Would you please TNT with me?

I was going to write an entirely different post this evening. But before I went to type it, I flipped into my "following" to read a few blog posts...then I stumbled across Alexandra's post...*sigh* And I realized that my response to her post was best suited to a blog post of my own. Thus the title.."Would you please TNT with me?"

I wish I could give each and every sewist a TNT pattern for a top, a blouse, a dress, a skirt and a pair of pants. This pattern would be well-fitted, wearability tested, muslined and ready to be sewn in different fabrications. Then you would know the joy of taking said pattern, laying it down on a piece of fabric and just sewing it up! You would know and understand the sense of accomplishment that comes from making two skirts or two tops in a weekend and adding them to your wardrobe rotation!

And the beauty of a Tried and True (TNT) Pattern is that once you've worked out your fitting issues, you can use this basic pattern to create any look you want! Whenever I spy a design I like in a magazine, catalog, pattern book or even on TV, my first thought is can I cut up my TNT pattern to get this design? Only if I CAN'T figure out a way to work with my original pattern, do I venture into my pattern collection or the pattern catalogs.

For example - this is my basic TNT dress pattern:

This is one variation of it:

Here is another:

One more:

And here is the prizewinner (at least to me):

Let's look at skirts. How many different types of skirts are there really? Straight, bias cut, a-line and gored. Perfect the fit on a straight and a gored skirt pattern and you can do practically anything with it! My skirts are special only because I use unique types of fabric but most importantly ~ I only have two TNT skirt patterns:

4 gore skirt cut with a different back:

The fabric makes this one special:



Definitely the fabric combination making this one noticeable.

A set of summer skirts - made from my TNT 4 gore pattern - it's all in the fabric!

But Alexandra made an interesting point...you have to be comfortable with your body and your shape. It is real evident from my pictures that I am not a skinny minny and actually I'm a little plumper these days, but I accept myself for who I am. I am well endowed on the bottom, I just work that into the equation.

Please allow me one quick story - I remember when I worked in the garment district - one of my first jobs was working in a showroom. The showroom was in NYC but the production plant was in Boston. We had to travel to Boston every season to present a fashion show...don't ask me why, I no longer remember. However, one evening when we were out to dinner, I saw this beautiful plus size woman wearing the most amazing white gauzy outfit that put the skinny women to shame in the restuarant. I mean heads turned when she walked through the place and she wasn't famous. So I learned from that instance that it doesn't matter what size you are, it matters how much confidence you have in yourself...and that confidence will shine through especially if you are wearing a well-fitted beautiful outfit!

If you don't like you, no pattern will solve your issues. However, if you realize that no matter what size you are, yet you love who you are with all your figure challenges...you can make "magic" with your own TNT patterns.

So please pull out a TNT pattern, trace the pieces and cut them up. Make something a little different, use a different fabric, a new technique...but make something...and you too can make two skirts in a weekend...or one fantastic dress or an amazing pair of pants! So would you please TNT with me?!

**Now all posts have a disclaimer! If you just like trying new patterns and going through the gyrations required to fit them...please continue to enjoy the process! Or if you can make a pattern right out of the envelope...this just does not apply to you! Or if you are into pattern drafting and want to work with different patterns to get their styling...please continue to do so!

**End of disclaimer!