Claire Kennedy Design

Burda BWOF 2/2009 - #127

OK - There's been a lot of consternation about this pattern and it does have some problems.  I'm not sure where Burda is headed here with this, but I decided that there was enough about it that I liked, to make it up....only I'm going to use it a little differently.

Here's the original look

But I can't tell a thing without the tech drawing:

This does have some rough spots, as Lindsay T and Dawn, both discovered.....Lindsay felt this was too much like a maternity look, and Dawn really tried to make it work. 

First are the lines...those lines coming from the neck to the bottom are all wrong....they will always make you look fatter - thin at top (close together) and thick at bottom (further apart.  But for the same of this, I'm going to leave those lines the same, I'm just going to add a little shape.

The next thing is on Dawn's image of her muslin, she notes that the sleeve head is very dropped.  This is a very definite design issue, and if it was going to be so bothersome to me, then I wouldn't have even thought of this pattern.

But I decided I wanted to use this as a summertime loose casual jacket, as I'm always getting chilled at night or in the grocery store (can they turn the thermostat up just a little? Puhlease!), so I'm going to add a little sleeve detail that will make this more of a casual jacket.

Then I'm going to take in the waist

OK - this looks a little cinched-in, but I'm used to "drawing" with my needle so the lines from the underarm, to side hems will be smoother and less curvy....so too of that center dart/seam.  Hopefully by taking up the same amount on each side of the seam, it will remain straight to the eye, but fit at the bust - at least that's "Plan A"!

Next is the back:

This needs a little more work...that pleat has to go, and those seams in back, which are very weirdly laid out in the pattern, aren't a good line.  So I took the pleat out, and instead added two back darts on that "pleat line" and took out the original back piece seam all together. 

Let's jump ahead one day....

Here we go

I lightened this up a lot so you could see the lines, but I think it came out really well.  I even inserted two small pockets in the seam at the bottom - love a pocketed jacket.


In the back, I removed the pleat and then took the line where the pleat was, and made a dart in the waist.

One word about the dart in the waist and side and front seams.  I do a line that Armani does.  what this means is that I take in the most amount right above the waist line, and then gradually come down to hug the hip.

If you snug in too close to the waist right at the waist line you get this look:

Now you can see what a "bump" - an artificial one - this makes on your hips.  This line actually accentuates your hips and make them look bigger - oh boy!!! Just what we are all looking for.

But if you do this line:

Ok - the actual nip in the waist is above the waistline and therefore a smoother line dropping to your hip, and makes your hips look so much smaller, even though the waist is nipped in the same amount here as in the above photo.

OK - that's today's lesson

But one more thing:

Isn't this a cool button - another part of my flea-market collection.  This was a real find, cause there were 6 buttons in this collection!

Thai Fisherman Pants - Part Deux

OK - to be honest, I wasn't really pleased with that last pattern.  It had some problems with how it hung, and the width of the legs.  Granted there was the foul-up of the width of the fabric, that pattern has to be cut on 60" width (foldover) or on 45" or 36" widths, one length per total width of fabric.

So I downloaded ($2.50) the burdastyle.com pattern (click here) and it has a ton more style....

but some guy (it certainly wasn't a gal - no offense meant), must have put this together, cause it was really hard to work through how to get these together....so I did up some more detail instructions, here. 

The first thing is to remember to cut out the pieces correctly!  No smart remarks, thankyouverymuch, I do know how to cut out, but it's hard when the pieces aren't marked...so here they are to make it simpler. (click the picture below to enlarge).

OK - now that you know what the pattern pieces look like, you can put them together better.  Here's what I did (at least this is the correct method, doesn't count the other methods, which I'm sure would result in much more creative look!!!)

OK - here's the part that gets tricky - you must cut all pieces on the same right side of the fabric.  IOW, you would normally cut the curve piece & crotch piece one side up and one side down.  In this pattern, you cut them both side up.  Why - well, look at the assembly....the front and back are exactly the same with the crotch piece located on the right side (as viewed here) of the front, and when you turn the pants around in back, they are located on the left side - not the right side as you might normally put together a pattern.

Have I confused you?   Well, good now you know how I felt putting these suckers together.  Combine that with my dyslexia, and you got a real hornet's nest of a problem!

Not to labor the point, but here's the layout:
 
When you cut out the curved piece & crotch piece, remember to cut them both out on the same side, which means when you cut on the normal lengthwise fold (pretend this is 60" wide so this is a 30" fold), you will cut one set of curve & crotch piece on right side, then cut the other with the pattern piece side up on the right side, again.  Does that make sense?....if it doesn't email me.  And then pdf instructions should help you out with this.

OK - now that we've gotten that part out of the way - (and so as not to make this post too long), then next one, which you won't have to wait for - is about some variations!!!

Enjoy!

Thai Fisherman Pants - Part Deux - continued

If you haven't read my laborious "hot to" on these, it's the post right before this one, but decided not to wait on the

VARIATIONS!!!

OK - here's the fun part....

The next thing I'm going to do is add some buttons
here.....

and here....

I like that the pants are adjustable, but I'm tired of constantly pulling in these pieces. Now for some of you this may not be a big deal, for me it is - I fidget - what can I say!!!

This is where I would put the button holes - on either side of the side seam, at the same distance from the top as the tie placement - like this.

Then put the button placement where it is comfy in front. I put 4 buttonholes in all...two on the back and two on the front about 1" from the side seam.  So you will have 2 buttonholes 1" from left seam in front and back, and  2 button holes 1" from right seam in front and back.  When you fold on the side seam, the button will fit through 2 buttonholes...the front first then the back on top.  (I'll do this on my pants and put a picture in here, but my pants are dark, so will be hard to see - sorry there isn't more visual here!)

OK - update....here's a pic of those buttons/buttonholes

 

Those tabs on there are to add strength to the one-layer fabric, but I also like the way the look.

Over those buttons, I tie the tie

 

I'll be honest - I like this look a lot - don't need to roll or fold it down.

Remember this is not permanent....if you thin up  or out grown them, just move the button over as you need to.

The next thing is that, I would like the tie placement a little higher.

This means that the fold over isn't so bulky on my waist and (heaven forbid) hips.  This is just a little tweaking for me.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaah - that we could all have abs of steel....

But alas, we can't....

But I didn't include these pictures to make you feel badly - I included them because there's some style points to remember on these pants....these are of an oriental feel, and to keep that feel, the pant leg must be full - that's part of the look. 

Here are some style points to remember on these pants:

1. To thin the leg up - no matter what the style is today, is to lose the original feel and style of this pant.  I'm a purist, and I believe that if you're going to copy or adapt a certain historical or ethnic style, then you need to be true to it - this is why the Nehru jacket does not have a scoop neck.
2. The other part of this is that not only must the pant leg be full at the base, but it should be boxy, especially if you're using a stiff linen.  If you're using a bamboo or hemp, the pant will naturally  hang differently and this is OK.  
3. As in the pictures above, don't be afraid to use a different fabric for the top piece.  I like the idea of a darker fabric for the bottom and a lighter piece for the top - this makes your legs and hips look smaller, but I just like the idea of a contrast.  It's a nice touch.
4. This pattern also makes some pretty nice shorts.  Again, they have to be boxy, and I like them just below the knee.  Read my proportion post about proportion for all you shorter gals out there for the hem on these shorts.

I also like the patchwork look of these shorts with the darker top/belt piece.

OK - hopefully I haven't bored you to tears, but I found these pants very interesting and a lot of fun!

Thai Fisherman Pants

This is a fun pattern and has a lot of pluses to it, but next time I do this, there will be a few changes.

Here is the pattern, courtesy of mediatinker.com, which I redid just a smidge to make it a little more usable...inches and cm.

The first thing to remember is that you need 60" fabric to cut one on fold, OR lay out one piece on your 45' or 36" fabric, unfolded and cut only one length at a time.

I also will widen the bottom of the leg a big - up to 4" to 6"

I think these pants work better with a thicker leg.  I'll mess around with this pattern and see what I can come up with for a pattern.  The one I have currently has the thinner leg.

Also I think these do better in a very drape-y light-weight fabric, than anything too stiff.

The fold on the top should also be a little more contained.  Also I like this side pocket - nothing wrong with that and I love pockets in pants!

OK - more on this as the pattern develops.

Girlie girls

OK - before I start, this is not a blog against or for any sexual orientation - we are all what we are and it's not my job to be in charge of all that (thank heavens!).  So pardon me while I rant.

Now, that said, I do get a little upset that women who have some looks don't seem to get as much authenticity and/or legitimacy often simply because they look cute, pretty or just plain ol' good lookin'.

Now today there's a study that comes out that says almost the same thing.

The study says that Palin was not thought of as bright as.....

What?  The thinking on the study was that not as much is expected from Angelina as from Sarah, therefore Sarah appeared less bright/smart as Angelina.

To a certain extent I suffer from this.  I may not be an Angelina nor a Sarah, but I ain't bad to look at either

And there are times, more often than not when my smile and pleasant demeanor is misread as being weak, stupid and just basically an airhead, much less capable of making a coherent, complete and cognizant decision.  Really irritating. 

Another example:

Wow!!!  Isn't she cute?

But don't mess with her - she knows how to beat the socks off your women's basketball team.  She's a real deliverer.  She brought a program that was not only bad, but about to close, to national prominence - and that doesn't come from just her good looks!!!

OK - I feel much better now.  So it's OK to look pretty AND be smart too!!!  Let's knock their socks off!

Thank you for letting me rant!!!

Class info for Summertime Coverup, June, 2009

Welcome to the Summertime Coverup Tunic Class.

Click here to download pdf notification.

This class will be held at the Bernina North Store at 6817 N May Ave.  Please call the store at 840-8911 to register for the class.

The class will be held June, 17, 18, 19 with an optional class on 20th for those who feel they want another class.  The cost for the class will be $75 with an additional $25 for the 4th day.  Each class session will start at 10 a.m. and go to 2 p.m.  Bring something for lunch or there's a pizza place close by to buy something for lunch and we'll have a short break for lunch.

On Saturday May 16, I will be in the North Store, and invite students to bring their pattern and fabric ideas and I will help them select both pattern and fabric.  I will also be happy to make suggestions about fabric shops.  In addition, I will take measurements of students and provide you a measurement chart so that you can size your pattern and fabric yardage accordingly.  I encourage my students to be creative and think outside the box which doesn't necessarily mean harder or more work, but results in a more creative result!
 
I love sewing and want to pass on the joy of sewing to my students, but just as much I want to empower you to experience the satisfaction from creating your own designs then seeing your designs come true.  You can dream what you want, and watch it take shape and wear it with great pride.

My bio is here on my web page, but more than that, I specialize in fitting.  I have had clients tall, short, small and large, from a dwarf to amputees and clients who are wheel-chair bound.  All of them had not only special physical needs, but fitting needs as well to make them "look" as good as they could in the circumstance that their physical shape allowed.  Once you can fit yourself and feel and look good, you will be hooked on creating your own designs.

Student supplies:

OK - your's doesn't have to look like this (this was a once-in-a-lifetime neat pose of my tools!)  Here are some tools you will need:  Pattern, fabric, interfacing, cutting shears (regular scissors), trimmers (shorter scissors or trimmers), pins, measuring tape, sewing machine, seam ripper, thread and anything else you think you might like to have for sewing.  I will check, but I believe Bernina will provide irons for us.

Some sewing basics that you will want to know before class are

• how to operate and sew on a sewing machine
• be familiar with basic pattern markings
• basic fabric knowledge, straight of grain, lengthwise and widthwise of fabric

So if you have any questions or would just like to inquire more about the class - respond to this blog, and I will get right back to you!

I hope you can join me while we have a lot of fun creating something new for you!