Pattern fitting and the red ramie dress (Lekala S4103)
I challenged myself to make my friend a well fitting dress that she could wear both at work and at parties. Lekala S4103 was a good starting point.
A wool coat for winter, part 2: Toile
I did not even dream of making this V8346 coat without a toile. I may take risks with cheaper garments but this wool was way too expensive for me to skip this crucial step.
Gertie’s shirtwaist dress with hacks
I tried making the Shirtwaist dress from the Gertie's New Book of Better Sewing without making a toile. This taught me a lesson! The fit was not so good...
Sewing trousers: slim-fit jacquard trousers
My adventure in sewing trousers that fit continues. This time I narrow the pattern down even more and add a proper waistband and a pair of pockets. I gorgeous stretch jacquard for a fabric.
From wide trousers to narrow stretch ones – pattern modification
Now that I have the trouser sloper I will turn it into a narrow pair of stretch cotton trousers. I show how to modify the width and how to remove the extra fullness of fabric at the back of the thighs.
The quest for the well-fitting trousers – what I have learned
Sewing trousers isn't really hard, getting a trouser pattern that fits is more difficult. I will show you how to create a sloper just for you by replicating and old pair of trousers and adjusting the fit.
Finally a pair of trousers that fits!
This black pair is the first actual pair of trousers that I am happy with. I started from an old pair of wide linen trousers that fitted me quite well and I traced the pattern from them. I made a toile and after some small adjustments I got a good fit. To get to know this pattern I decided to make a very simple pair with no waistband and a side zipper.
The quest for the Ultimate pants (part 1)
I vividly remember the first pair of trousers I made. They were shorts we had to sew at school and made of horrendous bright blue patterned quilting cotton. We had to use pattern that was too big for at least for me (I was about 12 years old and super skinny) and the teacher never suggested doing any fitting. A few years later I tried again and made a pair of sporty cargo pants. I chose the smallest size and ended up handing the finished pair to my mom since they were way too big. If the jeans I posted before don’t count I don’t have many good experiences with sewing trousers.…
