Sure Fit Designs: Pants Kit - Part 1

On the recommendation of one of my fellow PR members, I bought the pants kit from Sure Fit Designs. It's a drafting system that allows you to develop a range of slopers (depending on what kits you buy) which you can then modify to make a whole raft of different designs. The other use (and this is what got me) was that you can use the slopers to help you fit your commercial patterns to your body. Sold!

Anyway, I did a bit of research and there was a LOT of positive talk about this Sure Fit Designs, particularly with regard to the fit of the pants pattern and the customer service offered by the owner, Glenda Sparling. So I placed an order.  It took a little while for it to get here, but nothing extraordinary when you compare it to other orders coming from America.

In my order, I received the Pants kit, the Dress kit, the Stylus and the Pants that Mix'n'Multiply booklet. I opted to start with the Pants kit, as I'm really keen to develop a reliable pants sloper that I can modify to make a range of different styles.

After watching the relevant videos in the Learning Center, I got my husband to help me take my measurements. The kit comes with a DVD which leads you through the process of drafting the pattern. It's terribly dated, but the information is still good. However, I do best with written instructions so I mainly used the instruction booklet which is quite comprehensive.

I did run into one problem as I was drafting up the pattern. I have a large, tilted waist. When establishing the CF point, you are meant to find the intersection between your waist measurement and your front crotch measurement. Well, mine didn't intersect. That's OK, after confirming with Glenda that I was on the right track, I extended the lines downwards until they did intersect.

After drafting the pattern, I added seam allowances and cut and sewed my first pair of test pants. I have to say, I am impressed. The back is virtually wrinkle free. The front, however, has a big dragline and the legs are swinging inwards.

There are some suggestions in the instruction book about fine-tuning your pants pattern. I think I know what I need to do to these to remove the draglines, but I've just asked Glenda for some advice, just to make sure. I obviously need some hand-holding through this process.

Project 6 of 50: Perfect Plus Pants

I have been on (and am still on) an epic journey of finding a TNT pants pattern. I'm getting close, but I'm still not there.

I had been fiddling with the Style Arc Linda Stretch Pants that everyone is raving about, but I just couldn't get them to work on my body. This was after months of trying by myself and two sewing lessons where my fabulous sewing teacher helped me make adjustments. I'm retiring them for the moment. I may return. It bothers me that everyone else says how good they are - I must be doing something wrong.

Happily, these Perfect Plus Fly Front pants are the closest I've found so far.

The pants are drafted for a shorter, rounder (plus sized) figure. That fits my body shape perfectly. Do I want it to? No. But it is what it is. For now. And I need clothes for my body right now. Enter the Fly Front Pants. These brown pants are my (wearable) muslin.

Amazingly, I didn't have to do too many alterations. In fact, I just shortened the rise in both the front and the back and removed the front darts. I'm fairly happy with the fit. There are still a couple of drag lines in the back that I want to work on and and they are baggier overall than I'd like, but they're wearable. For a 'real' pair, I'd definitely make them out of a drapier fabric. This fabric is just too stiff. I'd also add a couple of inches to the length. These were already so short, I had to sew a hem facing rather than just turning up a hem.

I converted this pair to elastic waist (using the waistband from the Style Arc Linda Pants) and sewed a false fly front. I wasn't going to be fiddling around with a proper fly front on my muslin.

I'll definitely be making another pair of these, but I really want a slimmer leg pair of pants that I can wear with loose tops. These are just too baggy, however, they'll look fine with a more fitted top.

I'll have to work on a top to wear with these. This ensemble is the best I could come up with. LOL. I was trying to work the 'inner column'.

Where to from here? Just last week, my Sure-Fit Designs Pants Kit has arrived. My plan is to draft a pants sloper that fits me beautifully, that I can then use to adjust my commercial patterns. That's my dream, anyway. We'll see if it works out. My husband helped me take my measurements the other night and I'm ready to draft up my pattern this weekend.

Project 5 of 50: Emergency Zippered Pouches

I always carry bandaids and panadol, but they tend to get lost and knocked around in the bottom of my huge handbag. So, my daughter and I found this fabulous little tutorial to make some zippered bags to carry some basic first aid supplies in your handbag. I thought they looked so cute and would come in very handy.

Emergency Zippered Pouch

This weekend, we had lunch with my in-laws. My mother-in-law had her sisters visiting from Melbourne, so my daughter and I made one of these first aid pouches as a gift for all the girls (4 in total). It would be stretching it to call each one of these a project in itself, but I DID use up some things in the sewing room, so I'm going to lump them all together and count the whole group as one project.

Of course, because I used up bits and pieces to make these pouches, they don't look anywhere near as cute as the one in the picture. Oh well. They look OK and will serve their purpose well. The sad things is that I still have the scraps (and zips) remaining to make about another 20!

One change we made to the tutorial was to use felt for the red cross patch, rather than piecing together little squares. This enabled my daughter to participate and do some stitching on the 'big machine'. She only lasted 3 patches, though, before declaring 'no offence, Mum, but sewing's not really my thing.' LOL.

Projects 3 & 4 (of 50)

All of a sudden, it's become very cold here (in relative QLD terms). I know it won't last too long, so I needed to make my daughter's winter pyjamas sooner rather than later.

Here is her new set:

PJ Bottoms:
Pattern: Ottobre 06-2011-40: Sleep Well Pyjama Pants (for plus-size girls)
Size: 134
Fabric: Printed flannelette (purchased from Spotlight in 2011)

Notes:
No fit adjustments made this time. While this pattern is designed for plus-sized girls, I didn't think it was overly large. DD isn't plus-sized and you can see how they fit her - a bit loose, but that's how I would expect PJ pants to fit.

There's supposed to be a buttonhole and drawstring, but I didn't bother. I just used elastic threaded through a casing.

This is a super-easy pattern for beginner's - only 2 pattern pieces and some basic sewing skills.

PJ Top:
Pattern: Ottobre 04-2009-35 - "Striped Yoke" T-shirt
Size: 128, blending out to 134 at waist and hips, with a 140 length.
Fabric: A not very stretchy cotton knit which has been in the stash for so long I can't even remember where I bought it. The binding is some beautiful beefy cotton interlock which works SO well in the binder attachments for my CS machine.

Notes:
I found the instructions to make this top a bit confusing when it came to constructing the neck/shoulder area. The instructions tell you to place the front and back 'wrong sides together', stitch the shoulder area, then bind the back neckline. I can't see how that would work. I ended up binding the back neckline first, then placing the wrong side of the back on top of the right side of the front, lining up the notches and basting together. I think it's turned out how it's meant to.

DD doesn't love this top, so I doubt if I'll be making it again. I have a feeling it's because of the fabric, but she's saying she doesn't like the way the back wraps over to the front. It also feels a bit tight through the sleeves (again, I think it's a fabric issue).
I've been wanting to make this t-shirt ever since this edition came out, so I'm a bit disappointed that she doesn't like it that much. I think it looks cute, but I guess, comfort is more important. Anyway, it's not like there's a shortage of cute tops to make for her.

Onwards to the next project...I've got a couple brewing - a pair of pants to finish off for me, a set of Monkey print flannelette pyjamas for DD, as well as the mock-ups for the flowergirl dresses. At least I've got enough to keep me busy for the next few days! I kind of get next week off work as well, seeing as though Monday is a public holiday. Unfortunately, because this is Graduation week at my school, I actually have to go in twice on my days off. Oh well, the price you have to pay for enjoying a great job.

Project 2 of 50

After sorting through my daughter's winter clothes on the weekend, we determined that she has VERY few things that fit her. This prompted today's sewing - a long-sleeved t-shirt in her (2nd) favourite colour. Apparently, this week, her favourite is orange, but I only have one piece of orange knit and I'm selfishly keeping it for me, so red it was.

Pattern: Ottobre 01-2008-29 in size 128.

Fabric: Red Stella from Crafty Mamas

Alterations (for fit):

• morphed to size 140 at waist and hips.
• lengthened by 1" at hemline.

Alterations (for design):

• added 4.5" to sleeve, just above vent (as drafted, this pattern is 3/4 sleeved, and we wanted long sleeves).

Other info:

• all binding was done on coverstitch machine - 3/8" single fold for sleeve vents and 1/2" double fold for neckline and sleeve edges.
• hem done on coverstitch machine.

Project 1 of 50

First project is done. Well, it's a bit of a cheat, seeing as though I started it ages ago. But I figured UFOs are going to count as I need to get them done and out of this sewing room, too.

My niece's birthday coat

The details:
Garment: Colourful Coat for my niece's birthday present (aged 6)
Pattern: Ottobre 06-2008-17
Size: 116
Fabric: Bright corduroy purchased from Spotlight in 2011

The only alteration to pattern was the buttons. My daughter picked out these massive buttons which meant I could only fit 3 on the front, rather than the 6 that the pattern called for.

I like the shape of the hood and the body of the jacket.

It is fully interlined with cream flannel and lined with hot pink Sunsilky.

I'll pop a review up at Pattern Review when I have pictures of it on the birthday girl.

Showing the back with the hood

Showing the unusual shape of the hood - very 'pixie'

Lined with a cute little label added for her

I'm starting another one in a green and blue floral corduroy for my daughter tomorrow.

This time, though, I'm taking it to sewing lessons so that I can learn the 'right' way to sew a coat like this. For my niece's coat, I just muddled my way through. I'm happy with it, though, so I guess it doesn't matter.

Edited to add a picture of my niece wearing her coat. Thankfully it fits with a bit of room to spare so she'll at least get a whole season out of it!

That's It!

OK. Enough is enough. I've reached a point in my stash acquisition where something has to give.

I think I've been getting too bogged down in the fitting process and have been shopping to make up for it. Things have to change. I'm setting some limits and goals. I'm going to sew 50 items/garments before I can even begin to look at fabric/patterns again. I've started back at sewing lessons, so that should help. I plan to keep track of those projects here. I may not blog them all in detail, but I will at least mention them.

I've started a master list of all the projects which are currently waiting for me in stash. I haven't finished listing all the projects, but it's already over 100 so I figure that's enough to get me started. I'm fairly certain I have Crafter's ADD. If I don't keep a list of what I want to sew, I forget about it. I get sidetracked easily. I get great ideas for projects, I purchase for projects, I start projects, but I'm not so great at finishing them off. UFOs have been listed as well.

I've got more than enough fabric and more than enough patterns. In fact, I have a huge sewing room which is bursting at the seams (ha ha). I have to buckle down and sew some of these projects which have been planned and imagined for so long.

The items in green are currently in progress. I intend to finish those this weekend.

Fairly high on the agenda are some more winter pyjamas for my DD and a cuddly dressing gown for me. The weather has suddenly become a tad chilly in the mornings. Yay! I LOVE (Queensland's) winter!