Sandi S
Sew Crazy for Disney!
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2009
Sorry for skipping some things, I will go back shortly to quote and comment on all your lovely projects, but I have a QUESTION for SANDI OR any other people experienced with sewing clothes from commercial patterns
I picked up these 3 patterns today:
McCall's M5391
McCall's M6354
Vintage Vogue V8789
And I'm trying to begin figuring out what SIZE to sew for myself. I usually wear a size 4 or Small in RTW clothes, but when I use my measurements that I take (bust/waist/hip/etc.), according to the pattern sizing I would be a Large for the tunic, a size 14 for the vintage dress, and the shorts. I even rechecked to make sure I was getting the measurements the right way, and I AM! I tried looking up the patterns on the pattern review site Sandi reccomended, and no one seemed to say the patterns are sized small SO I guess I'm asking is it NORMAL that I would need to make such a bigger size off a pattern as opposed to something I buy off the rack??
SANDI HELP ME OUT! I KNOW you just sewed the Vintage Vogue recently!
okay, thanks so much for I am but a wee grasshopper.
Sunshine
The pattern industry standardized their sizing (among the big 4 - Simplicity (by extension, now New Look, too), McCall's, Butterick, and Vogue) about 40 years ago. The pattern that has held most true for me was to go two sizes up from RTW, BUT you need to pay attention to the finished garment measurements, consider your fabric,and how you want the garment to fit.
I'm extra gifted in the bust, so I did a large amount of altering to the bodice of the dress - add length, not just width if you need to adjust the bust. I have made that shorts pattern and they are pretty true to the size as far as using your measurements matched up with the pattern.
I would highly recommend checking out Pattern Review and see how the pattern worked out for other people.
It is very common to be totally off from your RTW size when dealing with commercial patterns. I always go by the FINISHED measurements listed on the pattern (I know simplicity and mccalls furnish this I havn't sewn a Vogue lately)
If you are bigger than a B cup your shirt & upper dress sizing may be tricky....typically if you are and the pattern is really fitted (I'm thinking of that vogue dress pattern you had) you will probably need a full bust adjustment. It makes a world of difference in the fit. It seems complicated at first but once you learn your alterations they are the same every time you make something....so it's worth the time to learn.
I highly recommend "Fit for Real People" by Patti Palmer it's a great fitting book that shows you how and why patterns are what they are....and how to fix them.
Get that book!!
Hi Everybody,
I have been reading all the posts and I love everything I've seen. My minor surgery did not go as expected. I am fine now but I was having surgery to remove my medi-port that I've had in place for several years. They believed that there was a leak in it but it turned out that it was completely broken. When they had me in the surgery and went to pull out the port a piece of it slipped into the artery in my neck and was carried down to my heart where it was lodged. They had to do an emergency procedure to go and get the piece out of my heart. I am fine and only have a small extra incision but haven't felt really great or energetic yet. I will be completely healed in a couple more days though. It was a close call and I am glad that it happened in the hospital because if the piece had lodged in my heart while I was at home, it might have had some terrible consequences.
Scary! I'm glad you are okay. Get some rest.
I stitched out a really cute Aloha Minnie Mouse onto a dress for me - I'll take a picture after I add Mickey playing a ukelele under a palm tree...