In Sewing News Today...

Are you a pattern tracer?  

Or do you just dive right into a pattern and snip away?  

I'll admit, for most of my sewing journey I've been one to cut away.  It was all about saving precious time and spending it at the sewing machine.  

There were exceptions. 

When I need to grade a pattern, I will certainly trace it out.  

Or if I'm working with a new-to-me pattern line, I'll give serious consideration to investing the time into tracing.  

But what about if you have a pattern in your size from a pattern line you've worked with before?  Would you spend the time tracing?  

A pattern just like this one crossed my cutting table.  

I didn't have the heart to cut into it.  

I've wanted to sew an authentic Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress Vogue pattern for years.  

Many years.  

And now that the opportunity presented itself, I just couldn't cut into it.  

So, I risked it all.  

The potential back pain, the aching knees, it was a risk worth taking to preserve this pattern.  

I'm taking my time with this project.  

I'm enjoying the process.  

And the details that make this pattern so special.  

It is with crossed fingers that I'm carefully stitching it together hoping that I will end up with a wearable toile.  

If not, that's okay.  

Because this is a project that brought back the joy in sewing, missing for far too long.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!  

With Some Focus, Careful Measurements, and Coffee...

I was able to grade a pattern.

This is the first time that I have actually sat down and tried to grade a pattern by hand. It's a big deal to me. This just might open up a whole world of possibilities. But before I get ahead of myself. I used two different methods. First, I tried the shifting method. The promise is that "this is simpler, quicker, and quite as accurate as the [marking and slashing method] (Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences, 17)." But it came with a warning that "the beginner will do well to master the [marking-and-slashing method] before taking up [the shifting method]." 

I have to agree. The marking-and-slashing method was certainly more time consuming but I have to admit that I felt more confident doing this method over the shifting method.  I found that my side seam and shoulder seam were off by an 1/16" to 1/8" when I did the shifting method, where I didn't have any issues when I did the marking-and-slashing method. 

I was most worried about how the sleeves would turn out on the marking-and-slashing method but they fit perfectly. That has made this little vintage Pattern Designing book a treasured item in my workspace.  

All that is left is to have these muslins fitted. Fingers are crossed they work out.  

Happy Sewing!  

Grading for a Larger Size

This will be good practice. That's what I'm telling myself.

Remember the latest Eva dress that I made for a friend. Well, it's back to the drawing board on this one. It doesn't fit. I've been informed that the sleeves and bodice are too tight. My linen dress was given as a test garment and I proceeded after being told that it was a size too small. Sadly and foolishly, I proceeded without seeing it on my friend or getting her measurements and just went ahead with sewing the largest size that the Eva dress came in. I know, I know, what the heck was I thinking? This is why I typically stay away from sewing for others--fit. Fit is always the biggest challenge.   

There is only enough linen fabric to make one more Eva dress so I have to make a muslin. I should have made a muslin in the first place.  

Grading a pattern. Yeah if you listen to all those folks trying to sell patterns on Etsy they'll have you convinced that it is an easy process. They must be professionals. And why is it that there are no modern sewing books that help with grading a pattern? There is a lot of information out there about alterations but there is a difference. Grading is used to change a size whereas alterations are more specific changes to a certain area of an individual's shape. I guess it's deemed un-necessary in the day of multi-sized patterns.  

The only mention of grading for changes in size can be found in my vintage sewing books from the  early to mid-1900s or my vintage Threads magazines.  

Grading, or the increasing or decreasing of the size of the pattern, is a fundamental process of pattern making that every user of patterns should understand, especially the professional worker (Women's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences, Ltd.). 

And this is why I shouldn't be sewing for others. I found some encouragement in the April/May 2017 edition of Sew News when I read, "[g]rading up two or three sizes is definitely possible, though it's easier on simpler patterns with few pieces." The Eva dress is a simple design. I can do this!  

Threads magazine, September 2006 (number 126), warns that "pattern sizes and ready-to-wear sizes aren't the same. As a general rule, your pattern size will be two or more sizes larger than your usual ready-to-wear size." This makes sense as to why the Eva dress didn't fit my friend. I only wish I discovered this important piece of information before I worked on the dress.    

I do like that the Women's Institute of Domestic Arts and Science book on Pattern Designing explains how to do both the slash and spreading method as well as the shifting method.  Threads magazine, June / July 1990 (number 29), also contains an excellent article. Off-the-Chart Sizes by Nancy Bryant details the slash and spread method for sizes up to 22 and grading measurements for collars and cuffs. I am going to try the shifting method since it is a simple design without any darts.  

Well, stay tuned and we'll see how this turns out.  

Happy Sewing!