I'm back and up to a new couture class!

Friends, thank you for your patience! It's finally over, the old job and all the associated stress! We also celebrated my daughter's 2-year birthday and enjoyed a day on the beach. Monday and Tuesday passed running errands, and so it's Wednesday and I am wondering how come I thought I would have more time once I am not working anymore?

Another thing I have noticed it's extremely difficult to get into the exercise of writing daily after such a break. The problem is actually, I got to much to write about and don't know where to start. Well, I will make it a lazy transition for myself and for you by making some exciting announcements.

So, here is a spoiler alert, readers!

... I am starting another course with Susan Khalje and Kenneth King TOMORROW - their great Sit & Sew in New York. So, get ready for another course diary and my work-in-progress. What am I going to sew? I am still deciding! Irresponsible, right? yes, since I have to make a muslin before, hmm... I am tending toward a tailored tweed suit. What do you think? (I really wanted to incorporate some boning project, but... it just doesn't really work with anything I planned for the next season)

Decision made - here is my inspiration:

I do want to incorporate some burgundy red in it, maybe leather, and make the jacket slightly longer... While this Burberry suit is ready-to-wear, what I am really looking forward to is couture tailoring techniques for the jacket. Susan was saying in her French Jacket Course that couture uses soft tailoring techniques, which are very different from RTW. I want something that is not stiff, but I believe some support will be needed for the breast area and for the collar. We used organza to support a small area  above the breast in our French Jacket class... but this one can be completely different. After all, Chanel jacket techniques are specific for loosely woven fabrics and bouclés. Let's see!

As for pants, in the class, I will be doing only a muslin and finish the pants later. Having Kenneth fit the pants is a dream come true. I  want to have one great fitted straight leg pant muslin that I can use for all other pants, shorts, etc.

The course will last four days and I know it's not enough to finish this project, but I hope to get the jacket far enough to be able to finish it without any guidance. So, get ready for some couture sewing reporting!

I missed you very much, I must admit! :-) 

Books for Couture Enthusiasts and updates

Readers, forgive me for patchy posting these two weeks! These are my last days in my current job, and I got loads of work to do before I finally leave. I have been sewing nevertheless, and, once things calm down this weekend, I will upload all the images and posts and tutorials that I am so keen on sharing with you! These will include a sneak peek into the inside of my LBD, which I just recently finished and which I started as a part of my class with Susan Khalje in June. I've learned some great new couture techniques and want to share them with you.

Meanwhile, if you are interested in some couture-related books from my library, read my new post on Burdastyle



Thanks,
Marina

Fitting Shells Q&A

Enough of Muslingate! In this post, I only want to follow up on some comments regarding fitting shells. But, before I proceed, readers, here are my Miranda rights: I have the right to talk ;-), nothing I say here can be used or held against me anywhere in the blogosphere! This is my opinion and feel free to agree or disagree by leaving a comment (or quoting on your blogs). I am an avid fan of your comments, positive or else!!!

Ok, back to fitting shells. Some commenters on Burdastyle suggested using a fitting shell instead of making a muslin, some wanted to know more about them. So, here is some info and further reading, if you want to yield to yet another step in fitting commercial patterns. 

I say commercial patterns (or patterns made to fit some abstract body) because those patterns don't take into account your unique measurements and figure. If you use custom-made patterns, which are based on your personal sloper (or pattern template) or a draped design, you can skip this fitting-shell step altogether. 

Q: So, what is a (commercial) ‘fitting shell’?

A: Essentially, it’s a template pattern with seam allowances, which the pattern company uses to create all other patterns from. So, ideally, once you fitted the company’s fitting shell you should be able to easily fit all the other patterns from the same company. In other words, once you put the original fitting shell on a pattern from the same company you should be able to see the amount of design ease, dart manipulation or other design elements that were added to that pattern.

Q: So how does this fitting shell help me if it is based on some abstract measurements determined by a pattern company?

A: As such, it doesn't - you will still need to try it on and fit it!

Q: Are fitting shells from different companies the same?

A: No, they may differ depending on the company's target group. Theoretically, as an example, a fitting shell for a younger woman may have higher apex placement than a shell for an older woman. 

Q.: Does every company publish a fitting shell?

A: No. However, here a few ones that do:

Vogue Patterns for example has a dress fitting shell...

... and a pant fitting shell:

Here is the McCall’s version:

Butterick:

I am not sure if Burda has a fitting shell. They definitely had one, which was discontinued at some point.

Q: What about out-of-print (OOP) fitting shells?

You can still buy old ones on eBay or elsewhere, but the company's template pattern may have been updated since then. Does it matter? I don't really think so, since at the end you will be fitting the shell anyway. So, you may be better off making you own sloper / fitting shell (= a sloper with seam allowances)

Q: Can I make my own fitting shell?

A: With some patternmaking or draping skills, you can. Essentially, what you will be making is a personal sloper (a fitting shell without seam allowances), then adding seam allowances and fitting to refine the fit. Check out some resources and recommendations for you below.

Q: Do I still need a commercial fitting shell?

A: If you can make your own, you don't, unless you want to examine the relationship between the company’s ideal/fitting shell and their patterns. Design changes and decisions are more obvious when compared to the original shell, and this can be an interesting learning experience, but at the end what you need is a sloper that fits you.

Q: How do I adjust a commercial pattern with the help of a fitting shell?

A: By aligning center front and center back on both, as a start; by pivoting darts to line them up with the pattern shaping; by checking the correct position of the waistline, bustline, hips – these are just some steps. For more details check out my suggestions at the end of this post. 

Q: After I made adjustments on the pattern, do I still need to make a muslin?

A: I would, to fine-tune the fit, especially, if I am working with a fitted garment or expensive fabric, or fabric that requires matching. Whether you use a fitting shell, or not, learning how to adjust patterns before you make a muslin will often help you avoid several muslin fittings. Has it ever happened to you? I hate it, especially with pants or jackets.

Q: Where can I find information on how to fit a shell?

A: Threads Magazine had a great article on a fitted basic shell printed in October/November 1998 issue of the magazine, which also appeared on their website ten years later: The Merits of the Basic Fitting Pattern.

If it’s still confusing, check out this great discussion on fitting shells on PatternReview.com. 

Q: Where can I find information on how to create a sloper myself:

A: My favorite is a book by Suzy Furrer, “Building Patterns: The architecture of Women’s Clothing”. It contains a lot of information on how to create slopers and a moulage (a mold of the upper body from the neck to the hip).

Patternmaking and fitting e-books by Kenneth D.King are another excellent option, but be prepared to buy several books to cover all types of garments. 

Some people also recommend Fit for Real People by Palmer Pletsch, however, I am not familiar with the book myself.

Now, do I use a fitting shell? Hardly, I had a sloper for pants before pregnancy – and it was very useful. I now need to make a new one, because my figure has changed making pants fitting even more challenging. Apparently, according to one smart fitting book, I got ‘flat buttocks’. This comes from blogging, readers - I am sure! I should be exercising instead, right?!!!

What about you? Do you think fitting shells are useful? Have you attempted/ would you attempt to make your own sloper?

Muslingate

I am amazed and amused at how a simple post on making a toile turned into a Muslingate.

I am talking about my Burdastyle guest blog post. The post triggered lots of positive comments and great questions. Of course, some readers also explained how they never make a toile, or, even, how toiles are a waste of time. That’s ok, right? I believe in personal choice, and we all want to have an opportunity to express our opinions.

But there were also some pretty fiery comments, like the one Gertie decided to comment at on her blog. I read her post on Google reader, before, couple of hours later, she removed it from her blog.

“Enough people were irritated by my directly quoting a Burdastyle comment that I figured I should take my earlier post down lest I offend anyone else,” she said

Ok, here is the culprit:

“Unfortunately it seems to me that this one-upmanship in the couture standards (as if every single summer dress needed to be a work of art) has been muddled with working methods of past custom dressmakers, so that innocent beginners now thing it’s normal to muslin every t-shirt. As a result they have encouraged pattern companies to be even more slack in sticking to their defined sizes. So one now often needs to do a muslin when sewing up the big 4, which seem to be morphing from merely strange sizing to really all over the place. Sigh.”

I did comment on this on Burdastyle, readers. Nothing scandalous - be disappointed :-) but, seriously, do you think pattern companies are lurking in the blogosphere looking for a pretext for neglecting their jobs?.. or, is there really a need to protect ‘innocent beginners’ from negative side effects of muslin-making?..

Now, about directly quoting the comment here. I posted it, readers, because I have something to say about it. I know it may seem ‘frightening’ to some that a comment can be reposted and responded to, but that’s the essence of social media we all are part of– we act and react. There is nothing bad about it. We do want to be nice to each other, but we also want to be able to express our opinions, like that person who posted the initial comment on Burdastyle.

Now, do comment, criticize, argue, but ‘keep it civil’ as Gertie said. I believe constructive debates are very useful!


I am adding this edit after I read Gertie's comment that she intends to repost her post with some changes. I am looking forward to it!

New post on BurdaStyle and the winner of the Crescent Skirt Pattern

Readers, check out my next post on BurdaStyle blog! This week we toile, yay! Click the Burdastyle banner below to read the blog post



Now, the winner of Tasia's Crescent Skirt is...

...Creative Mama of Adithis Mama Sews. She said:

"I self draft my patterns, but would love to see how a commercial pattern is. Here, in India, we don't get commercial patterns for sale. I have downloaded a few of Burda's free patterns, but never have seen a commercial pattern with a cover, I would love to see how it works."

Congratulations, Creative Mama, and enjoy the pattern. I can only recommend Tasia's patterns, and check out her Sew-Along for the Crescent Skirt. Now, all you need to do is to send me a mail with your address at mvk(dot)fashion(at)gmail(dot)com.

Readers, I wanted to thank you for your suggestions for my Burdastyle posts. I will try to cover all of the topics you suggested, and as a small teaser, I am planning a post on boning and structure of a couture garment, will update you later on this one! Stay tuned!