Choose for You!

...choosing the right design lines for your personal body shape is what I'm talking about.  I get asked so frequently to offer information on what styles look best on any given body shape.  As all of you know who read this blog, Sure-Fit Designs is all about getting the best fit possible for your unique body shape and that's very definitely achievable when using SFD.  Now, once you get your fit all worked out, which so many of you have accomplished in spades, what style of garment to sew that is most flattering to your figure is a whole other topic.  I'd love to be able to wear yet another 'business hat' so that I could offer you that information, but alas, there are simply not enough hours in my day.

Enter in Inside out Style blog...Easy Style Solutions for Every Woman, by Imogen Lamport (from Australia).

Imogen does a fantastic job of helping you to identify your body shape.  Whereas I often refer to body shapes as 'heart', 'diamond', 'rectangular', Imogen uses the letters of the alphabet, like A, H, I, O, V, & X.  And when you think about this, it makes sense.  Click on Body Shapes Explained.

Imogen offers information on just about every body part you can imagine - arms, shoulders, legs, hips and bottom, bust line, as well as for plus size, petites and generally creating an overall look for visually slimming.

Imogene writes about a wide variety of topics relating to style, body image, body shape, face shapes etc.  This blog is a wealth of information.

One of her recent blogs was on self-image and aging.  As I look in the mirror everyday and see a few more wrinkles and a little more of my scalp (yikes!), I have to remind myself that fortunately I'm above ground and still able to see these things.  And, hopefully, a little wiser too.  She's recently offered a short blog Don't Age, Evolve!

And on the topic of measuring, as you who are using Sure-Fit Designs know, when you measure, you're measuring your body so that you can apply those measurements to the SFD master patterns to achieve your best fit.  Imogene, on the other hand, shows how to measure to see what your body proportions are.  Your proportions from top to bottom are going to influence the style you choose for the most flattering effect.  See this short video -

For those of you looking to find information on what style best suits you, make sure you spend some time poking around the InsideOutStyle blog.

Thanks Imogene for sharing your wealth of knowledge and information.

Kindly,
Glenda...the Good Stitch!

How to Fit Commercial Patterns - DVD - Just Released

I'm asked so frequently if the Sure-Fit Designs patterns can be used to help fit your commercial patterns.  The answer, of course, is a resounding YES!

As a result of your requests and because there is very little information 'out there' on this topic, we have produced and just released the newest and latest instructional DVD on the topic Fitting Commercial Patterns.

Take advantage of the Introductory Discount.  Through August 25 you can save 20% on your copy of this DVD.  Just click here...order yours...and while in the Shopping Cart, use Discount Code FCP20 to receive your discount.

Listen as as I share my thought processes with you in how best to evaluate the fit of 6 different commercial patterns.  You'll see 3 Dress Kit Bodice examples, 2 Pants pattern examples, and 1 Shirt pattern example.  I'll discuss ease relationships, dart placement, changing the dart to gathers, evaluating princess line patterns, asymmetrical styles, shoulder slope and yoke development, crotch lengths and shapes along with much, much more.

In this 1 hr 45 min DVD, you'll find 8 chapters chocked full of examples and information.  Here are a few photo highlights from the DVD.

 Here's a very short video describing the highlights of this new DVD - Fitting Commercial Patterns.  Please take a couple of minutes to learn more.

This is a new DVD product you won't want to miss.  So take advantage of the Introductory Discount.  Through August 25 you can save 20% on your copy of this DVD.  Just click here...order yours...and while in the Shopping Cart, use Discount Code FCP20.

Kindly,
Glenda...the Good Stitch!

Fit for a J-Cup - No more FBA

Hello to all my full-busted friends. 

Not too long ago, I received this lovely email from one of our UK customers, who had this to say, 'Just wanted to say thank you so much for the wonderful Dress Kit. My daughter is blessed with J cups and struggles to find clothes to fit properly.  Although I am an experienced seamstress, my efforts to make clothes for her have ended up as hours of trial and error from cutting the pattern to finishing the garment (including countless fittings), and the garments never quite look professional.  They are only saved by the neatness of my work.

I found Sure-Fit Designs by accident when, for the umpteenth time, I was looking for a way to do an FBA for J cups.  Ignoring my two attempts to adjust measurements before making the actual pattern, I started at the beginning and followed your instructions to the letter.  The result, after simply adjusting the side seam to accommodate the Beyond E bust dart and narrowing the chest, was so amazing!  My first muslin was near perfect.

I can't thank you enough.  It was well worth the agonizing 2 week wait for the kit to arrive in the UK.'
K.R. - UK

Here is her lovely young daughter who wishes to remain anonymous.  She graciously agreed to share these photos with all of you.

Her 'practice' test blouse sewn from large-checked gingham.
Notice the horizontal checks of this gingham are hanging near to totally parallel to the floor.  That's a real compliment to the Beyond E instructions and SFD Adjust-A-Bust template.

 

Here is her 'practice' sleeveless blouse.

Many ladies venture into using the Sure-Fit Designs Dress Kit - specifically the bodice pattern - because they'll never need to do another FBA.  For all my newbies, or small-busted women who don't need this, an FBA is a Full Bust Adjustment.  You typically need to slash the pattern in a myriad of directions to spread the front open to make it wider and longer.  But not with the Sure-Fit Designs Adjust-A-Bust template.  This Bust template comes with the SFD Dress Kit and gives you dart shapes from A through E.

And when you are larger than an E bra cup size, I offer two resources showing you how to extend this template to make it the width of dart you need.

Read this article - Beyond E - in the SFD Learning Center Article Library.  Just click on this Beyond E link and look for article F.5.

Additionally here is the video showing you how to actually construct this template.

One other comment I suggested for her next blouse, is that for very full-busted ladies, you can always give one more measurement dot to the front of the pattern and one less measurement dot to the back bodice.  E.g. If you were 40" around for a total bust circumference, you'd use the 41" dot in the front and use the 39" dot for the back bodice.  Here is a short video showing you how to do this on the SFD Shirt Kit.  And even though it's the Shirt Kit, the concept is still the same.

For the newcomers to SFD, you too can achieve this kind of fitting success!

Kindly,
Glenda...the Good Stitch!

Win $20 SFD Bucks!

I am so grateful for you, my customers, readers and loyal followers.  Some of you have been SFD fans for over 30 years.  Some of you are relatively new to Sure-Fit Designs.  Without you, I wouldn't be here today.

As one way of saying 'thank you', I'm hosting a giveaway for $20 SFD Bucks toward your next SFD purchase.  Contest duration: 8-4-14 to 8-29-14.  The winner will be announced at the end of the month.

How to Enter:
It's easy as pie!  Simply enter the raffle by following the steps. 

1. If you haven't already, sign up for the SFD Newsletter by clicking on this link - SFD Newsletter.  Then just scroll to the bottom of that page and complete the form.  You'll also receive directions for 'Pretty in Peach' princess line instructions.  Just make sure you 'confirm' your subscription. You will receive an email link to do so.  Because I value your privacy, you won't be spammed.  What you will receive is 1 - 2 newsletters per month depending on what's happening at SFD.  The emails you'll receive will bring you up to date on:

• News & events that are happening at Sure-Fit Designs.

• Announcements and discounts for new product launches.
• Tips & techniques and new complimentary videos as they are produced.

2. Using the entry form below (powered by Rafflecopter), click Enter to Win.  It's simple - then:

• Like Sure-Fit Designs on Facebook - click here,

• Subscribe to this surefitdesigns blog (if you haven't already) by using one of the subscribe options on the left of this blog page,

• Offer some feedback on the new blog page 'Made in a Day'.  You can do that directly within the entry form,

• Submit an idea for a quick, simple project for 'Made in a Day'.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The winner will be announced at the end of the month.
Kindly,
Glenda...the Good Stitch!