Here we go again!

I took my second garment sewing class last night at Modern Textiles with Jean Sando.  I knew exactly what I wanted to learn….how to fit a garment to my body.  I fall between sizes and always pick the bigger size, sew it, THEN alter it!  Seriously, that is what I do.  Why?  Because I have no idea how to sew “true pattern size”.  It’s a skill I want to learn, that’s why I am taking this class.

I bring in my pattern.  Guess what?  I bought a pattern that doesn’t actually have my size in it!  I bought the l/xl pattern and I need the s/m pattern.  Why can’t you put all the sizes in one package, pattern company?

Luckily, Jean has a PDF that would be good for me.  I tape (which I hate) and get it all assembled.  We take out the measuring tape to double check my measurements (which I did before the class). Apparently, you need to measure your waist while you bend over.  This added an extra inch to my waist and my “full bust” grew an inch over the summer!  No surprise there.  It was a fun summer.

We get to business.  Which includes MATH???!!  What??!!  I did not sign up for math!  Jean does all the calculations. She says something about negative ease, 4 seams=2 inches, and arm sky.  What is happening?  I am shaking my head like I understand.  I do not.  However, I don’t want to seem like a total idiot.  I ALREADY bought the WRONG pattern.  I need to save face here.  We end up with this.

My brain hurts.  These numbers are my true size for this pattern.  Help me!

We have to measure these measurements onto my pattern in blue pencil.

Apparently, I have humongous armscye (pronounced arm-sky).  I actually spelled it arm sky until I read a garment fitting article! Whew, my editors would not have caught that one!

ANYWAY, my armscye is so big that the pattern doesn’t even have my size on it.  We have to literally draw outside the lines.  Jean says, “You must workout.”  Yep, I workout with my friends Nacho & Margarita regularly.  I keep this to myself.

We also use this curved ruler to add 11 INCHES to my armscye.  The good news is, I have tiny wrists.    WHO CARES ABOUT TINY WRISTS!

I cut my fabric.  I learn a new term “bookmark fold”.  This will save fabric, Jean tells me.

I assemble. I love using the serger.  The only thing I do not like about the serger is when I make a mistake.

When you make a mistake on a serger it is far more difficult to correct because you have cut off all your fabric:(  So the result is this.

I have no extra fabric for my collar.  Jean says, “Well,  just wear your hair down.  No one will ever know.”  Jean speaks my language.

The end result, minus my collar mishap, is perfection.  It fits me perfect.  The ONLY problem is…how am I ever going to figure this out on my own?!

Cheers!

Andrea