Friday, September 28, 2007

"Pimp My Pattern"

I'm trying to be a more creative sewer. I'm very good at sticking to the directions, but I'm a little afraid of going further. The best sewers, in my opinion, are the ones who use a pattern as a jumping off point and customize it into something more personalized. Isn't that one of the reasons we sew? I've changed patterns for fit, but I've never made changes purely for design. To build my confidence, I'm starting with a simple project for my first Adventure in Customizing. I want to change Burda 7882 into a simple long sleeved shirt without the bib.


















The bib seam originating from the shoulder serves as a dart, so I'll have to add a bust dart when I eliminate the bib. That should be the most difficult part of this project (she said with naive and enthusiastic hopefulness). I have two good resources: Shirtmaking by David Coffin and Make Your Own Patterns by Rene Bergh. I understand the theory of pivoting darts – I just have to put it into practice. Yes, I could have bought a pattern without the bib, but that wouldn't be a challenge. One can't improve one's skills without an occasional challenge.

4 comments:

  1. Good for you! Please post how it all works out and show the details. So true - no improvement without a challenge.

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  2. oooh - I can't wait to see waht you do!

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  3. Good luck! I think you'll do a wonderful job! It might be a good idea to make your first one in an inexpensive muslin to check the fit before cutting into expensive fabric. But I'm sure you'll have fun doing this!

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