My Growing Wardrobe

When I found out I was pregnant I felt fortunate to know how to sew. As a plus-sized woman it can be difficult to find well-fitting, fashionable clothes. Since learning to sew I’ve come to feel good, real good, in the clothes I make. And still do, eight months into pregnancy. I accept the numbers on the scale, those one the measuring tape and just go from there. I made some great pieces that proved to work well throughout my pregnancy and I can’t help but breathe a huge sigh of relief. Only one maternity dress didn’t make it into this stage of the baby-making process (looking at you, Simplicity 1998 ). With a combination of previously owned ready-to-wear pieces that still fit, my me-made maternity wear and a few maternity pieces I bought on sale I’ve had quite a fun time with maternity fashion.

When I found out I was pregnant I was determined to show the positive energy I was feeling in my appearance. The bright colors and flirty fashion choices continued. And here are the me-made winners that have made it with me into the third trimester.

Purple Babydoll dress from Sew U Home Stretch.

Pregnant or not, make this dress. It’s so cute and über comfy.

Red/Navy Babydoll Dress from Sew U Home Stretch

Self-drafted Circle Skirt and Colette Jasmine Blouse

Feeling sassy? Make a circle skirt and sashay about. You won’t regret it.

Refashioned Colette Ginger Skirt

I’m glad I was able to save this skirt from the donation pile. Adding a tummy band quickly made it wearable.

Stripey Skirt based on an existing maternity skirt

This skirt is my jam. I love it so much.

My favorite and most loved, the Lace and Liberty 1970 Maternity Dress

I’ve really enjoyed sewing and dressing for my ever-changing body (refashioning jeans came in handy!) and I wouldn’t do anything different if I can do it again. A good mix of RTW and me-made pieces helped me until the near end. I never overexerted myself to make more. But now, with 4 weeks to go, I’m tempted to make a few more pieces . But the logical thing to do is stay content with what I have and call it a complete maternity wardrobe. And make baby stuff instead

How wide is too wide?

When I started on my Colette Juniper trousers I thought, “Sweet, this will super easy. Adjust the crotch, the hem and BAM new pants.” Not so. I finished sewing these up last night and I am just not too certain I like the width of the pant legs. What do you think? Are they meant to look this wide?

If you can’t tell, when I come to a sewing crossroad I also turn to the sewing community. Y’all always help me clear my muddled thoughts and see things in a different picture. Here’s another angle, more straight forward.

I cut a size 18, and it fits great at the hips, like I had hoped. I adjusted the crotch using the same measurements that I used for my Clover trousers. The crotch seems a bit low and I am just swimming in fabric.

I wonder if my posture had anything to do with some of those wrinkles. Because (WARNING: BOOTY SHOT APPROACHING) a photo of my backside shows less issues.

Right now the possible changes I am going to make for the next pair are:

1. Play with the crotch measurements. I find it too low.
2. Take in the inseam for a less baggy look.
3. Keep half of the button fly and attach the maternity band higher. Currently the bump band is far too wide and low. I can only wear the trousers with a long shirt.
4. Lengthen the hem a wee bit.

So am I right in thinking these are a bit too wide for my frame? I think trimming the excess will make them look sleeker. And me slimmer, which is always a great thing.

Ginger and the Bump

We had gorgeous weather (AKA NO RAIN) this past weekend in London. And too afraid not to take advantage of it, Greg and I braved the chilled weather and went on a picnic Sunday. We packed some sandwiches, snackies and drinks and were off. The benefit of living in East Finchley is that we are surrounded by gorgeous parks. There are Highgate Wood, Queens Woods and Waterlow Park in Highgate. Then there’s Ally Pally in Muswell Hill. And the grandest of them all in Islington, Hampstead Heath. We are a nice leisurely 30 minute walk away from the Heath so we headed there. One of our favorite places to visit locally is Kenwood House, located north of the Heath. Unfortunately the house is closed until spring 2013 for renovations. But the grounds (including cafés and bookshop) are still open. So take a gander if you’re ever in the neighborhood.

The grounds were bustling with people who had the same idea as us. There were lots of families and couples exploring, taking in the view or playing games. We walked away from the house and found a nice spot in front of the pond.

I bought the most beautiful Brexton picnic set ever and still have yet to use it. Sadly it still hasn’t been christened (it’s a bit heavy to carry for long). Instead we got to use the matching napkins I especially made for the set.

But this post isn’t about singing the praises of Kenwood House, no matter how much I love it. It’s all about my refashioned denim Ginger skirt.

I initially felt bad cutting it up but then I remembered that it never really fit properly. And now I will be able to wear it, even if just for a few months. And the piece I cut out will work perfectly to determine how much I need to cut out in future maternity garments. Perfect.

**Oh! Did you spy my headband? Totally used the hem I cut away from my Simplicity 1998 dress as one. Little waste! Yay!**

A top and a bottom

Summer is drawing to a close and of course I decide now to (sorta) finish my cropped Clovers. But it’s all good because I finally completed a pair of wearable ones and they went from this to this…

These pants didn’t come easy. I did a full waist adjustment, a full butt adjustment, a knock knee adjustment (who knew?!), raised the waist, and added a bit of crotch circumference and depth. Phew. The knock knee adjustment left me with some bagginess around the calves (I have chicken legs, y’all. No joke!).

But I wasn’t fussed (not now anyway) about fixing it or the few lines under my butt. I was too happy to share that I had sorted out the drag lines in the inner thigh area.

Although I feel as though I’ve made a decent pair of Clovers I definitely will revisit the pattern and try to fix the last few issues it has. I do enjoy solving fitting issues. Having broken this project up over months has made it a lot less stressful. So thankfully I still have my wits about me.

But I do have one last issue to add. I am unsure if it’s the pattern or the fabric. After wearing the Clover for about 10 minutes I was suffering from droopy crotch. What the heck? The fabric I used is very light stretch denim. Should I use something a bit thicker? I cut a size 16, which corresponds to my hip measurement. I wonder if I should have cut a size 14? Or maybe I need to adjust the pattern somehow to make them stay up? Oh pattern fitting, you can drive a girl to drink…

Upward and onward…Recognize this little top? It’s this summer’s very popular Grainline Tiny Pocket Tank (with no pocket). I held back from buying it, thinking I didn’t need such a simple pattern. Oh how wrong was I? I really truly love the fit. All I had to do was readjust the darts and bam, perfection.

I used some African wax cotton that really dresses up the top. And boy, I’m in love. I’ve already decided to make a few more since they’ll make great layering pieces for fall.

Now back to the sewing table. I’m really looking forward to sharing my next project. Until then, ciao!

Oh! And sorry about all the butt photos. They are unavoidable when showing trouser fitting results

Trouser adjustments: Big butts don’t lie

We’re all friends here, right? Well, I hope so because I’m about to get personal. I’m talking belly and butt shots, so I apologize in advance .

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been working on fitting my Clovers. I’ve come a long way in how I approach fitting issues. I used to get frustrated, cursing and sighing to no end. But now I see fitting issues as my opportunity to take up the challenge and problem solve. With that new approach I’ve been genuinely enjoying trying to perfect this trouser fit. Fitting them is the first step I am taking in a route that will end with me-made stretch jeans. I’d like to have a few pairs of trousers under my belt (ha!) before I give jeans a go.

I started with size 18, making no adjustments. From the photos of muslin 1, I assessed that I needed a full butt adjustment. I also didn’t like where the waist sat so I decided I wanted to raise it higher. And because the pants looked a wee bit baggy around the hips and knees I decided to go down a size, which actually happens to correspond with my hip measurement.

To determine how much I needed to increase the back crotch circumference by, I measured my crotch circumference and compared it to the pattern’s. I’m not sure if that’s what I’m suppose to do but I figured some trial and error never hurt anyone. I came up with a 1.5 inch difference and added it to the back pattern piece using Colette’s recommended full butt adjustment method:

Here are the changes made to the size 16 pattern pieces: 1.5 inches added to back pattern, 2 inches added to waist, and waist raised up 2 inches. The fit was definitely improving. I just had a baggy issue to contend with now…

In order to remove the excess fabric I decided to increase the crotch depth by 2.25 inches and take in the inseams a further 1/2 inch. It seemed to do the job but I think for the final pair I will go with a 1.25 inch increase instead. I felt like the crotch was a tiny bit low.

I’m happy to say that my trouser fitting progress is going pretty well. The side seams bow towards the front but I think I am okay with that…for now. But am still questioning if I analyzed one of the fit issues correctly. I definitely think I needed a full butt adjustment. Big butts don’t lie. But was there another way to get rid of the bagginess other than increasing the crotch depth and inseam? Just curious.

Happy Sunday!

Walking in Sunshine

Hello! Sorry I’ve been so quiet lately. I’ve been feeling pretty blah since I came back from Virginia early this month. Sewing usually helps with my blah moments but Me-Made-May left me a bit worn out. I was full of ideas but really didn’t want to do anything with them. But sewing is good for me so I pushed through and worked on the fit of some Clovers. There’s still some adjustments that need doing, so I decided to work on a quick project. My last Hazel came out so well I decided to make another. A sunshine dress. This is the version that has been floating in my head for weeks (excuse my Paint.net skills) :

For some reason the sides are smidgen big (maybe the fabric stretched out while putting in lining?) but I am still quite happy with how it turned out.

I used cotton-linen blend fabrics and a soft unbleached cotton for the lining. This was the first time I inserted a dress lining and although we fought a bit I won the fight. It went in.

This dress is my personal ray of sunshine. It lifted my mood just trying it on. I think I’m in love.

The back side panels are gray too but I forgot to take a photo. But this picture of the zip shows a bit of gray, just enough so you get the idea.

This was the perfect project to get me back into the groove of sewing again. Although I feel a bit intimidated by the idea I think I might try making Victory Patterns’ Ava dress. Oh, and work on those Clovers.

I’m not sure why I like this last photo. Maybe it’s the deer-in-headlights look?

Me-Made-May Day 28 and 29

Day 28. I wore my Colette Jasmine blouse with some jeans.

Day 29. I wore my new circle skirt for the third time in a week! I love that thing.

Windmill Colette Hazel Dress

On the 24th day of Me-Made-May I wore my new Colette Hazel dress. I used an *African cotton fabric I found in the remnants bin at Rolls and Rem. I was drawn to the colors instantly. I debated buying it, not finding it too much of a bargain at £3 a meter (Remnants can average £1.50 a meter at Rolls and Rems). I walked around the store with it and decided I couldn’t do without it. The colors and patterns were much too good to pass up.

Initially I thought I would use it for another gathered skirt. But after discovering I had enough for a Hazel dress I went for it.

This dress, surprisingly didn’t need many adjustments. Because the skirt is gathered I didn’t have to worry about waist size. The only changes I did were to the front and back side bodice pieces. I graded half an inch to each piece to get the waist measurement needed. And that’s it. Viola! That’s my kind of adjustment. I’m not going to lie. Sewing as a…uh…curvy woman can be such a big pain in the ass. Eighty percent of my patterns are suited for women smaller than myself so I am always having to change patterns to fit me. So it was such a nice relief not to do much to the Hazel pattern.

The dress came together very easily. I lined the skirt just because I’d love to wear it on cooler days with tights. I love how comfortable the dress is and that it has pockets. Bonus!

I cannot wait to get back from my trip to the States so I can whip up a yellow version. This is the type of pattern that can be made in various colors and prints and never look like the same dress. So why not make multiples? I am all about making more than one of things I enjoy wearing (hello, Ginger skirt!).

*Check out Roisin’s gorgeous African cotton Hazel dress.

MMM Days 17-23

Y’all. I am running out of steam but that’s okay because we only have a few more days. MMM participants, we can do this. I can do this.

But I have been working on a few new things. I finished my Hazel, which I’m wearing today. I am working on the final version of the 1960s pattern I successfully graded up.  All I have to do is add the buttonholes, sew the buttons on and hem it. All I have to do? Making the buttonholes will be the scariest part! I used a gorgeous cotton-silk (if I remember correctly) blend that worked so well for this pattern. I will pout in a corner if I eff it up this late in the game. The last thing I am working on is a simple navy circle skirt. That needs a zip, hemming and a waistband. Yeah, it needs everything

Okay, enough chit-chat. Let’s get to the outfits. I stayed home most of the week and worked on my sewing projects. I know, I know…the glamorous life of the unemployed. I didn’t mind staying home so much this week because from Day 18-22 I was MISERABLE with bad allergies. I walked a long run and skipped on a few others. So miserable. But I’m feeling better thankfully. The last couple of sunny days helped.

Day 17. All dressed up and nowhere to go. Sad panda. I wore my Colette Ginger skirt with crochet trim. What I love about this outfit is that I re-discovered a blouse I bought at Charlotte Ruse many moons ago. The crochet in the shirt compliments the one on the skirt so well.

Day 18. I stayed home and finished my Hazel dress. Oh! And I got a haircut (so long rabbit-tail!) I wore the first garment I’ve ever made: an Amy Butler Barcelona skirt.

Day 19. I met up with fellow sewing buddies Dibs and Rachel at the V&A Museum. I wore my Colette Japanese Fans Ginger.

The V&A is by far one of my favorite places in London. I cannot tell you how often I’ve visited since moving here. I love getting lost in it, eating in the glamorous cafeteria and just taking all the art in. Check out the new ballgowns exhibit if you can. It was killer. Sorry I can’t share photos from the exhibit. No photography allowed. But I did manage to sneak one in.

Or check out the new fashion exhibit. It’s free!

Day 20. I woke up feeling horrible. After a long walk I changed into my new comfy Renfrew maxi. I’m smiling on the outside but I felt like crud.

Day 21. Another day home sewing. I wore my vintage blouse all day and didn’t take the photo until late that evening. I couldn’t be bothered to iron it pre-photo.

Day 22. More at home sewing. I wore my spotty Colette Meringue.

Day 23. I went to Islington to pick up some things and to have a catch-up with the people at my old job at Ray-Stitch. It was so hard just to walk away with some buttons!

So that’s Me-Made-May for the last week. I am truly happily surprised that I have so many wearable garments. They are not perfect, by far, but they fit well and look good. When I signed up for Me-Made-May I honestly thought I would have issues with lots of repeats. I wasn’t aware that my me-made wardrobe was as big (for a beginner!) as it is. This week I will have to wear some repeats, re-mix styled. And for that to occur during the last week of MMM’12…well…holy cow. That’s not too damn shabby. I’ll take it. *Pats self on back*

MMM-Days 9-16. Yowsa!

I am quite surprised as to how well Me-Made-May is going for me so far. Only one garment was worn twice (out of pure laziness). Not too shabby. I’m sure garments will make a re-appearance soon enough. My me-made wardrobe isn’t that big…yet!

On Day 9, I wore my Colette Jasmine blouse. I still need to take it in on the sides but it’s still wearable.

I had a little visitor on Day 10 so I took the opportunity to pose with him for my daily photo. I’m wearing my Sew Liberated Schoolhouse Tunic top, looking quite proud that I haven’t made Noah cry.

Feeling springy on Day 11, I wore my Madeleine skirt, enjoyed the sun and met up with Rachel for some delicious cocktails.

On Day 12 I finally got to walk around Little Venice . It’s been on my London bucket list for quite some time. Sadly I didn’t remember to take a photo by the boats! But I managed to remember while we were by a cool looking blue tunnel.

After a 7 mile run/walk, on Day 13, pajamas and coffee were in order. G and I slobbed about the flat for the rest of the day. We had fallen off our training right before Crete so this run took the life out of us for the rest of the day…

…and the next one. I was well sore and the rainy weather didn’t help me feel better. So on Day 14 I stayed in my jammies and worked on a Colette Hazel dress until G got home. Then it was pizza time! We make homemade pizza far too much.

And now back to wearing proper clothes. On Day 15 I met a friend for afternoon tea at the Lancaster Hotel. They serve a special Peter Pan menu. What was Peter Pan about the food I can’t say but it was hella delicious. They even gave us bread to go feed the ducks by the Peter Pan statue in Kensington park. You can’t tell from the photo below but it was super cold and wet all afternoon so we skipped out on feeding the ducks. I was hesitant about wearing my corduroy Colette Meringue skirt because I thought I would get too warm. But nope. It was perfect for the day’s weather.

And today I am wearing the first top I ever made. Don’t even think about looking at the stitches! I’m wearing it with a headband I made using the remnants from my Madeleine skirt.

Wow, I am quite the independent sewing company fangirl.

Hoping everyone participating in MMM’12 is having a good one so far! I am off to finish my Hazel dress. I have facings to fight with!