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Messages - Missie

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31
Tech Know How / Posting Error message
« on: September 01, 2023, 09:32:57 AM »
I've just got a new computer and I'm having trouble posting replies.  I keep getting a "timed-out" error message.  I thought it might be because I'd opened a topic, got distracted and replied a little while later but I've just tried on a different message, opened and replied straight away.  Same problem.  I have hit enter quite a few times before the message will go.  Any ideas?

32
Alterations Advice Please / Re: Help needed regarding taking clothes in
« on: August 31, 2023, 12:10:22 PM »
I have converted flares to skinny jeans but to be honest, if I were you I'd go on Vinted & buy size 8, sell your 10s on there. Jeans altered 2 sizes will never look good (well, @Sandra could make it work). Your tops will be perfectly possible as @SewRuthieSews says. I put the top on, inside out, then pin out what needs to go. However that may not work with your scoliosis in which case pin with it on RS out then transfer the markings to the inside. Ideally get a friend to help with the pinning.

Just to say that you should never put items of clothing on inside out to alter as everyone's body is asymmetrical.  Put it the right side out and it you will fit to the appropriate side of the body.

33
In the wardrobe / Re: Diameter of round elastic cord?
« on: August 24, 2023, 10:08:24 AM »
Does it absolutely need to be elastic, in other words, will its position mean it can find itself under tension?  If not, you can make a replacement button loop by hand.  Google thread button loop to see lots of videos demonstrating the technique.  I've done it many times and it works fine so long as the loop is big enough to allow the button to pass.

I tend to do this.  love a handmade button loop.

34
Patterns Discussion / Re: Self drafted wedding dress toille
« on: August 21, 2023, 18:09:46 PM »
That is looking much better.  There seems to be some excess fabric at the side front and backs.  It looks almost as if there is too much length in those bits. 

The front waist looks to be dipping a bit.  As mentioned before, and as ohsewsimple said,  put a tape around your daughter's waist.  Get her to lean to one side and where her body folds, that is her natural waistline (which is often different to where we think it is).  Pin that side in place (with the bottom of the tape on her waistline) and then repeat on the other side.  You then need to make sure that it is straight and perpendicular to the floor across the front and the back.

Once you have got all these bits sorted, you can then proceed to creating the dress pattern.  Do not start this though, until the bodice block in 100% correct.

35
Just read that @Missie. Interested to see her book about sustainable sewing so I’ve signed up to be informed.

So have I  0_0

I don't really buy much from Amazon but having read her story, I will be avoiding at all costs.

36
A number of things have been cited related to cost of living, but probably most importantly, Amazon now holds onto their money for 10 days before paying them which puts a huge strain on a small business and was probably the final nail in the coffin.
The story is in their blog

It's a shame as they are my go-to online store.


37
Patterns Discussion / Re: Self drafted wedding dress toille
« on: August 18, 2023, 11:44:12 AM »
@Cate there is really no need to keep making new toiles.  The purpose of a toile is to check and correct fitting problems.  Corrections are made to the toile by adding in extra pieces of fabric where needed or taking out excess by darting etc.  Unfortunately we aren’t seeing any of the corrections you might have made so it makes it very difficult for us to advise as we don’t know what you’ve done. 
Once again, the bust point and all the lines such as waist, bust, hips etc that are made when you draft a pattern should be marked on the toile.  I use a biro so it can be seen easily.   Without these reference lines it is very difficult to say what is wrong. 
But before you launch into the toile for the dress, the toile for the basic block needs to be correct and we need to see it.

Totally agree, which is what I was trying to say but not as succinctly!

38
Patterns Discussion / Re: Self drafted wedding dress toille
« on: August 15, 2023, 00:52:47 AM »
Could I ask, did you sort out all the fitting issues on the first toile fully, before moving onto the pattern?  I cannot see where the bust point is marked on this, nor where the waistline is.  It looks to me like the front waistline is dipping down but that could just be the angle of the photo.

To echo Brenda, you need to have the darts in the skirt and you also need to build in ease in the skirt (else she won't be be able to sit down in her dress).  The darts of skirt should line up with the darts of the bodice.  The wrinkling, particularly in the skirt area, could be that the skirt is too tight, making everything ride up.  Once you have that sorted, then you can better look at the bodice.  It might  be that you need to pinch out the excess in the bodice back.

I'm not sure what exactly is going on with the shoulders/arm syce, particularly as these seemed to fit on the toile.  It looks to me as is the shoulders are being forced to sit too wide, which is possibly causing the rucking at the shoulder/arm scye and looking at the back, the shoulders/upper back look too wide and are going down onto the upper arm, further suggesting that they need pulling up onto the shoulders more.  I would consider moving the shoulders of the dress on the physical shoulders more and making the V of the front bodice less dramatic.  The wider the neckline, the higher the risk of the dress falling off the shoulders.

I note that the back darts are at an angle, which is not usual.  Darts (with the exception of a french dart) generally go up and down.  That's not to say that you can't do that, it could be a style line.   However, being as I would strongly recommend that this is boned (to stop the dress falling off the shoulders), you could use the angled darts as a basis for the line the boning would take on the back. Also, you appear not to have gone for a princess line on the back, which is unusual when there is that styling on the front.

39
A Good Yarn / Re: Fruit Garden
« on: August 11, 2023, 13:16:47 PM »
I bought the yarn pack because I wanted the colours to be true to the pictures, but it is very clear that the samples were not made with these yarns, which look a bit dingy in comparison to the pictures. 

I thought that about The Fig Tree version of the persian tiles.  Some of the colours were distinctly meh!  However, when it was all done, it was absolutely glorious and i felt a bit bad for my initial reaction!

40
Patterns Discussion / Re: Self drafted wedding dress toille
« on: August 07, 2023, 14:39:54 PM »
I wouldn't cut anything off.  Get her to bend sideways on each side and where the "fold" is, that is her natural waistline.  Mark it on both side, and then put a piece of tape around her, making sure it is level between the two side points, pin it in place to mark it on the toile after.  It is very useful for you to know exactly where her waistline is.  I would then open up the seams to the waist point for now whilst you fix any fitting issues.

There is too much fabric in the back.  This may be fixed by working out where her natural waistline is and opening up the seams below, but you may well need to adjust this.

You also need to mark her bust point as well and you will need this when you do the pattern.

41
Patterns Discussion / Re: Self drafted wedding dress toille
« on: August 02, 2023, 14:04:23 PM »
@Cate.  Yes to all that you have said.  Skirt blocks are generally very easy so do that separate to the bodice block.  Concentrate on getting the bodice block to fit perfectly (she should wear a bra she likes her shape in when doing the bodice block so you can mimic that shape).  It may take a couple of attempts (and the armscye will never be done on first round).  Remember, you are flat drafting, and a body has asymetry at the very least.  When you are finally happy with how the bodice fits, you can then merge the two blocks (essentially lining up the waist of the bodice with the waist of the skirt, smoothing out the side seams and making sure the darts are lined up).  You can mark your design lines on the toile and trace off onto paper (although I personally would trace the final bodice toile onto paper and trace off that).  You will need to do a toile of the new pattern/dress to ensure that there are no issues with the dress pattern (such as gaping back etc).  I know it seems longwinded but I am sure that it will help you.  If your book suggests ease, I would do the bodice toile without as it will need to be snug for the boning.

Hope that helps, but shout if you need anything.

42
Patterns Discussion / Re: Self drafted wedding dress toille
« on: August 02, 2023, 08:34:37 AM »
@Missie of course!   I’m wondering why no one has suggested this before.  :facepalm:
Unfortunately we still don’t know what will be worn underneath the dress.  I’ve asked a few times   :(
I’d make the basic bodice and skirt toile and get those to fit.  Then use that to make the inner structure for the dress and only then draft and make the toile for the outer dress.  I would also make sure all reference lines were drawn on the calico toile, bust chest, back, waist, hipsCF etc. That makes it so much easier to see where it needs to be altered.

I'm thinking nothing as it has a deep V at the front with illusion net in it (this style is v popular currently) so a bra will be visible.  This will mean that it will need boning for bust support, but also to stop it falling off the shoulders.  The toile will , as you say, make creating the inner/foundation support easier as well.

43
Patterns Discussion / Re: Self drafted wedding dress toille
« on: August 01, 2023, 17:26:29 PM »
Ok, I've been thinking about this more.  I think you need to go right back to basics and get a good and full bodice toile, that is neck line to waistline, make sure that this fits properly.  You will also need to do a skirt block; you only need to do waist to hip and how you are wanting to do this (ie the slightly dropped waist), means that you will need this part as well.  A dress block is basically a bodice block and skirt block joined together.  When you have both of these fitting correctly, you can then make the pattern for the dress (ie do the shaping on the front, do the deep V on the back).  This is the correct way of making patterns (ie create a block and then create the pattern from the block) and I think it will help you get the pattern right.

44
Patterns Discussion / Re: Self drafted wedding dress toille
« on: July 31, 2023, 17:13:54 PM »
This is perfectly doable with the low back but it will need to start 1-2  inches above the waistline (just re-reading the comments).  It will also require boning and also an inner laced insert (think corset-type lacing) which holds and supports the bodice and dress, whilst the zip just closes the fabric.  I did a course on boned bodices and this back was discussed and someone actually did one.  She had max 2 inches of fabric at the bodice back and it worked beautifully and perfectly.

I've looked at the back and I cannot see any darts.  These will help pull the dress snugly to the body (especially as you are going below the waistline) and can also be the basis of your boning.  For the innards, you will need canvas (I use tie canvas) on a backing of cotton lawn, which are then mounted on your fashion fabric (not sure if you have done this or not).

You have taken out too much at the armscye as well, I agree but armsyce are the hardest part of a toile IMO.

Don't work with lining at this point, it is detrimental to the fitting process on a toile.  Just work on getting on getting the basic layer working.  Get some medium weight calico, sew the toile with the seam allowances on the outside and work with unfinished edges.  You can make notes, adjustments etc on the toile as you go along, adding in pieces as needed, which you can't do with what you have currently (pretty though it is!)  Think of a toile as the sketches before the painted masterpiece!

45
Patterns Discussion / Re: Self drafted wedding dress toille
« on: July 31, 2023, 13:17:55 PM »
Near the beginning of this thread @Morgan wrote
As it is a deep low backless bodice  there is insufficient tension  or stability in the design to hold the bodice snugged into the body.

That is still the case, and I think that you will have to incorporate one or other of the fixes that Morgan suggested.

This is perfectly doable with the low back but it will need to start 1-2  inches above the waistline (just re-reading the comments).  It will also require boning and also an inner laced insert (think corset-type lacing) which holds and supports the bodice and dress, whilst the zip just closes the fabric.  I did a course on boned bodices and this back was discussed and someone actually did one.  She had max 2 inches of fabric at the bodice back and it worked beautifully and perfectly.

I've looked at the back and I cannot see any darts.  These will help pull the dress snugly to the body (especially as you are going below the waistline) and can also be the basis of your boning.  For the innards, you will need canvas (I use tie canvas) on a backing of cotton lawn, which are then mounted on your fashion fabric (not sure if you have done this or not).

You have taken out too much at the armscye as well.

Don't work with lining at this point, it is detrimental to the fitting process on a toile.  Just work on getting on getting the basic layer working.  Get some medium weight calico, sew the toile with the seam allowances on the outside and work with unfinished edges.  You can make notes, adjustments etc on the toile as you go along, adding in pieces as needed, which you can't do with what you have currently (pretty though it is!)  Think of a toile as the sketches before the painted masterpiece!

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