New Crafts Part Two: A Permanent Sewing Pattern

Okay, so the pictures aren't great. (Click on the individual pic to get a better look) Here's the scoop. I made a sleeveless shell for myself out of this great green batik material I found on sale at JoAnn's Fabrics.

Simplicity 4552 is the pattern if you're interested. Here's the link:
http://www.simplicity.com/dv1_v4.cfm?design=4552

Very simple pattern! Only four pieces to cut -- front, back, neck facing, armhole facing. Big deal. Took me only a few hours to stitch it together.

Now here's the big deal. Note the charms hanging from the neckline? Those are leaf charms I got in the beading department for $2 for a whole bag. I used a pair of needlenose pliers to close the wire loops a bit tighter, measured from the center line, and marked at one inch intervals. Then I hand-stitched the beads on while I watched TV last night. Voila! A unique sleeveless shell with a secret pagan theme.

You see, I believe in wardrobes unique to the individual. I'm also a plus-sized woman. By sheer luck, my mother and both grandmothers also were home seamstresses with a belief in saving a dollar. I sewed my very first outfit at the tender age of twelve and wore it proudly. I made clothes for my children whenever I could, and that wasn't as often as I should have.

Now that I'm older and have more time on my hands, I love to make homemade items. Last year it was teddy bears for author gifts and family. This past winter it was fleece no-sew blankets and warm costumes for my grandchildren's Halloween.

This summer, I'm sewing for myself. I need new clothes desperately, and I absolutely refuse to pay the extortionary rates "Plus Size" shops sell for my size clothes, and in the most insipid colors imaginable. I don't give a rat's patootey what the latest fashion colors are, I look terrible in warm tones. When a simple suit of a tunic top and elastic waist pants will cost $40+ to purchase, I head to JoAnn's where I can spend about half that if I already own the patterns I want to use.

Here's a trick for those who already know how to sew: Buy a good pattern you like and enough of the cheapest muslin you can find to make all the outfit pieces you like. Stop by the notions department and purchase a can of Dritz Spray Adhesive. (Find this stuff! It eliminates the need for pins while cutting patterns.) At home, gather up a good Sharpie and your best fabric shears. You might want to make sure you have a good supply of Ziploc 2-gallon bags handy as well.

Cut out all the tissue paper pieces. Now lay out the muslin in a single layer and "dry fit" all the tissue pieces on the material. Lift each piece of tissue and spray the muslin with the adhesive. Return the tissue to that area. When all the tissue adheres to the muslin, cut out your pattern pieces. Now use the Sharpie to mark all the dots, darts, and triangles as well as the pattern number, piece number, and any other notes like "Cut on fold" or "Cut One." These will now become your permanent and much more durable pattern pieces, so attention to detail is paramount. As you remove each piece of tissue, carefully fold it and return it to the envelope for safekeeping. Once you're done, you can now put the pattern envelope and your muslin pattern in the ziploc bag. Make sure the envelope shows so you can find the pattern you need easily.

Now you won't ever have to worry about a torn pattern piece or one that falls apart where you have to use a tracing wheel ever again. Even better, a Ziploc bag is water and insect proof for storage.

Advanced seamstresses: Do you find yourself always altering a certain pattern to fit your unique shape? (Example: I am very long-legged. I always have to add a few inches to pants legs and skirts. For some reason pattern manufacturers don't consider "tall" a problem size, but they do for petites.) Make a muslin pattern piece with the alteration included. It's your pattern, darn it. Make it fit YOU.

The above advice also works if you want to use a regular size pattern and you're a plus size. There's a vest pattern I love which the largest size available was 18 Miss. Sorry, I'm a 28 Women. I laid the pattern pieces down and cut three inches outside the lines to make a larger version. I basted the whole thing together to make a muslin version of my vest. With a few adjustments, I had a vest in the size I needed. The pattern instructions don't differentiate. It's "sew this, now sew that." I took out the basting and had my pattern. (Screw you, designers for skinny women!)

Don't know how to sew? You can either find a friend to teach you, or pay for a class at JoAnn's if there's one handy to you. Machines can run as little as $150 in WalMart, and there's even an embroidery machine that not only does the simple stitches needed for everyday sewing but also time-saving embroidery stitches available at the touch of a button. Who says we can't have fun?