I have been working with various "professionals" for the last six years or so trying to get my health issues straightened out so that I can eat normally and not continue to gain weight. My favorite was a Nutritionist that promised to help, and had me eating more and more and more whole grains, at the end even including wheat berries, which actually led me to someone else who was able to diagnose me with Celiac's, which is gluten intolerance. That was a 30 pound gain over about 3 months that hasn't gone away yet. I have had multiple promises of a fix, using "their way", spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars, with no results. But I think I now have a handle on all of the issues, and will be working through this myself. Seeing what Shams was able to do has given me a new outlook and even though I'm not going Vegan, I am hoping for some results.
I have taken flat pattern classes at college level, and given enough time and patience, I can totally draft patterns for myself. In fact, I took Don McCunn's pants class in person in San Francisco many years ago. I have drafted a few hundred pair of pants by now I expect. I haven't bought any RTW pants for at least 10 years other than in emergency situations...on vacation and the weather wasn't what I anticipated, or moved and clothes weren't here, nor was my sewing machine, patterns, fabric etc. Partially because RTW clothing doesn't fit me. Hasn't since I was in my 30s and a perfect size 8.
The problem is not in the drafting. It's the fitting. Well, and to be honest, I probably haven't had the same measurements two months in a row in the last ten years, so it's the never ending redraft. I have some health things, and I hate to sweat, but love to eat, so yadda, yadda, yadda. I am once again on a new program that is supposed to help me get to "goal" and stay there. Unfortunately, that's about 85 pounds from here. That's a huge sigh you just heard. And I have passed the mid point of my 60s, and frankly, things are falling! LOL
So long story, but I generally make all of my clothes, with a few exceptions. I kind of giggle at the Me Made Months that everyone gets involved in because I expect I do me made years. :P}} We live in the greater San Francisco Bay area, so I don't make coats. I have a rain coat that's probably a London Fog or a London Fog knock off, and other than very rare occasions, that's my winter coat. I generally will buy a cashmere sweater or two in the fall/winter just because I love them and would be afraid to buy cashmere and make it up just in case I lost my mind and messed it up. I have made bras, (again, the pattern isn't my size anymore) panties, tops, pants, skirts, and dresses. Not that I wear dresses any more. I live in self drafted pants, but I'm not loving the fit any more and I'm not sure what's going on and how to fix it.
I want a good fitting bodice sloper so I can take that and make tops that fit my unique shape and figure. My usual pattern alterations before I even get into the nitty gritty is to drop the center back neck by a half inch, tapering to nothing at the shoulders. Narrow sloping shoulder adjustment. FBB adjustment, which is full bust and full belly. Sway back adjustment, not because I have a sway back, but because I have a round butt and a high hip. Bodacious arm adjustment. Length adjustments. Then I do a muslin and try to adjust the rest of the fit. Sometimes I have wadders and sometimes I have tops that I can and do wear in public.
I'm hoping with Glenda's help, I can do this once, figure out the "major" adjustments I need for this draft, and then as I drop inches, just keep redrafting with the basic adjustments to the pattern.
Today was the first day that I have really taken the time to draft the bodice pattern. I had started before, then realized that I had to adjust both the front and back bodice due to the bodacious arms. So on the front, I had already made a few mistakes that were exed out, so just redid that knowing I had to change a few things. On the back, I just made the adjustment at the underarm and I am good to go.
So as of about 7:30 pm tonight, I have a bodice and sleeve draft ready to start cutting out. I'm using a gingham for the muslin so I can be sure grain lines are right, and that's going to get cut out this week, and sewn together. I'm hoping there will only be minor tweaks, but who knows.
I've been taking a few pictures as I go along, so I'll try to get them uploaded in the next few days.
More later!
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