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The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin

Iminei

The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« on: June 02, 2017, 19:41:44 PM »
This is a replica of the previous thread which , at least to me, seems to have vanished into thin air!!

This is my log and a conduit for my endless questions, queries and SOS's to yourselves for my journey through the Japanese Sewathon ......

Day 1

.....and I return to the pattern I had so carefully traced from the multiple images in the book (Drape Drape 2) last month. I'm quietly pleased with how neat it looks, I'm quite a good tracer I believe.

Looking through the book at the pictures of the gorgeous garments elegantly draped on the amorphous models, a lil inkling starts to nag at the back of my mind.

Yes, the models are lovely aren't they?
So aloof, pale and insouciant ... almost waif like....
the niggling in my mind turns into screeching alarm bells as my T shirt clad breasts get in the way of my view....

All my life I have been a Small, sometimes almost a Tiny...
certainly shoe shopping is a thankless task as I take a 2 - 3 and no British shoe shop knowingly stocks anything in that size that isn't covered in pink glitter or butterflies.

As for clothes; another horrendous task, that has put me off shopping for life. Nothing fits in the trouser department, almost always too big and if I want a dress, I better be able to take it in at the waist and hips or leave it on the rails...

I riffle through the pages of the book, frantically searching for anything about ...sizes!
Ah ! here we go ...... the patterns come in 4 sizes ... S, M, L and XL ... Extra large ???

I had cut this pattern on the S mark and i now feverishly hunt for a tape.
Their measurements are in cms ... designed to make you feel elephantine at the best ...I mean 36" or 91 cm ??

Scanning through the sizes I realise from being petite I have now grown into a Giantess (can I blame the menopause??? I know I've put on a kilo or two but no .... these measurements are for fashion models, anorexics or wraiths only )

Small ... (remember this is the mark on which I traced my pattern....)
Height  153 cm, Bust 78 cm, Waist 58 cm, Hips 84 cm

Medium ...
Height  158 cm, Bust 82 cm, Waist 62 cm, Hips 88 cm

Large ... (!!!)
Height  163 cm, Bust 86 cm, Waist 66 cm, Hips 92 cm

XLarge ... (Gulp!)
Height  168 cm, Bust 90 cm, Waist 70 cm, Hips 96 cm

and of La Iminei ???? (as measured by herself ...with a shaky hand)

Height  160 cm, Bust 96 cm, Waist 76 cm, Hips 86 cm


My heart sank... not only was the neatly traced pattern that I had been so foolishly proud of totally the wrong size I was also officially a giantess or at the very least clinically huge!

So I have been busy altering the pattern, scribbling out lines, sellotaping on bits here and there and now it all looks very much like last nights cold Chop Suey !!!  :(

Next stop ... Have I enough fabric ??? It was tight at the start but now ??
« Last Edit: June 02, 2017, 19:45:15 PM by Iminei »
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Iminei

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2017, 19:42:18 PM »
OK,  Here come the questions
(please remember I have absolutely zero experience, so need advice in words that a 2 year old can understand)

Oh and please don't laugh ... like Manuel, I know nothing !!!

Do you iron the stuff ?? Its got creases where its been folded,
How do you iron it, it moves everywhere ... and how hot??

If the pattern for the bit round your hips doesn't even go round your hips in paper...
how the hell is it going to go round your hips when cut out and sewn ????
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Iminei

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2017, 19:42:50 PM »
So should I carry on even tho' the paper piece doesn't go round my hips ???

At the moment I'm having lunch (a leftover bhaji and a glass of wine to calm my addled nerves) while I assess peeps advice

Who knows I might never come back to it, this seems too hard!
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Iminei

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2017, 19:43:12 PM »
Sod it !!!  :angry:

Im going to just do it! Cut the blooming thing. I'm using a red stretchy as a practice piece.
Do I weigh the pattern pieces down or pin ???

Jeez Louize I truly know nothing!  :'(
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Iminei

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #4 on: June 02, 2017, 19:43:44 PM »
Well I have been busy and there is something hanging on a hanger in the living room.

I had a tip to layout fabric and cut on a tablecloth or such to stop the fabric slipping and it seemed to work (and the tablecloth is still intact)

I attached foot M, the overcast foot to edge the seams ...Yukkk, horrible jerky movements and noises from the machine and nothing seemed to move for ages ...but ...it edged the fabric, making it all crinkly like a pie crust in the process ssssooooo .... I attached the walking foot and stitched a seam using a small stretch stitch (i think) and the resultant seam was nice and smooth.

What have i learnt???

Hem before sewing the seams I think...

Also that the neck is very, very, very low ... fine if you are an anorexic waif with no boobs but no good for me at all....

and... Drape, drape my arse!

I will try and get a pic of me in it and you will see what I mean ... I'm not fat, really I'm not but this pattern is just not delivering, which is a pity because this was my only idea for the Japanese Sewathon.

Pics and more here......

https://goo.gl/photos/ZbqPjr6kPYTUdWXz6
« Last Edit: June 02, 2017, 19:46:34 PM by Iminei »
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Francesca

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2017, 19:50:05 PM »
It looks good! Need to see it on though, it's the sort of item that needs to be worn I think.

And definitely don't hem before you stitch together! You want to be able to do the whole hem in one go rather than having raw edges when you meet the side seams.

Iminei

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #6 on: June 02, 2017, 19:54:14 PM »
And definitely don't hem before you stitch together

No ??? How do you do the sleeves then etc ???
I tried after sewing together and it was awkward and looks very bungled!
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Francesca

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #7 on: June 02, 2017, 20:03:39 PM »
And definitely don't hem before you stitch together

No ??? How do you do the sleeves then etc ???
I tried after sewing together and it was awkward and looks very bungled!

You make it work! You just turn it under then only stitch on one bit at a time.



DementedFairy

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #8 on: June 02, 2017, 20:08:34 PM »
I made a top rather like this for the missus some years ago.  Never got worn.  I made one for myself.  Never got worn.

Some things ONLY look good on anorexic waifs I'm afraid...
C'est moi!

Syrinx

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2017, 21:42:57 PM »
At least you've made your first thing. I'm still waiting on tracing paper and fabric and still wobbling between two patterns.

There are a couple of nice looking tops in my book that are floaty and drapey but look like they can be made more fitted pretty easily. I can send you some pictures if you like? There are handy diagrams as the Japanese pattern books are pretty sparse on words, lots of diagrams though :)

Well done on making your first thing though :D

BrendaP

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #10 on: June 02, 2017, 22:06:41 PM »
It's a Japanese origami pattern, and the Japanese are tiny by western standards .

Height  160 cm, Bust 96 cm, Waist 76 cm, Hips 86 cm
That's 5' 3"   tall, 38" bust, 30" waist and 34" hips.  Smallish but not outragously skinny and with a nice trim waist.

You should choose a pattern for a top according to your bust measurement, or of you are buxom  (C-D cup or more) measure your high bust and do an FBA although that shouldn't really be necessary with that sort of loose floppy garment.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Iminei

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #11 on: June 03, 2017, 07:03:07 AM »
Hi girls..

Thanks for all your support with this.

Yes Brenda, I'm a Double Diamond in the bust ...but please don't confuse me further with FBA's etc.

I'm just pleased I could actually sew the floppy stuff without it looking hideous, but a bit disappointed with the fit
The seams are pretty smooth and flat (YAY) and it sort of looks like it should but its far from finished...the hem has not been done and the hideous open neckline needs to be ??? with some more fabric, which of course I don't have enough of !!

You can't mix fabrics can you ??? I have a nice batik that would look great with this ???  0_0

My next quandary is, the actual fabric that was going to be made into this is rather nice and I really dont want to waste it by making something that I won't wear. Again the quantity is tight (end of bolt) but I wouldn't mind sewing something I could actually wear ...

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BrendaP

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #12 on: June 03, 2017, 08:11:56 AM »

You can't mix fabrics can you ??? I have a nice batik that would look great with this ???  0_0


You can mix fabrics, but it's not usually successful if one is stretchy and the other one isn't.

For your hems I would use the blind stitch - the one that's three straight stitches then a zig-zag to the left.  Over cast the edge of the fabric, fold the hem to the required depth and pin, then turn the overcast bit out so that you can sew into it.  Then get it under the machine so that the straight stitches go on top of the overcasting and the zig-zag just catches the fold of the fabric.  When it's done smooth it all into place and press and all you will see from the right side is tiny stitches at each zig-zag.
http://sewway.com/blind-hem-stitch-with-a-sewing-machine.html

For the neck you need a strip of fabric with similar amount of stretch as the rest of the garment.  Cut a strip, maybe 2" wide and almost as long as the neckline - it does need to be stretched very slightly.  Join it to make a tube.  Fold in half (just like quilt binding!) and pin it to the neckline using lots of pins at right angles.  Once you are happy that it's evenly positioned all the way around sewi it on using medium width zig-zag or 3 step zig-zag.  Press that hem downwards.

Then put a twin needle into the Splurge  and straight stitch setting to sew all around the neck.  Right hand needle in the ditch and the left hand one will hold the zig-zag stitching down.

Have a look at any RTW tee shirt, it will be similar, except that the zig-zagging will be overlocked and the twin needle will be a coverstitch.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Catllar

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #13 on: June 03, 2017, 10:22:26 AM »
Looks exactly like mine, even down to the colour!
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Kad

Re: The Continuing Journey of a Giant Jersey Virgin
« Reply #14 on: June 03, 2017, 10:32:38 AM »
Iminei, I feel your frustration, I love the look of some of these Japanese patterns with their interesting shapes , and so does DD, but at 180cm and 187cm tall respectively there's no way that I'm ever going to be able to make them fit :(
'Jill' of many aspects of sewing, "Mistress" of few.