Pin Pricked Pattern

Did you notice my obsessive compulsive tendencies? That I'm somewhat tenacious? I get a question in my mind and it becomes an all consuming passion to answer. This weekend, it's been more about stretch jeans. I am SO CLOSE.

After thinking that it wouldn't work for me, I gave Heather's suggestion for a fish eye dart a lot more thought along with Kris' and Katherine's (on Stitcher's Guild) suggestions for a protruding calves adjustment. The way I see it, a fish eye dart is similar to a sway back adjustment under the butt and a protruding calves adjustment is like a FBA adding length and width where needed.

Yesterday, I spent a few hours sitting around in the third adaptation of the jeans. They became a muslin. I pinned, basted, and tucked this and that to test alterations while at the same time watching to see how much the fabric stretched out over the afternoon. Wow - a LOT! I won't bore you with more in process pictures. Suffice to say that some pretty darn amazing - the best so far - jeans are coming soon.

On Saturday, I wore the turquoise print jeans and by the end of the day, the crotch was an inch lower with all over major bagging. They became so exceedingly unflattering that I can't wear them. It's just not pretty. I'd have altered them except that raising the waist would also have raised the hem creating flood pants. The pattern was surprisingly short, which is not a problem I typically have.




I know that I said I wouldn't go to Fabricland. I did because I LOVE THAT FABRIC and it was 70% off and almost all gone. I bought enough for another pair of pants (for under ten bucks) and refashioned the first pair into a skirt - a sort of copy of the one above.




I created a pin pricked pattern by laying table paper on the ironing board and pinning through the skirt. Using the window as a light table, connecting the dots produced the rough drawing below. This is the finished size with no hems or seam allowances.




The rough drawing was fine tuned into the actual pattern adding curves and darts as needed. The back was split into two panels so it could be cut out of a pant leg.




Once the pattern lines were drafted, I made a clean copy and added the seam allowances and hems. In the image below, the green lines show the seam lines and the pink the added 5/8" seam allowances.




This is a fabulous project. It's curious and challenging because it's a self-drafted copy of a RTW piece that I like, it refashions an existing garment from something useless into something wearable, and it allows me to explore a new technique while contributing to my learning around stretch fabrics. YES YES.

My primary goal was to copy the comfort waist from the Reitman's skirt. The width along the top of the waistband appeared to be the same as at the bottom with the transparent elastic snugging it into shape. Below, I've slashed and spread the top of the pin pricked pattern for the back waist to equal the bottom.




Here you can see the waistband attached to the body of the skirt. The body fits snug and the top of the waist is loose on Millicent. I want to wear the skirt for a couple hours and see how much it stretches before I finish the side seams, hems, and waistband. The pattern is based on the size that Reitman's (the store selling the skirt) suggests I buy. The width and the waist treatment are both transferable information to stretch jeans.




The side front and side back pieces were cut from the bottom of each pant leg. The center back piece was shortened and cut from the top of one pant leg. Remnants were used to make the flounces for the bottom back. One could have been cut from the other pant leg and if I'd been short on fabric that would have worked as long as the seam through the center (side seam on the pants) was pressed open for less bulk. Luckily, I had enough remnants for the flounces and the waistband pieces.




I'll wear the skirt this morning while I work on the pattern adjustments for the jeans and finish it once I see how much the fabric stretches. Over the last couple weeks, I've learned a lot about sewing stretch fabrics and stretch jeans. The learning will be somewhat different for non-stretch ones - a whole new journey.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - getting the garden cleaned up yesterday. Now it's off my mind and looking much better.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Personal Growth - Good friends, take to heart what I'm telling you; collect my counsels and guard them with your life. Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding. That's right -- if you make Insight your priority, and won't take no for an answer, searching for it like a prospector for gold, like an adventurer on a treasure hunt, believe me, before you know it Fear-of-God will be yours; you'll have come upon the Knowledge of God. And here's why; God gives out Wisdom free, is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding. He's a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well, a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere, he keep his eye on all who live honestly, and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones. - Proverbs 2

Being a candid person means frequently dealing with shoot the messenger syndrom. Having a personal body guard is a comforting thought. I've often considered that praying for wisdom is along similar lines to praying for patience. The lessons will come. Sometimes, I'd rather duck. I don't want to find the silver lining in whatever situation I'm in. I'd rather whine. Luckily, not always. Life is forever full of lessons. As much as I am able, I want to learn and to gather wisdom and understanding. A passion, interests, and compelling questions all make life richer.