We are going forward with Kerise, it has been a while since her last class, she has been a bit under the weather but much better now. 

We had some challenges with technology at the beginning of the class but got it sorted out and then proceeded to have a great class on how to "read" a mock up!  We discussed the "drag" and "pull" lines and what they mean.  They are tell tale signs of where to make any adjustments especially around the bust area where there are always numerous issues with anyone who has a slightly larger bust line.  Does this sound familiar?  Well Kerise was very excited to learn some new tricks that can only be done at the drafting stage to address some of these issues.  Taking into account all of these factors will sculpt the garment right to the body giving that elusive perfect fit we all strive to find. 

The one thing I tell my students is they shouldn't try to draft from memory at this stage, it is too stressful and unnecessary when one is just starting out, it takes time, patience and practice to learn the steps in pattern drafting it can't be hurried no matter how badly we want to move on.  Eventually the muscle memory will kick in and it will become second nature but until then, follow the book. 

Homework is to take into account the adjustments discussed to make the base dart larger by taking the ½ shoulder width on the pattern BACK to see if the shoulders need to be taken in, if so mark the amount that needs to be taken in and record it.  Go back to the base dart and enlarge it by the same amount, this will ensure there will be no gaping at the armholes on the front. 

The next adjustment was the sway-back adjustment to remove any excess fabric that is bunching at the waist on the back.  This is done by pinching out the amount on the body from the centre back to feathering it to the side seams.  It will resemble an horizontal dart that will be closed and eliminated getting rid of the bunching.  *** NOTE***  the back darts may need to be re-drawn to be straight and the centre back line may need to be smoothed out if the horizontal dart is too deep. 

Create a new mock up for the sheath taking into account all the adjustments discussed in class to see the difference between the ‘before’ and ‘after’ mock ups. 
Once this is done then go on to the princess and mock princess seams shown on pages 44-45.  Create a mock up for the princess seam.  Next class we will continue with these styles and be adding to them. 

Great job!!

A great big welcome to my new student Julien!  A wonderful boy who has enough enthusiasm to learn sewing for all of us!  He is so bright and full of energy asking very intelligent questions as we were going over the Basic Terminology of Sewing paper, normally very dry but he seemed to be very engaged asking questions when something was not clear, which is exactly what a teacher wants!  Julien has a natural understanding of sewing plus the very first time using his sewing machine, his stitching lines were very straight, very enthused as to how many different stitches he can do with it, and this was just on paper with no thread! 
Even though it's his first class there is homework:
Homework is to hand baste piece of fabric as shown in class, pin dart provided on tissue to fabric that is on the fold, tailor tack the dart to see the shape once the paper is removed.  Remove the paper, open the layers and snip the thread to end up with two separate pieces of fabric with a dart on each side.  Do as many of these as you can to a max of 10, sew some of them together as shown in class.  Continue experimenting with the different stitches on fabric using thread this time to see how they work. 
Next class we will be starting the pin cushion using a shoulder pad as a base.  Bring some favourite pieces of fabric and possibly trim to make the cushion. 
Have a great week!

Fitting the female body is tricky and one needs to understand how the lines on the paper transfer to the fabric.  After the initial trial of the mock-up we need to make the adjustments to the paper pattern pieces and master pattern to reflect our findings.  I don't think I have encountered anyone who needs no personal adjustments made on the initial pattern!  This is a fact of life so when I see students getting down on themselves and complain their bodies are not perfect I give them a good finger wag and tell them there is no such thing as perfect, not the body, nor the pattern when one is starting out in the world of pattern drafting.  Kerise has done a wonderful job of fitting herself with the mock up for the very first time drafting her own pattern and trying it on!  She is sooooo excited with the result as am I!  There are a few issues that she will address with the next pattern and mock up to see if we are on the right track, I'm sure the top/dress will fit very well.  
We did quite a lot of work in a short period of time yesterday and alas there is homework

Homework is to:

1. make adjustments on sheath dress pattern according to our class discussion, sew a new mock-up with the adjusted pattern to try on.  (Gaping at the centre front, front armhole is too far forward and needs to be taken back, back armhole can be scooped a tiny bit around the base of the arm, use 8 cm base dart, take in just below the waist as pinned)
   
2. Draft and sew a princess and mock princess dress or top mock-up as shown on page 44 – 45 taking into account findings from the sheath pattern 
   

What a pleasure it has been to see this young woman grow in her sewing abilities!  Over the past two years I have seen Krissy go from an anxious student to a confident woman who knows what she is doing and trusts her instincts in solving problems and creating some pretty awesome garments!  The blazer being the final one in the series of garments from book one, the one that will be graded because when a person can successfully create a blazer, they can successfully create anything. 
Krissy is part of the Bradford class and could not make the last class to finish the blazer so she opted to book private classes to make up the lessons which are pretty intense so we decided to take it slow and do it in two sessions instead of one. 
Today she did quite a lot of hand sewing, something I could not possibly explain over the phone she had to see it and I had to see how she completed it to be successful which she was! 
There is homework:  install sleeves on to jacket as discussed in class, tack the canvas to the shoulder incline seam allowance as well as the arm cye with a long running stitch, cut out the rollino using the template given out of bamboo batting to be ready to add the rollino as well as the shoulder pads next class. 
Next class we will be finishing the blazer by "bagging" the lining, finishing the hem and sleeves and hopefully adding the buttons and buttonholes for the finishing touch!  looking forward to it!!