#sewing reference

[lucerocosplay]

It's been a minute since my last bunny suit and I've been thinking about proper materials for the "merry widow" influenced interlining (I've settled on coutil, shocker I know). Since then, I found out about Little Blossom Darlings 1960's Playboy Bunny Project and it has been such a joy to see their updates. Early on in her research she dropped this gem, a 22 page document dissecting an original bunny costume. They really get to the meat and potatoes early on, and have excellent diagrams and notation. The best part? It's free to read & download (download requires a SCRIBD account) The secret darts built into the back panels were my biggest surprise, but it's also nice to see what my last suit had in common and areas to tweak in the future.

[beanbowlbaggins]

Medieval Cirilla Dress

Day One

I laid out my print out pattern and taped it together on my bed. Back pain level at 7/10.

Day Two

I laid out everything to measure and revise my pattern.

Day Three

I forgot to take a picture of my tracing step. I didn't have a colored chalk; all there was, was pink chalk for a pink fabric. I ended up using a water soluble pencil, which was really just a blue crayon.

I steam ironed for the first time. I realized I've never actually smelled fresh linen before, but I can see why it would be a popular candle scent.

I sat down in the evening to read up on historical hand sewing techniques. I have Bernadette Banner's book, Make, Sew and Mend: Traditional Techniques to Sustainably Maintain and Refashion Your Clothes.

[likeawildthing]

Anyway, these are my thrifted sewing books made in 1943. 1969, and 1976. I can sew everything except clothes, so I’m hoping to change that! I am tired of buying clothes that wear out quickly, aren’t made ethically, and don’t fit well. I find the evolution of domestic fashion history—silhouettes, prevailing wisdom, tools and techniques—fascinating! As I read these, I’ll share the weird snippets under “bonkers sewing” tag and helpful things under “sewing reference”.

[pippenpaddlopsicopolisthethird]

Tonight I'm starting an ambitious project (for me): tailored high-waisted pants! Entirely necessary for my Juri cosplay, and also I need to redeem myself.

The last time I tried to sew pants from scratch, I basically botched the whole job. My attempts at tailoring made them a full three inches too small at the waist because I didn't factor in either ease or the bulk of the fabric itself, and it was only because the waistband was trapped under about four layers of shirts and belts that i wore them at all.

So far I've been trying to wrangle a vintage pattern and I decided to write out my process since I'm combining techniques in a way that took me ages to figure out.

After two muslin mock-ups, the pattern would fit well on the waist, but turn way too baggy around the thigh. My alterations between the two mockups focused on changing the width at the outer side seams, and they didn't seem to fix this issue at all.

After a lot of head-scratching, I changed tacks. I pulled up a youtube tutorial on how to draft a pants pattern using a premade pair of pants that already fits you, using a pair of jeans that are snug and non-stretchy. Then I overlaid the resulting pattern onto the pattern I had been using.

And the culprit reveals itself! The front (first picture) is smaller all around, but both the front and back on my pattern have a much shallower crotch curve and a lot less space at the inseam than the printed pattern. Basically, they're making room for ass and thighs that I just don't possess.

Now I'm frankensteining what I want from each pattern and making a new mockup. I'm taking the higher waist, darts, and straight legs from the commercial pattern, and altering them to more closely match the crotch curve and leg width of my handmade pattern.

[marzipanandminutiae]

Lucille’s Robe Is A Fabric-Smuggling Operation

or, How I Resigned Myself To Spending My Tips For The Next Few Months On Silk Habotai

so, as some of you may know, I am finally attempting to realize my long-standing dream of owning Lucille Sharpe’s nightgown and robe from Crimson Peak. they’re gorgeous, they look very comfy, and I’m a big goth drama queen who’s been spending vastly more of her time in loungewear since last March

(is that about to change? possibly. but I’m still not exactly a social butterfly. badum-tss.)

I have a pattern that will probably make a good base for the nightgown on the way- Reconstructing History’s “women’s Irish leine” pattern, specifically. so I turned my attention to the robe

because like. you have to have the robe, obviously

and what I found was a secret method for getting a lot of Billow(TM) out of a relatively sleek garment. well, not exactly secret, but not easily noticed while watching a movie

P L E A T S

as you can see, the entire back is reverse-box-pleated. it only shows in close-up, but it means the robe sits relatively flat against her back while still being super-voluminous (and the neckline/front opening edges appear to be finished with self bias binding, though I might be “reading” that wrong)

the sleeves look like a top piece that’s also pleated, and an underside piece that isn’t. I...think the two pieces are joined at the back and left open in the front, not just completely unattached to each other? I’ll have to watch a bit more

I honestly can’t think of ANYTHING to use as a base pattern for this. I got lucky with the leine, but now I might have to actually drape/draft something more complicated than a 1920s evening gown bodice on my own body. for the first time

wish me luck

[zestyperiwinkle]

Mobile app tag navigation

[tenasilvertear]

Picked up this fitting book from 1963 called Sewing Pants for Women by Elsé Tyroler.

The intro has slain me.

[whiteantcrawls]

Chart for quickly converting fractions into decimals and back.

Numerators along the top, denominators along the left side.

Common sewing measurements are in 8ths and 16ths, so those columns are particularly useful.

This is handy if you are making lots of tubular shapes, or needing to convert circumference calculations into fractional measurements for pattern drafting.

An example: if you’re drafting an animal leg with a circular/oval foot pad, you’ll need the circumference of the circle to determine how wide the leg piece(s) will be. If your foot pad circumference measures 4.3125, you’ll need a leg piece that’s 4 and 5/16ths long to fit that foot pad’s circumference.