Fitting the body?

Trousers are a staple in my wardrobe when I can get a pair that fits.  I have tried a few times to sew trousers myself but the results were worse than what I can buy.  In the nineties I made a few pairs of Today's Fit that were ok but I want more than Ok for fit.  Fast forward to today and I have been reading and seeing the success people have had with Style Arc and Burda patterns, this has persuaded me to try again.

I love the look of these pants from Style Arc - Peta's Pants.  So I started with these.  Usually I copy my patterns but decided to cut these and use without copying.  

These looked okay from the front but pulled in the inner upper leg seam if I tried to move. But all the action was in the back.  The fabric dipped down to nothing in the middle of my waist and there were lots of diagonal wrinkles.  

I decided to see what the Burda 7966 pants were like in comparison.

These pants were more comfortable in the leg but had the same problem in the back as the Style Arc pants.  I consulted this book which I find very good for helping to diagnose problems.

 And it seemed as if the problem was a protruding derriere or big butt!  So following the directions I cut into the pattern like so...

and this was the result...

This alteration helped raise the waist at the centre back but did not remove that diagonal wrinkle.  At the front it looks like too much fabric has been added but when I walk it pulls from the back.  Consulting the book again suggests that I need to add a little in the front crotch curve to allow for full inside thighs.  I made another pair and also added a little more at the centre back waist as I was unsure if I had raised it enough.

Surprisingly this has made the whole pant seem more roomy around the waist, the wrinkle at the back is still there and I think I need to reduce the back crotch extension alteration I did at the beginning as adding to both the front and back has added too much fabric I think. I am going to appeal for help in solving this and try these alteration on the Style Arc pants and see if they respond a little better as regards fit.

Confusion and cowl necks, Vogue and Burda, Part 1.

I have finally photographed my recent cowl neck sewathon.  It all started when I trialled a Burda Cowl Neck for inclusion into my 6PAC.  I was not satisfied with the final look, it was too loose and baggy,  I was looking for a more fitted style.  So off I went to the stash where I found; Vogue 9771 which I had made up many years ago, Simplicity 1945 featured in Threads autumn showcase, Burda 7519.  After reading about the Creative Cate from Style Arc patterns  on Stitchers Guild Style Arc Discussion I decided to purchase.

I used a lightweight polyester knit that was in the stash as a muslin. These finished garments will be off to the Red Cross shop to find new homes.

First up is Vogue 7519.

Pattern Description. Semi- fitted, pullover top has bias front and back.

Pattern Sizing. View C size 22.

Did it look like the pattern photo /drawing envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes it did.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes.

What do you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? This pattern has been in the Vogue pattern catalogue since the nineties.  Although it is designed for woven fabrics cut on the bias I decided to try making this in a knit. I don’t want to trash this pattern with faint praise, it is a workhorse garment, great for a basic.

Fabric Used.  Lightweight polyester knit.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made? I substituted a knit for a woven fabric. When sewing the front to back I changed the way the cowl is sewn following the method suggested by Burda.  I made this up as per the pattern but did not use the facings.  I used strips to bind the armholes.

Would you sew it again or recommend it to others? This is a classic pattern that has stood the test of time.  If you have made this the first time around are you able to make it again the next time???

Conclusion

Another classic pattern but can be fiddly to sew the cowl matching the dots. Goodbye to Valentine made this top up and called it a practical garment.

http://goodbyevalentino.com/2012/07/30/a-sensible-top-vogue-9771/

Burda 7519

Pattern Description. T-shirt, semi-fitted.

Pattern Sizing. Graded up to Size 22.  This pattern only has up to size 20 so I had to grade it up to size 22 following Burda’s instructions.

Did it look like the pattern photo /drawing envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes the cowl neck falls in beautiful folds but is very low and can be revealing. 

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes the diagrams were particularly helpful.

What do you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I really like the darts which give a sleek fitted look, which is the look I am searching for.  The folds of the cowl are lovely and flattering but the neck is very low and revealing – I will tack the neck slightly closed and to maintain the folds in the cowl neck (thanks Mum for that suggestion).

Fabric Used.  Lightweight polyester knit.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made? As this pattern did not come in my size I had to grade it up one size.  The grading was easy to do and very successful.  I did not move the darts as measurements showed they were in the right place however when made up in the fabric the front darts are not centred enough.  The back darts are in the perfect place.  Next time I will move the front darts 1cm in towards the centre front.

Would you sew it again or recommend it to others? I would recommend this pattern as another more fitted cowl neck pattern with the proviso about the low neckline at the centre front.  I might try the other version with the waterfall sleeves, they look interesting.

Conclusion

A nice top with a deeper cowl than the other patterns – the addition of darts adds onto the sewing time but does give a sleek look.

Just recently I discovered the Sorbetto Top via the TAM discussion at Stitchers Guild.  I was impressed with the variations that had been made.  The top looks like it would be a very versatile garment for my wardrobe. I downloaded the top and stuck all the A4 sheets together.  The first thing that struck me was that I am not a size 18 the largest size this top goes up to - I did not measure to check.  So I looked in the collection and came up with a top from New Look 6920 

I love the jacket in this pattern but have yet to try it out.  I copied out a size 22.  Next I also copied out a top from a Burda Plus Magazine from Summer 2007  - although not exactly like the Sorbetto I thought I could alter it if it fit.

 

I discovered that the Sorbetto top was around the same size as these two so I made all three up in some ghastly polyester (I cannot wear polyester - I turn into a static light bulb!!)

Here are the results :-



New Look - too big under the arms but

the darts are nice (hard to see here)



Burda fits much nicer in the underarms
and has a closer fit compared to the New Look,
but needs a swayback alteration as shown in the next photo.

Finally the Sorbetto Top

Front

Back
I had some concerns about the fit of the Sorbetto - the armholes were a little loose and the shoulders had a tendency to fall off - I changed the slope of the shoulder seam and adjusted the armhole a little. 

I dived into the stash and found a beautiful silk crepe remnant from Donna Karan via the heavenly Global Fabrics which had been aging for an number of years and made it into this...

I had lots of fun with this fabric - not only did it have the normal vices of silk crepe but it was from the beginning of the roll and so was off grain which resulted in a scalloped hem which the photo does not really show well.  Here it is on me -

It looks ok - but I do not think the shape of the armhole is correct for my shape - it has a tendency to "flip out" so I had to fold the binding inside and stitch down - it still is not perfect but doesn't look too bad.  I am going to remake this pattern using a Burda top from Burda Style 2/2011 140.   Compared to the Sorbetto, Burda's armhole shaping is much more sloped rather than straight up and down.  So onto the next challenge!!  The good thing about this exercise is that I am now down 4 bits of fabric from the stash!!!