Are We Giving You What You Want to Know?

What fitting/sewing information would you like to know?

Hi, Glenda the Good Stitch here. Please take just 3 minutes of your time to answer this short survey.  I appreciate your input on how Sure-Fit Designs can serve you better.

Click Here

Thank you!

SFD with a New Look

You know I always encourage you to use your commercial patterns as a stimulus for your own creations.  And that's exactly what one SFD customer did.  Enter Nadine who used New Look 6243 for her basic dress inspiration.  She had an upcoming wedding and wanted a special dress for the event.  Here she is.  Doesn't she just look lovely in it?

I'd worked with Nadine over the previous months to make sure her bodice was fitting her to perfection.  And now the wedding was getting closer.  It was time to choose the fabric and go for it.  Here's what she did to her SFD bodice pattern.
For the sheer neck/shoulder piece, she simply sliced off her SFD bodice in mid-armscye on both front and back.

Then with the remaining lower bodice, the bust dart got transferred into a princess line style.  The bodice back was also shaped with a princess line.

She drafted a half-circle skirt and made sure the waist lines on bodice and skirt matched.

All these beads...yes, she lovingly stitched each one on individually.  Nadine used 3 different kinds of glass bugle beads...dark plum, abalone and amethyst.  They added just the right amount of  'bling' without being too showy.

Her fabric choice was the Casa line (from Jo Ann) in poly crepe with a poly chiffon for the sheer yoke all in a beautiful eggplant color which looks so lovely on Nadine.  Of course she made the matching wrap in Casa satin.

She's gained so much confidence in following through with this entire project.  And in her words, 'I am sooooo happy!  I've been smocking and sewing formal dresses for all my daughters, but now to add in the ability to fit myself...my dream come true!

I'm sure Nadine would love to hear your comments.  You truly have done a lovely ensemble that you should be so proud of!

Thanks so much for sharing with all our SFD sewists.

Glenda...the Good Stitch!

Fun & Easy Color Blocked T-Shirt

Color blocking is super simple and easy to design into your sewing patterns.  Of course, you all likely know that color blocking is definitely back in fashion.  But do you know where it all began?

It all dates back to a Dutch artist - Pieter Cornelis Mondrian (1872-1944) - nicknamed 'Piet'.  He was one of the principal members of the Neoplasticism art movement.  In 1919 he began producing grid-based paintings for which he became renowned for the rectangular shapes, solid black lines and random placement of primary colors.

In the 1960's, Yves St. Laurent popularized his 'Mondrian' dresses using Piet as his inspiration.

Color blocking has become popular again and of course, you can do this with your SFD patterns.  Creating areas to color block on your patterns is creative and easy to do.  Just start off with Sally Silhouette as your croquis and experiment with where you'd like to draw your style lines for color blocking.

If you don't yet have your copy of Sally Silhouette, you can download her from the Free Stuff page in the SFD Learning Center.  Click Here.

And now there is also a new downloadable Fashion Leaflet for color blocking your new SFD T-Shirt that I introduced to you last week.  There is a nominal cost for this leaflet, but if you read the SFD newsletter from January 12th, you will be able to download this leaflet completely free for a limited time if you use the link that is provided in that newsletter.  It's my 'get busy sewing gift' for you to jump start your 2015 sewing projects.  In addition to this...it could easily be 'Made in a Day'...just another quick, easy and rewarding project.

Have fun and don't forget to send photos when you get yours done!  I'll put together a T-Shirt collage and show off all your work.  Send to info@surefitdesigns.com.

Thanks so much,
Glenda...the Good Stitch!

T-Shirt Tactics

Everybody loves to wear T-shirts.  For some they are a wardrobe staple - for others they are only occasional wear.  Whatever their place is in your clothing needs, you have choices within the Sure-Fit Designs fitting and designing system as to how you approach this style of garment.

Typically, the T-shirt is relatively close fitting and does not have a bust dart and is sewn from a knit fabric.  The no-bust dart feature does present a problem for you full-busted women.  You all know you will always achieve a superior fit when your pattern has a bust dart.

The Sure-Fit Designs pattern kits provide either the darted bodice pattern from the Dress Kit, or the undarted pattern from the Shirt Kit.  Most of you already know that the Dress Kit bodice has 2 1/2" (6.4 cm) ease in the bust circumference, whereas the Shirt Kit has 5-6" (12.7 - 15.2 cm) ease in the chest circumference.

Which kit to use for your T-shirt?   Since the T-Shirt is usually undarted with a closer fit to the body, you'd use the Dress Kit bodice (with the bust dart).  If you use the Shirt Kit, you'll have a looser fit and a much deeper armscye.

Ah Ha!  In comes my new article, T-Shirt Tactics, where I offer an alternative which uses the Dress Kit bodice and I show you how to remove the dart!  The result offers a fit that is closer to your body, the armscye is not as deep as with the Shirt Kit, and this process generally provides an excellent T-shirt alternative.

Yes I know it doesn't have a bust dart anymore, so you full-busted ladies will inevitably end up with some folding in the armscye that points toward your bust.  And no doubt, the shirt will likely hike up somewhat in the front because your don't have that bust dart shaping your bustline.  But since you are going to be sewing with a forgiving knit fabric, usually these issues are minimized.  But at least, you have 3 great choices now to design your favorite T-shirt with the Sure-Fit Designs patterns.

• Dress Kit bodice with dart

• Shirt Kit pattern - no dart - deeper armscye

• Dress Kit bodice without dart

To download your copy of the T-Shirt Tactics article with instructions to remove the dart, please Click Here, then simply scroll toward the middle of the page where you'll see the link for the .pdf file.

Just for fun and for interest, I finished my T-shirt with a self-fabric 2 1/2" wide band at the hem level, scooped the neck edge 2" all the way around and then filled in with a 1 1/2" self-fabric band.  A small tab was inserted at CF while applying the neck band and finished with a decorative button.

And another great benefit is that it can be 'Made in a Day'!  It's just one more quick project for you.

Give it a try and send me your comments and photos.  When you send your photos, I'll put together a T-Shirt collage...and show off all of your work.  Please send photos to info@surefitdesigns.com.
Enjoy,
Glenda...the Good Stitch!