LIVE Broadcast from the Fit & Sew Retreat

Sure-Fit Designs Blog
I am so pleased to announce our 2nd LIVE Facebook event which will be broadcast from the August Fit & Sew Retreat here in our Eugene/Springfield location.  I am so fortunate to be able to use Our Sewing Room, a fabulous facility and sewing studio.

Please join us.  This is our 2nd Facebook LIVE stream broadcast.

Event details: Where and When?

• In Eugene Oregon - Wednesday Aug. 31 at 4 PM (PDT - Pacific Daylight Time - Oregon)

• In Sydney Australia - this is 9 AM Friday morning Sept. 1

• In the UK & Ireland - this will be midnight August 31

• In South Africa - this will be 1 AM Friday morning Sept 1 (sorry it's so late for you ladies in countries that are east of the USA)

• To determine the time in your specific geographical location, do an internet search to convert 4PM (Portland OR) to your local time.

• Join us on our SFD Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/surefitdesigns

• Upon completion, this LIVE broadcast will be shared in our SFD (Closed) Group.  To join this group if you're not already a member, see instructions below.

• We'd love to have you join us.  Click this link - https://www.facebook.com/surefitdesigns.  When the video pops up at the scheduled time, make sure to click on the video image which will allow you to hear the audio.

• Be prepared - make sure your Flash player is up to date.  If you are watching from your mobile device, make sure you use either Chrome, Fire Fox or Internet Explorer as your browser - Safari does NOT support Flash which is required to see videos.

• You'll see the fabulous facility where I hold the SFD Fit & Sew Retreats.

• You'll learn an essential bust dart drawing tip to ensure excellent bodice fit.

About 3-4 years ago, Vogue magazine wrote an article featuring sewing studios throughout the US - Our Sewing Room was one of the six situated in the Pacific Northwest.  And yours truly (Glenda the Good Stitch) was teaching in their accompanying photo. This sewing studio is fully equipped with high cutting tables, necessary sewing supplies (like shears, rotary cutters, marking equipment, tape measures, quilting rulers, you name it... etc), pressing stations, sewing machines, sergers and even a kitchenette and sitting/chatting area.

As I said, I'm so fortunate to have a sewing studio of this caliber so close by to hold the SFD Fit & Sew Retreats.  I hope that lots of you will be able to join us for the Facebook LIVE event - 8-31-16 - 4PM.
https://www.facebook.com/surefitdesigns

My understanding is that you don't have to have a Facebook account in order to watch the Live Stream, but if you would like to join our SFD (Closed) Group, you can request to do so on this page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/SureFitDesigns

See you all there!

 

Oh my Sway Back

Let's discuss help for your sway back (if you have one).  Do you have quite a dip in your lower back and it sways 'inward' more than normal?  If so, this video is going to address the issue, identify why fabric bunches or pushes up, and then how to deal with modifying your pattern to accommodate your low back curve.

I hope you've watched the video all the way through as it shows you a very acceptable process of adding a Center Back seam and then curving that seam for a good fit.

We did just that for this SFD blouse.  First, add a 5/8" seam allowance to CB.  Also make sure - that as the video recommends, that the hip circumference is fitting you properly and that this is not the culprit that is pushing fabric up into your waist area (because the hips are too tight).  Then, place a few vertical pins that will nip in the excess fabric in the hollow of your back.

Then baste the curved seam and try on.  Make sure that you taper and true the seam in the longest distance possible so that you achieve an even transition from the center out to either end.  When all is said and done, you can see how beautifully the bodice back now fit to her torso.

 

 You'll also want to take a few moments to read this article - http://www.sfdlearningcenter.com/SwayBack.html

For those of you with a sway back, this is a very easy remedy.

Happy Fitting,

Leggings...White Hot Fashion...& new Video!

Sure-Fit Designs Blog
Leggings are the new casual pants.  While at our local shopping mall recently, and browsing at the window displays, one dominated all the others...how hot leggings are.  They are being worn by all ages and all figure shapes.  Every store is featuring leggings in all colors, all patterns, and in all different types of stretch fabric.

Watch our latest instructional video for Leggings without a side seam.  See below.

I wear mine primarily to go to the gym, but many are wearing these skin tight pants as part of their daily wardrobe.

About 2 years ago I wrote up a downloadable Fashion Leaflet specifically teaching you how to size down your personal pants body blueprint so that all wearing ease was removed and additional was taken out for the super stretch of the leggings fabric.

If you're interested in obtaining the Leggings Fashion Leaflet, you can do so on this page - Digital E-Goods.

When following these instructions, you'll end up with leggings that have a side seam.  But many of the leggings we see today do not have a side seam.  Hence I've just released this video on how to remove the side seam.  It's informative and easy to follow.  You should be able to see the video within this blog - if not, click on the link/arrow and it should take you directly in to YouTube.

With only 3 major seams - 2 inseams and a crotch seam - these leggings definitely qualify for a Made in a Day project.

Be comfortable, have fun and enjoy the project.

Happy Fitting & Sewing!

Hot August Special

Sure-Fit Designs Blog
From time to time I offer in-house specials for a limited period of time.  The current Hot August Special is specifically for those of you either new to Sure-Fit Designs and/or new to sewing or maybe you're both...new to SFD and new to sewing.
Here's a great starting place:

Now through August 17, save 50% on the new Make It Sew 4-DVD set for beginner and intermediate seamstresses, when you purchase the Dress Kit Combo (which is already discounted 11%).

You'll receive the following:

• SFD Dress Kit

• SFD Designing Stylus

• 10yd x 24" wide Tracing Vellum

• The introductory SFD How-To DVD showing you how to draw your body blueprint with the SFD master patterns.

• The designing book - Beyond Bodice Basics (with it's own DVD) - showing you 7 different designs to utilize your Dress Kit.

• And...the latest Make It Sew DVD set (4 DVDs with 28 lessons) all designed with the beginner and intermediate sewist in mind. - with a savings of 50% for this DVD set.

If you've been thinking about getting started with Sure-Fit Designs for all your fitting and sewing needs, here's a great beginning.  Just click here to our special promo page to place your order.  No coupon code necessary.

And for all orders filled from the USA, if you sign up for our Sure-Fit Designs newsletter at the same time (sign up forms are available at the bottom of each website page) you'll also receive a free getting-started gift of the Designer's Companion (a $7.95 value).  It's a great drawing tool for all the tight, tiny curves of your pattern work.

Your savings?  All up...$43.65!     Click Here ... Hot August Special

And if you are from either South Africa, the UK or Ireland, we now have distributors to look after your order. 
For South Africa customers, please go to www.surefitdesigns.co.za or call 011 453 3117 (Elsabe Hurn).
For UK & Ireland customers, please go to www.surefitdesigns.co.uk or call 0756 214 0245 (Judith Johnson).

Happy Fitting & Sewing!

Love my Yoga class, but...

 SureFitDesignsBlog
I love my Yoga classes, but is the workout room ever cold!  I usually wear multiple layers, but while fabric shopping in Portland OR on a recent visit, I went to the coolest, little fabric store called Bolt Fabrics and they just happened to be having an annual sale.  Was I ever in luck!  Let me show you what I sewed - the warmest, most comfortable and soft-to-wear top to go with the leggings I talked about a few months ago. They are sewn from a Nicole Miller Scooba Fabric.  If you're interested in reading about the leggings just click this link - leggings.

I know it's a pretty basic style, but oh my...it is truly one of the softest, most comfortable fabrics I've ever put against my skin.  It's a very low loop terry knit with an unusual fiber content - 47.5% Soy, 47.5% Organic Cotton and 5% Spandex.  Yes, it stretches in both horizontal and vertical directions, and yes my pattern was sized down about 1 measurement dot all the way around.

6 Simple Seams - that's all it takes. 2 shoulder seams, 2 side seams and 2 underarm seams - couldn't be more simple.  This top definitely qualifies as one of our SFD Made in a Day projects.

How to design the top?
I used my pre-drawn pattern for a Dress Kit T-Shirt.  You may remember there is an article on T-Shirt Tactics in the SFD Learning Center that tells you how to remove the dart from your Dress Kit Bodice to make a closer fitting T-Shirt.
Previously, I'd used these directions to draw this Color-Blocked T-Shirt.  Some of you will remember this design.

If you want the instructions for designing this color-blocked T-Shirt, they are only $1.99 and can be found on this page.
So for my new cream-colored top, I simply joined the front pieces together from the color-blocked T-Shirt pattern and cut the front all as one unit - meaning no diagonal cuts for the color blocking. Then re-drew the T-Shirt front so that I ended up with a new front pattern piece. The back was just the same - no special designs or cuts for color blocking.  And the sleeve was exactly the same length - I just didn't add the elastic shirring at the hem level.  And if it helps you in designing your desired length, my side seam length is 19" long from the underarm point to the finished hem level.  This entire pattern was just super simple.

I used self fabric for the neck edge trim since it definitely stretched enough to go easily around the neck curves.
And I finished the hems and neck edge seam with my cover stitch machine (which I absolutely love...did I ever tell you this before?)

If you haven't yet seen my free Cover Stitch machine videos, make sure to hop on over to the SFD Learning Center - to Cover Stitch Machine Videos.  There's a series of 3 to watch.

I might not be doing the yoga poses exactly right, but you'll get the idea.  This fabric stretches exactly where and when it needs to.

Have fun and happy sewing!