Custom sloper used as base for vintage pattern

I decided to go ahead and use my custom bodice pattern as a base to make this vintage style pattern.

I wonder if I will  be sucked into another downward spiral of alterations after alterations or just maybe I will need small little tweakings!

In this day and age I am all about instant gratification! Time is precious and not to be thwarted or wasted. So I hope the base sloper I have for myself can be easily transformed for all sorts of blouses.

I decided to cut out my size and make a muslin with the commercial pattern itself. I then used my base sloper and customized it to look like this pattern …I think.  Now that I know how to make a sloper I can use this to make anything right? Hell Ya!!! Do I know what I am doing?? I have absolutely no friggin’ clue!!! Ha ha BUT do I have the enthusiasm to try to make it work??? Hell Ya!!

Here are the pattern pieces in comparison:

This is a pic of the commercial pattern muslin fitting:

Here is the sloper converted muslin:

I used the bowed in darts in the front and it pulled in too much I think,  not a good comfortable ease. So I decreased the amount of fabric in those front darts. The back of my neck was gaping ever so slightly so I also did a shoulder adjustment and dropped my armhole by 1/4 inch and 1/4 inch more seam allowance in the side seams.

This is what I got so far. Now what?? Hmmm working on that one 🙂

Happy Sewing

Vented Pants

I love this Vogue pattern. 1050

See the cool inner panel??  How rad is that? I started to work on these the last few days. I just have some regular gabardine in black and animal print grey for the pleat. If anyone knows where I can get some pretty silver frog closures for the pants let me know.  I traced off my pattern and did some alterations.

On the front of the pants I cut from the crotch to the hem and spread it about an inch tapering to nothing at the hem to compensate for my “thunder thighs”.  I am also meatier around the hips so I added extra ease as well as 1″ fit insurance.

 

I love love love the Palmer & Pletsch way to alter. I pinned my front and back piece together and tried them on with my elastic at the waist. I have to also compensate for my “belly and butt” by adding more to the front and back waist section tapering to nothing at the side seams.

After trying it on again I was very satisfied with the fit of the tissue paper. I then cut out my fashion fabric and pin fitted that as well.

After trying these on (and playing Chinese torture with the pins I thought “screw that bullshit”) I decided to baste them with my machine. I have a basting length of 20mm and it worked out perfect, functioning just like the pins….. minus the torture….. and much, much faster. Win, win for me!!

I know they look like bat pants! I’m going base jumping later with these bad girls… lol I have an extra 1″ fit insurance on the side seams. Hence my winged pants.

I made a few alterations. Chalked my seam lines, removed the fit insurance and now I have to work on the inner panels(pleats) of the pants.

More to come….

What method do you use to alter your patterns? Has anyone tried the Pletsch/Palmer method?  Besides using yourself as a pincushion is there any drawbacks to this method….it seems almost foolproof and you don’t need to make muslins!

Jean Try On’s

The moment of truth!! I was so excited to baste the side seams and try them on! Wow this stretch denim is ridiculous!! I could lose 2 more inches in the side seams. Note to self (do not use stretch denim for next pair of DIY jeans)

I can’t take these in that much I lose the shape of the jeans and the pockets in the back prevent me from getting rid of that much fabric. I will be lucky if I can get away with taking 1 inch off from the hip down.  Unfortunately because they are so big I know my waist band will gape with this stretch fabric.

Here are a few pics.

I’m still excited about finishing them. It was so much fun and I learned a ton. I am going to fiddle a bit more with the side seam before I make it a final serged edge then distress the side seams. After that I am on to the waist band and almost done my first pair of jeans!!