tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post1599378909636662174..comments2024-03-29T03:54:45.048-04:00Comments on Diary of a Sewing Fanatic: Do we as sewists really understand ease?Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic)http://www.blogger.com/profile/02204627216540667980noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-30775214480923539912010-03-21T02:16:23.104-04:002010-03-21T02:16:23.104-04:00I just bought this book and it is fabulous!I just bought this book and it is fabulous!Serendipity Handmade + Vintagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02299784281067703466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-9166533154420913222010-03-18T17:35:08.516-04:002010-03-18T17:35:08.516-04:00You are so right! I was just thinking about this,...You are so right! I was just thinking about this, too. I am sewing a dress for DD right now and making a muslin for niece this weekend. For both of them I am starting with a block, NOT a sloper. I am sure you know this, but a sloper is a skin-tight garment used as a basis to make a garment and, of course, you must add ease to achieve the style you want and any adjustments to improve the fit and comfort of the wearer. I said screw that, I am starting with a block for each girl. A block is just a basic dress pattern with the ease already established(withinput from the girls). Now I will have a basic TNT for each girl, just like you have your TNT. I'll add style features as needed, but for now, I am keeping it simple for myself. Learning about ease for all the different styles and different garments is a big undertaking.<br />i am not sure we give ourselves as much credit as we should, for learning SO MUCH about garment construction. oK, now I am going to read all the other comments.a little sewinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18086285440873869055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-71243075885311056812010-03-18T13:49:57.649-04:002010-03-18T13:49:57.649-04:00Great post. I'm still getting this all straigh...Great post. I'm still getting this all straight, but I've found that for me, using finished garment measurements (when included) and flat pattern measuring has helped me get the right fit. I like very little ease in my clothing, so I often find that I make a smaller size for the big 4 patterns than what the body measurement chart would suggest. I will say, though, this is SO frustrating for a beginner sewist.amberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12029076436322883513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-41586097488690960342010-03-17T09:07:59.790-04:002010-03-17T09:07:59.790-04:00I have the FFRP book, and after reading this, I th...I have the FFRP book, and after reading this, I think I need to go back and re-read (it's been a while). <br /><br />I know the pattern envelopes can only hold so much information on the back, but I wish they'd ditch the "description" (can see that from the line drawings) and add the high bust measurement the pattern was designed for, and the amount of ease included. Sometimes they aren't too consistent with the descriptions and actual ease in the patterns.JustGailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08948391538309176039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-56562327755910842692010-03-16T23:39:50.234-04:002010-03-16T23:39:50.234-04:00That is so true, Carolyn. I think after many year...That is so true, Carolyn. I think after many years of sewing, I am only now beginning to really understand the complexities of fit. When I was young (and didn't have as many fitting issues)I think my productions were a hit or miss as regards to fit. And I never knew how much ease to build in or take out. Now that my looks and my bod are gone, I am getting it. ROFL.... That PP book really helped me understand it better too.Stashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03064220415021728232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-91322552796014690302010-03-16T23:38:40.571-04:002010-03-16T23:38:40.571-04:00This post was really helpful! I'm just learnin...This post was really helpful! I'm just learning and made up Simplicity 2863 last night according to my measurements, and put it on to find that the sleeves fit great, but the rest was loose to the point that it looked like I had sewn two rectangles together. Had I thought to read the garment description I would have known to take 1'' off each pattern piece to begin with - lesson learned, thank you for being so helpful.Janahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10733768934905300849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-18849980413180296842010-03-16T23:18:33.507-04:002010-03-16T23:18:33.507-04:00Well said! I think an important factor in knowing ...Well said! I think an important factor in knowing how much ease one prefers is using TNT patterns. Over time and multiple garments from the same pattern, we arrive at just the right amount of ease, with only minor tweaks required to account for fabric differences.Alexandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11647360160775311798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-82438424826551945422010-03-16T22:45:27.578-04:002010-03-16T22:45:27.578-04:00Very good post.Very good post.KARIMAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15016716965565229162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-59703405229410928752010-03-16T22:33:53.789-04:002010-03-16T22:33:53.789-04:00Good post Carolyn! I am not particulary on the Pa...Good post Carolyn! I am not particulary on the Pattern company side, but really, how can they "fit" us all how we would like. It is up to us to work out what we want and to measure, read the pattern envelope (and dare I say) muslin it if we are not sure. That is why TNT's are so valuable!!Vickihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01529416439720810403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-92114444577110274332010-03-16T22:08:21.910-04:002010-03-16T22:08:21.910-04:00Good post and I totally agree with you. For me the...Good post and I totally agree with you. For me the ease is one of the first thing I look at when I get ready to use a pattern... this helps me to determine which size to select and if I need to make any adjustments. Fit for real people is one of the many books that I refer too often.....Opalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04682574238654122839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-9111483023103756242010-03-16T22:06:26.631-04:002010-03-16T22:06:26.631-04:00Amazing post. I have that book and I've read t...Amazing post. I have that book and I've read the chapter a few times. I'm pretty new at sewing, but I feel the secret to everything lies in the ease. I've been making bras lately and, finally, it occurred to me that they aren't fitting because the pattern is cut for some stretch in the cups but, for support, I've been using duoplex (a fabric with no give).K.Linehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15350615302797686048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-15105801412949201612010-03-16T21:32:44.324-04:002010-03-16T21:32:44.324-04:00Carolyn, you've hit the nail on the head! Onc...Carolyn, you've hit the nail on the head! Once we understand the minimum amount of ease that *we* prefer, fitting becomes so much easier. I don't like a lot of ease so I will often "use up" some of the design ease when fitting. If a garment is described as "very loose fitting" I may even choose to go down a size. <br /><br />I'm so glad you recommended FFRP. I own - or have owned - every fitting book on the market and consider it the best, easiest to understand, no-nonsense book ever written. People need to understand that there simply is no "magic formula" and that learning to fit oneself is a process that, with patience and care, can be learned and mastered.Gigihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07960046004728670898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-5553128335486924782010-03-16T21:13:59.308-04:002010-03-16T21:13:59.308-04:00great post. Understanding ease and how the patter...great post. Understanding ease and how the pattern is intended to fit is really necessary to understanding how to fit ourselves. In burda magazine patterns I've learned that I need to measure and figure out how much ease they have intended and if it coincides with what I prefer in my clothes. The size is just a number based on a set of measurements. Ease is what makes us happy or unhappy with what we sew.Nancy Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02235347323004026695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-14993581270671666282010-03-16T20:16:41.977-04:002010-03-16T20:16:41.977-04:00I also get highly annoyed when the pattern measure...I also get highly annoyed when the pattern measurements are inside on the pattern sheet. Duh...Are we supposed to just guess that this pattern will fit? Great discussion, Caroline.Bunnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03672695141031447916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-85930629611645510042010-03-16T20:14:09.534-04:002010-03-16T20:14:09.534-04:00I do not feel that you were lecturing at all, you ...I do not feel that you were lecturing at all, you gave invaluable information and it is important for people who sew or learning how me being in the latter. Thank youAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-83332415963165874382010-03-16T19:22:01.026-04:002010-03-16T19:22:01.026-04:00Hello Ease! Just this morning I was fiddling with ...Hello Ease! Just this morning I was fiddling with a bodice muslin trying to take out the excessive ease in the back. I didn't realize that those extra squiggles on the back in the technical drawing meant that the back would have so much extra fabric.<br /><br />But here's the "description" from the back of the envelope: "Dresses A, B, C, D in three lengths, with raglan sleeves or sleeveless, have front and back gathered bodice, self-faced neck band, back zipper, and gathered skirt..."<br />No word on just how crazy the back is there.<br /><br />And here's the "description" from the other dress that I am muslining (is that a word?):<br />"Misses'/Miss Petite dress in three lengths with bodice variations."<br />That's all. Seriously.<br /><br />With descriptions like those, all you have to rely on are the sketches, photos, and technical drawings. And if you only have a year or two of sewing experience, that's not much to make a decision before buying a pattern.<br /><br />In one of those patterns (I don't remember which) the instruction page reminds the sewist to check the measurement printed at the bust, waist, and hip on the pattern. But there is no bust point marked and there are no finished garment measurements to be found anywhere on the pattern pieces or surrounding paper.<br /><br />I am still learning about measuring the flat pattern, but it's annoying to be lead to believe that the information will be there and then not have it there.neighbourhood.galhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04312982850571575165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-3335885582302521422010-03-16T19:20:08.709-04:002010-03-16T19:20:08.709-04:00Great post and a wealth of information.Great post and a wealth of information.Sheilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03688900287732221253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-39684947561261054912010-03-16T18:41:02.922-04:002010-03-16T18:41:02.922-04:00Lately I have had the most success in picking my p...Lately I have had the most success in picking my pattern size, by looking at the finished size printed on the pattern. I really wish they would print this info on the envelope as I have been caught out buying to my measurements and then finding the ease is more or less than I like. I will try reading the descriptions more and see if that helps me - but the finished size would still be super helpful on the envelope!Suehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01023115170916061414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-53190091871014757632010-03-16T18:32:49.664-04:002010-03-16T18:32:49.664-04:00Measure, measure, measure! It is not so difficult...Measure, measure, measure! It is not so difficult to make MOST patterns fit as prefered IF the pattern is measured and compared to one's body. It takes time to measure a pattern from top to bottom and therein lies the problem.gwensewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05809115166600229262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-25007199435260358642010-03-16T17:48:55.923-04:002010-03-16T17:48:55.923-04:00Very interesting post, thank you. I've pretty...Very interesting post, thank you. I've pretty much given up on taking too much notice of what the pattern envelope says. I cut the finished size nearest my body measurements, make a muslin and tweak it from there. I'm still learning about what I like, so I will buy this book and add it to my library.Carolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11274649006496918800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-76127898064066174542010-03-16T17:44:32.885-04:002010-03-16T17:44:32.885-04:00I too have struggled with ease. Not simply in know...I too have struggled with ease. Not simply in knowing what kind of ease I prefer, but what amount of ease is integral to the style. <br /><br />For example, though I hate a very fitted garment, it took me a few failures, and a "Duh" moment before I realized that sewing tees for the current layered look meant I would have to make them much more fitted than I used to do. <br /><br />That has been the hardest thing for me, melding my personal preferences with the look of the current trends. I am going to check the book mentioned out of the library and have a look. <br /><br />Thank you for the recommendation.sewistafashionistahttp://sewstorebought.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-33885678577472808692010-03-16T17:14:37.231-04:002010-03-16T17:14:37.231-04:00You are so right about everything in this post. It...You are so right about everything in this post. It's the rare person that can just cut out a pattern and have it fit. Fit for Real People has become my sewing bible, and should be a must read for everyone who wants to avoid the homemade look. I'm particularly enamored with their tissue fitting process, which immediately lets you see how that particular pattern is going to behave. I've spent way more time on that part of the process than the actual sewing, and it's making a difference in my satisfaction with the patterns.Ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12191713016037761271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-25104978121613679622010-03-16T16:52:07.483-04:002010-03-16T16:52:07.483-04:00I think it is also important to experiment and lea...I think it is also important to experiment and learn what our own ease preferences are. For example, in pants I actually prefer very little to no ease at the waist and upper hips. My mother sees what I am drafting and says "How can you BREATHE like that?" I see how she fits her patterns and ask "Why do you insist on wearing clown pants?" Even if the pattern companies adhere to their own ease guides, if you are the kind of person that just prefers tighter clothes, you will always feel like you are swimming in something designed to be loose-fitting. <br /><br />Self-awareness is so important, so if we do not take the next step to learn (and document!!) our own preferences, then everything we sew will feel a bit "off." Once you learn your preferences, you can zip right through your flat-pattern measurements, and have a great starting point for your alterations!Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04873478695914665795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-33871542512093936842010-03-16T15:48:19.393-04:002010-03-16T15:48:19.393-04:00I do read the fit words, but things I"ve been...I do read the fit words, but things I"ve been sewing for myself turn out too large, usually at the places I myself need more (bust, mainly). I am starting to think I need less ease than I'd assumed. <br /><br />I'm making a choli-style top (for bellydancing) and your article comes at an opportune time for me. Hopefully I will have more luck this time around!<br /><br />I agree with Gertie's observation of RTW / patterns.kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08183686721305419157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20705637.post-41247408606934612992010-03-16T15:41:07.350-04:002010-03-16T15:41:07.350-04:00Another note, the thing that bothers me is the lac...Another note, the thing that bothers me is the lack of length in the bust area. If it has an empire line, it falls in the middle of my bustline, not below like it should. Very aggravating... I count on having to lengthen it a bit. And I am a short person :)Myrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16163175961766563965noreply@blogger.com