Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Don't judge a book by it's cover.....

....or by quickly glancing through it's contents. It's day 6 of the Fearless February Sew Along and I'm trying to work out the fit kinks on my Burda 7192 pants muslin. I've been going through my library grabbing my fave pants fit books---reviewing materials just to make sure I'm not overlooking anything. In the midst of that I rediscovered a book I've had on my shelf for a good while now but really hadn't dove into it.

 When I first purchased this book I assumed it had very basic fit instructions and since I have LOTS of books on fit it just fell to the bottom of the pile. Well after flipping through it I realize it's a real gem. For one the photos of fit problems are very clear and so are the solutions. But the best part is I checked out the pants fitting section and low and behold I was quite suprised. The pants fitting section isn't overly exhaustive but immediately I FOUND MY FIT ISSUE outlined---right there in black and white. I mean there is an entire section devoted to my problem---which I really didn't know had a very descriptive name. It's a "Full Buttocks and Tilted Waist"! That's me!!!!!!!!! Short crotch in the front and long in the back!!! Out of all of the fitting books I have, I've never seen both issues addressed together and fit solutions offered.  See the fit suggestions below:




Now mind you this knowledge doesn't make my fit process any easier. The author says there's alot of trial and error needed to address these full butt/ tilted waist issues. I mean the first line of defense is to lengthen the back crotch curve which pulls due to lack of length. Other suggestions include scooping out the crotch, adding some to the outseam, etc. She also goes on to say that pants fitting isn't an easy process (I think we've all figured that one out) and that she sometime made upwards of 4 to 10 muslins to obtain a good fit. I think my jaw just fell off and hit the ground. There's just alot of big adjustments and small fine-tuning that sometimes has to happen. That sure is alot of muslins, but considering how much work it takes to perfect pants patterns it makes sense.

I'm happy to have discovered this info. It's nice to have a book that showcases "real" figures and fit solutions for them. This book is a great companion to Palmer Pletsch's "Fit for Real People".  Mind you I'm only on muslin #1 with Burda 7192  and still have a few more adjustments to make and alot of fine tuning. I hope I get closer with every step. I hope I don't get anywhere near to 10 muslins.......Hopefully with the in-depth suggestion above I won't have to:)

21 comments:

  1. Hi Victoria, Love your BLOG! Have you ever heard of Silhouette Pattern.com, I think you would appreciate her teachings. she host two monthly webcast, she offers DVDs on many different sewing issues and you can view all of her past webcast. She has done two webcast regarding pant fitting issues and she has a DVD focused on pants. When you have a chance check her out. You may have read an article of hers in Threads or Sew News...

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    1. Hi Sewnisha! I'm quite familiar with Peggy over at Silhouette patterns. I own a bunch of her DVD's (the muslin fitting one is great) and I have seen her pants webcasts. They're great too! I've even blogged about her. She discourages scooping out the crotch--where other teachers such as Sandra Betzina and Connie Crawford encourages. I've seen both her fit webcasts twice and probably will watch again for good measure (wink).

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  2. Wow, that's my pant issue right out there....mmmmm. Pant fitting is just too complicated, good luck fella:)

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    1. It sure is Aminat! It can be tricky getting the fabric to fit smoothly over the bumps and curves we all have!

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  3. I watched the pants fitting webcast at Silhouette Patterns and it was fabulous! I highly suggest watching that as well. You can never have too many options for fitting.

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    1. Hey Lady---I agree. I've actually seen them. Peggy's really good. I also went to a sewing expo and got to get on stage with her while she talked about pants fit. She addressed some of my possible fit issue and tugged at my bum a bit. We had some close contact that day LOL!

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  4. Just be patient. You're going for the "gold!" Any medal worth having is worth the effort!! Once you have that perfect fitting trophy in your hand, it will be worth all the muslins, even if it turns out to be 10.

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    1. I agree RhondaBuss, you're absolutely right! But I'm about 2 seconds away from just drafting my own pants pattern. I won't go there just yet. I'll keep at it. Hey, what can I say I'm a bit of a masochist and love a challenge.

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  5. I have both books and I will be taking another look at them again this weekend. You know, I bet if you had to make 4 -10 muslins (that would drive me round the bend), you would come out of it with 1) a great custom fit pattern and 2) a lot of knowledge on how to fit pants in the future.

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  6. Such positivity Nothy Lane! I feel the same way (although I think 10 muslins is just outrageous---that would drive me crazy too). But I'm aiming to get a great custom fit pant and I'm really impressed by how much I've learned on the subject so far! Hooray for learning, huh???

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  7. I love your blog! Specially the photos because they are so detailed and clear, I can really understand about your post. I followed you on GFC'! Maybe you can come by mine too and maybe follow each other? :) Thank you for this post! I can't wait to read more of your posts. More power to you!

    XOXO
    Your new follower,
    www.MusingsofaMakeupMaven.com

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  8. I'm struggling too, with pants at the moment. Some days I want to pull my hair out! We just have to keep at it until something clicks and have that "aha" moment.

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  9. Funny how I just pulled out that book as reference for a different project. Good luck with the pants. They can be tricky at times to get just right!

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  10. I LOVE this book. Got it about 8 months ago and it's my primary fitting resource. The fitting axis approach is basically draping, on yourself!

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  11. I too have and love this book. You can never have too many resources. TFS

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  12. Girl I gotta find this book, thanks for sharing. I am working on a skirt now, learning a lot of new stuff since starting Fearless February. I am still trying to get my blog going.

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  13. That is a great book Victoria. I just used it to help me out with the jacket I'm making.

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  15. All smiles,when I saw my butt on your blog. LMBO! I was Sarah's fit model for Full Buttock, Tilted Waist portion of the book! So happy my butt and the book was helpful to those whose rear resembles mine. I too love her book. Participating in Sarah's process for fitting my body type was extraordinary! I learned so much. I'm so fortunate she is right here in Baltimore!

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  16. Thanks for this review. I have the Complete Photo Guide but haven't used it yet. Sounds like it will help me a great deal.

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  17. That book is very good and helpful... and sure you will achieve the right fit.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and for following me on my 10,000 Hour Sewing Challenge:)

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