Organization.... Rulers...

My room is slowly coming together.  I hope that it works as well as I hoping.  I used the vertical surfaces on cabinets and my shelves for the rulers:

On the bookshelf, I have a long skinny ruler and my tube turners.  There is a little bit of space left to add additional skinny rulers should I find them or acquire more (I hope not).

This side of my little cabinet has triangle rulers.  Additional space below for some additional rulers.  I'm currently out of hooks and have two more small rulers to hang .  You can see my largest mat behind this little cabinet.  Not ideal storage for it but it was the only spot I could find.

This side of the cabinet has the hexagon rulers with a variety of other rulers below.

One on side of my pattern cabinet, I have all my large cutting rulers.  There are 2 stripology rulers and a 12 1/2" square.

On the other side of the pattern cabinet are the remaining rulers.  I think most of the rulers have been found.  At least, I hope that have been.  There is always the chance that some mini rulers may be discovered yet.

I used the Command Medium Wire Hooks to hold up the rulers.  So far they seem to be holding up well.  This particular hook will hold up to 3 lbs.  Here's a better picture:

FYI:  I'm not affiliated with this brand.  Just a happy customer.

Happy Sewing!

Sewing Pants for Women...Preparing the Pattern for Alteration Step 3. Part 4

Continuing with the Sewing Pants for Women by Else Tryoler.  Today, will we start with Step 3 of the seven giant steps to pants perfection:

Hip alterations

There are as many different humps and bumps to a pair of pants as there are women to walk around in them.  There is certainly no area more susceptible to poor fit than the hips if you attempt to squeeze all those varied contours into one pattern shape.  Might as well try to add apples and oranges or bananas and pears for that matter.

On your measurement chart you have all the information you need to personalize a pattern so that it will fit you and your particular terrain.

Pin the front and back pattern pieces together by matching the side seams at the hip-line.  (Remember those two pins at the fullest part of your hips, about seven or eight inches down?)  Take a look at Figure 7 to see what you should be doing.

Now comes a little math:  look up your hip measurement and add two inches for ease.  This represents the total hip circumference you will need in your pattern, but remember that the two pieces of your pattern represent only 1/2 your figure.  So, next divide your total hip circumference by two and you have the number of inches your pattern must measure to fit you.

Back to the pinned together pattern.  Measure from the center front (the X to the left on Figure 7) to the center back (the X to the right on Figure 7).  If the measurement is more than the number of inches you determined in the preceding paragraph, you will take half the difference out of the pattern Front and half the difference out of the pattern back.

This alteration is made on a vertical line, designated by the alteration line on the diagram, so that it will not disturb the side seam curve.  (Do not make the common mistake of adding only at the hips, because that will make the side seam ripple and cause great difficulty when it comes time to insert the zipper.)  An example:  if the pattern is 1-inch too large, fold out 1/2-inch in the front and 1/2-inch in the back.  Be sure to fold it out all the way from the waist to the hem as shown in Figure 7.  Similarly, if the pattern is too small by 1-inch, insert 1/2-inch in the front and 1/2-inch in the back.  You are now grading or sizing the pattern up or down a fraction of a size.

Remember your hip measurement is not all hip.  It also includes the seat and abdomen.  If your hips curve more than standard, add a little more at the side seams of the front and back to take care of the excess.  This is particularly  necessary when the hips are prominent.

If you have very straight hips, the curve at the side seams must be decreased in front and back. Be sure to decrease in equal amounts, however.  See dotted lines, Figure 8.

Always operate where your figure requires it.  Sometimes you grade or size only in the front, sometimes only in the back.  For example, you may need to add only a small amount to your hip measurement -- let's say 1/2-inch.  If you protrude more in the front over the abdomen than the standard figure, then insert only in the front.  Or perhaps your seat is standard plus --- or a prominent side.  Then insert only through the back portion.

Do the same grading if you want to make the pattern smaller.  For a figure with a flat abdomen, fold out a small amount in the front only, or do the same in back for a flat seat.

After you have made any of the alterations, ad have decreased or increased the width of your pattern pieces, remember to draw a new crease-line vertically through the exact center of the knee-line and parallel to the former crease-line.  The reason for this is that when inserting or decreasing the pattern piece, the crease-line moves over half the amount of the any change made.

Found Beauty...

Moving all of my sewing stuff across country has been a true eye-opener.  Too much stuff but it has been fun going through it.  I have also found many projects.  Many unfinished and stuffed into bags and/or boxes.  Along with the unfinished projects, there have many projects that were purchased (pattern, fabrics, and notions) and just left in the bag for another day.  I'm planning on finishing some of these projects.  The first project is this little beauty:

Yes, this is very hard to photograph but I tried.  I'm pretty sure this is something that I did in the late 80s when I was learning how to hand quilt.  I have no idea if it was ever intended to be anything but what it is but I'm going to turn this into a small pillow.  Hopefully, among the pillow form stash will be a form that will fit the finished size.  Also found with it was more of the same muslin and this will be perfect for the backing.  Now, I just need to see if I have a zipper in an appropriate color (cream or white).

Have you found old projects like this?  Have you gone through with the completion?  Were you happy with the end results?

I'm hoping that this will be a good addition for the bench in my entryway.

Happy Stitching!

Casual Skirts....

As life continues to change and I fall into new routines, I decided that I needed a new casual skirt.  You can't really get much more casual than a denim skirt but do I really want denim?  Maybe I will consider the skirt styling and try for a colored denim.  So, with that in mind, I headed over to Neiman Marcus to see what they were showing in this particular style.  I found this:

A rather typical denim pencil skirt with jean styling. Although my skirt will not be too small as the picture is showing on the model.  I suspect that if this skirt was worn by the model for an entire day, it would be butt sprung.  Of course, the denim might relax but I'm not familiar with the fabric blend on this skirt.  It is cotton and polyurethane.  I don't general think of polyurethane as a chemical to create fabric but there is it.  This is the AG Emery High-Waisted Pencil Skirt.  Regular price tag:  $168.00.

Now for a pattern.  I just received the Silhouette Patterns #2017 - My Basic Jean Skirt:

This is a classic jean skirt pattern.  Styling is pretty close to the inspiration picture.  It most likely is not a high-waisted and not as close fitting because it doesn't show in the line drawing that it has a slit.

Other pattern considerations:

McCall's Perfect Fit Skirt, the shortest version on the right.  It has slanted pockets which might rule it out.

This Vogue Calvin Klein skirt.  It's a little shorter than I prefer but that is easy to fix.  It has the high waist like the inspiration picture.  There is a slit in the back which is where I would prefer to have the slit, if I'm going to have one.

So many things to consider.  The Silhouettes pattern would probably be the easiest because of the sizing.  The McCall's and Vogue patterns will need to have adjustments made.  All three are very classic skirts. 

As far as the fabric, the recent move has proved to me that I have plenty of fabric.  For some reason, I tend to collect denim which I had no idea that I had done.  I also have a small collection of twills.  I'm leaning toward a dark chocolate brown twill to make this skirt. 

I guess if I'm going to get this moved from a plan to reality I need to work a little harder on the sewing room and get the organization finished so I can get the sewing machines going.  I'm definitely ready to see how a couple of the machines survived the move.  It will give me the chance to see how my setup works.

What are your thoughts on the chosen patterns?

Happy Stitching!

Sewing Pants for Women...Preparing the Pattern for Alteration Step 2, Part 3

Continuing with the Sewing Pants for Women by Else Tryoler.  Today, will we start with Step 2 of the seven giant steps to pants perfection:

Length alterations:  crotch, knee, and full side

First we will deal with the crotch length.  Take the Crotch Length from the measurement chart.  Then, add the necessary ease:

For small sizes (hips below 35 inches) add 1/2 inch.
For medium sizes (hips 35 to 38 inches) add 3/4 inch.
For large sizes (hip over 38 inches ) add 1 inch.

For stretch fabrics, reduce the ease by half these amounts.  For tight fitting pants, reduce the ease slightly, especially if the fabric has some give to it.

Let's correct the pattern.  Look at Figure 5.  Measure the length from A to B on your pattern.  Compare this figure with your own crotch measurement plus the necessary amount of ease.  If the pattern is too long, draw a parallel line below the hip-line and fold out the excess.  Do the same to the back.  If the pattern is too short compared to you, cut it along the hip line.  Lengthen it by inserting the needed paper all the way across, see Figure 5.

The knee length:  Some women are long from the ankle to knee , some are long from the knee to hip.  It doesn't really matter unless you're wanting a type of pant that depends on the knee for length.  So regard that knee-line you made in step one with suspicion, until you have determined whether it coincides with yours or not.

Locate knee length:  Refer to you knee length on the chart and apply it to the pattern.  Measure the pattern from A to C.  See Figure 5.  If the measurements are the same, you're home safe.  If not, draw a new, correct knee-line parallel to the existing knee-line (either above or below).  Make the line in red so you'll know that it's yours.  This step is important when styling different lengths of pants.

The full side length:  To adjust, compare your measurement from the chart with the length of pattern.  If there is a discrepancy, shorten or lengthen the pattern below the knee-line.  Make certain that you keep your lines parallel.  Add or remove the same amount both front and back.

Seams do not meet after alteration:  Adjust your lines as shown in Figure 6 by the broken line.  It is a matter of giving a little and taking a little to arrive at a compromise between the original lines.

Happy Sewing!