lining to give it a bit of OOMPH. I blame the article on layering sheers in Threads #154.

(shoulder details)

(skirt detail)

When I was mostly finished and tried it on I decided that the hem needed LACE and desperately. An applique lace at that, to give it a good bit of interest. And since I loved my gold belt with it so much I used gold chain instead of ties at the shoulder. Obviously this thing swallows my size tiny display mannequin*.

(pinning lace to dress)

I finished the shoulder seam by hand after having to undo and redo the lining. I had sewn up the lining shoulder seams too soon and couldn't turn the fabric "right side out". Bugger. I did use the mannequin (I kept the dress from moving by scotch taping the already completed shoulders in place) to allow me to pin the lace onto the bottom of the dress and used a TINY zigzag stitch to attach it, then cut away the excess fabric. And as you can see below I did do french seems with the exception of the two side seams on the lining. I realized too late I had sewn it together in the wrong order and I was too lazy to un-pick and start over. Also I might have been short on thread. I was using some of the cotton thread from the ancient box of stuff Mom gave me. I truly did not want to the store at that moment.

(applique and lining details)

So there it is! I hope you love it as much as I do. Also, in case you are wondering the luggage is vintage samsonite from the late 60's/early 70's. I have quite a few blog post ideas in the works and will probably be posting with more frequency when my schedule changes (AGAIN) in July. Graveyard shift. joy.

p.s. I would like to mention that Hotlanta is finally living up to its nickname. Walking out of the airport Saturday night the sticky heat hit me like a brick wall. Time for more shorts and dresses.

*The story behind how I acquired this and one other mannequin that models underwear on my husband's dresser is amusing and rates a blog post all on its own.

On Vacation

I made a new dress! I'm taking it with me to New York and I'll post pictures when I get back and recover. Happy Sewing!

In Which I Butcher an FBA...

Well, as my trip to NYC (and my birthday) get closer I am filled with the overwhelming need to make a summer dress. This particular dress has been in my idea book for some time now and one of the things niggling at my brain to work on.


This particular pattern was an impulse buy as I was digging through the Vouge 3.99 pattern sale at JoAnn's. It looked like a great way to make the light and airy dresses needed for The South. And then came the idea of layering or lining sheer (and semi-sheer) fabrics from Threads #154.

So V8645 is basically an A-line Grecian style dress. Using the Palmer and Pletsch methodology I used size 18 based on my upper-bust measurement. And because this style of garment has very little need of 'fitting' I am not doing a toile and just doing a tissue fitting.

The tissue fitting told me two things. One: I needed to add 4 inches to the bust line and two, I need about .5 inches for the back.


I went with the Y Bust Dart Alteration* (p. 146-147 Fit for Real People) which is used for needing more than 2 inches in alteration. This also adds a dart to the front for shaping, which it seems I just can't get away from. Weee. Despite my fancy new washers paper weights, I still had to do some taping, which I also managed to iron, causing it to shrink and warp the pattern. *headdesk*


I widened the bust two inches to total four when all is said and done. I haven't quite decided how I'm going to add the .5 inches to the back. I only need it for the upper back. Wait, I think I just found the HOW on page 120. I <3 this book. So in any case, this is what I'm working on and I hope to have it done before Monday (I'm leaving on Wednesday after work).

I also have a second, more fancy, version of this dress planned with TWO sheer silks are layered. That one will most likely NOT be work appropriate, but we'll see.

*For a dress that is one long piece in the front such as this, I recommend cutting at the top "lengthen or shorten here" marking. That way you can make the adjustment to the top half and then tape the rest of it back on, cleaning up any of the cutting lines in the process.

Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat, Where Have You Been?

I've been to London to visit the Queen!

Ok, not really. But I have been quite busy getting the house and yard in order. To make Tanit-Isis feel better, I see her backyard jungle and raise her mine:

Frightened yet? That's only a tiny portion, too. But here in Georgia we believe in slash and burn.

(Wonder if that works in the kids' room too?)

In all fairness, those are last year's photos, but really we do this every June. Usually we have my brother-in-law show up and do all the heavy lifting for a steak dinner and plenty of Jack (Daniel's that is). This year's he's off in Denver working for actual money. I don't know what he's thinking! Wait, I know. He's probably thinking being able to afford clothes is nice.

So what does this have to do with sewing? Well, the mad cleaning frenzy in time for a backyard BBQ has consumed me the last two weeks. That and I seem to be in the middle of a sewing block. I'm surrounded by a UFO invasion and its just kinda been humdrum for ideas. Honestly, I want to make lots of pretty summery frocks just for MUAH. Selfishly. Like Miss Selfish wherever her selfishness may be. Hey, I have an idea. We should all start talking about her and linking to her. Maybe like Beatlejuice she'll appear. Or not.

The other thing on my mind is getting ready to head up to NYC for a much deserved mini-vacation AWAY from it all. I really think that is what I need. Just getting away to clear my head.

Oh yeah, we also adopted a kitty. A lady was giving away kittens outside of WalMart because someone had dumped them and the momma off on her neighborhood and the mother got run over. They can't be more than six weeks old. So I took one home stuffed in my purse. I came in and sat my purse down on the couch just talking to the kids and waiting for the moment the kitten popped its head out. SURPRISE! The wide-eyed-hand-over-mouth AWWWW from both of them was priceless. And so is this:

(Amanda stuffed her in her purse and probably would have cat-napped her except the kids would have never forgiven her for it.)