An Engineer's Guide to Handwork

 The next thing on my list of garments that are hard to buy for my body is pants! I have a lot of butt, and a fair amount of thigh, and proportionally a much smaller waist. In a front view I'm reasonably straight up and down, most of the difference between waist and hip is "Z" dimension (where X and Y are horizontal and vertical).  I am starting with the Meriam Trouser pattern from Cashmerette. On first inspection, it appears to be a very well drafted pattern. The center grain line is balanced at the knee on the front and the back, and the seam lines match up. I measured 40" at the actual waistband location (around my hips rather than my natural waist) and 48" hip. This puts me right at the size 18. I used the full butt option, since I know I'll need it.  I am fitting them using the Top Down Center Out method by Ruth Collins, @ithacamaven on instagram (and described by The Crooked Hem on youtube - her how too guides were super helpful). It basically has yo

Bras! My creations since August One of the hardest things to purchase off the rack (at least for me) is bras. I recently re-measured and tried to order some using the r/abrathatfits subreddit instructions, and aquired one whole bra that mostly works for me, at the (dicounted) price of $60. I decided that enough was enough and it was time to go back to bra making. I did make several bras years ago, using the Pin Up Girls Shelley pattern and the Boylston bra from Orange Lingerie. Both required a fair amount of modifications to work for my shape. It turns out the bra making world has changed fairly significantly in the intervening 6 years. I ended up using the Labellum bra from LilyPaDesigns, on the grounds that it's shaped similarly to the Shelley, and is drafted for a fair amount of projection. I used the fitting instructions from Sew Busty for sewing a fitting band and getting the cups corrected for my shape. I ordered some dissolvable thread, which is pretty great for test fitt

 What to do when someone has written a pattern that I like, but don't quite love? Well, a lot of math and a bit of revisions. The pattern in question? Artisan by Elizabeth Felgate. I love the sweater - it's cozy, with squishy garter stitch and innovative construction. But... I have a fair amount of depth front to back, so boat necks don't fit me very well. And I wanted a shoulder strap. And I was probably going to use a different yarn than the specification so who knows if my gauge is going to be anything like what the pattern says.  Schematic of my revised Artisan So, Math. Lots of it. To begin with I knit a giant gauge swatch (seriously, it's almost a foot square) and marked out a large square with red yarn, then ran it through the washing machine and dried it flat. Marking the square before washing means that the gauge is measured over whole stitches, which is more accurate than measuring after the fact and trying to estimate partial stitches (also it allows the diff

 This is really more of a test garment than a muslin - I made a fully interfaced and lined jacket, with pockets, shoulder pads, and sleeve heads. I also put in a bound button hole for practice. It's actually reasonably wearable, except for the fact that it's white and all my winter clothes are dark. But I could see wearing it over a summer dress. I got through cutting everything out and fusing the interfacing bay in May, and then stalled out until practically Thanksgiving.  And then when I went to put everything together my sewing machine needed work - apparently all the internal grease had seized and needed to be cleaned out. I ended up taking it to my local sewing shop (Pintuck and Purl in North Hampton NH) and they were able to service it. And they sold me a Bernette - the 35, which is the more advanced mechanical version. I was able to put everything together with it, and pick up my Pfaff a few weeks later as good as new.  All of the changes from my original muslin carried

 I made another tank! This one a straight size 16 C/D I like it a lot, though I think I should definitely do a swayback before I make another one. It's more noticeable that the back is longer than it should be here. I tried to use wondertape for the neckline with this version, with mixed success. It's supposed to wash out, but the edge is still a little funky. Maybe after a few washes it will be better. Other than that it's a pretty successful project.  Front view, black saybrook tank I did muck about with the cashmerette size selector, and it looks like it's suggesting a 14 G/H graded out to an 18 waist and 16 hip. Which is interesting - I would not have thought that the 14 would be the correct size, especially at the G/H bust. I might give it a try next time (with the sway back adjustment!) Back view of saybrook tank, with fabric pooling at the small of the back

 I went through and sewed the seams I had previously pinned, and it became clear that the original 1" swayback was not enough. The center back vent was still swinging open, which is pretty typical of too much length there. So I sewed out about a 1/2" seam across the center waist line, tapering to nothing on each end. Honestly I'm not sure why I ever though 1" was going to be enough - I almost always need a 2" swayback adjustment, but live and learn.  Back view of the blazer muslin, with wrinkles at the back and the vent opening After finalizing the changes, I went through and traced them all onto the pattern pieces and traced them out. I then went through and cut some cheap fabric for muslin #2, my test garment. This version will be pretty close to complete, basically everything I want to do to the final version I'll do with it, including pockets and lining. The construction is different enough from the Jasika that I want a full test before cutting into the