Drafting My Sloper

My 'sewing' this week included much more drawing, cutting, measuring, and redrawing than it actually did sewing any seams.  I finally tackled making my own sloper.  I'm on a mission to learn to draft my own patterns for clothes (so that they actually fit) and this is the first step.

I'll save you all the boring details, but it started with a friend helping to drape me in muslin (think: pinning muslin onto me in all the appropriate places to create a skin-tight muslin 'dress').  Then the rest of the week was spent tweaking and fitting that 'dress' until it fit like a glove.  Like, movie-star-skin-tight-wouldn't-be-caught-dead-in-public tight while at the same time keeping all the appropriate lines in their appropriate places (center lines of sloper aligned with center lines of body, side seams of sloper aligned with sides of body, etc).  It involves drawing on paper to make a 2D pattern and then turning that 2D pattern into a 3D 'dress'.  Check the fit with the help of the bathroom mirrors, use a marker to draw on that dress to make notations of changes needed on the fabric piece, then move those changes back to the paper.  Lots of unpicking seams to adjust them just a tad, lots of tracing, not much actual sewing.  Back and forth from 2D to 3D, paper to fabric, until the final result - a sloper that fit well in all the important places.

The sloper is akin to paper pattern of myself.  I can now (in theory) take that pattern of myself and make clothes to fit properly.  I suppose if I wanted a skin tight dress I could use the sloper as is, but thats not really what I'm after.  :)  I hope to make some nice, classic dresses for church and some skirts that actually fit my skinny-minny waist and hips.   I am happy that it only took a week, although I did so much reading before bed and number/shape crunching in my head that I dreamt about drafting.

Here is what the final paper looks like.  See what I mean about back and forth to make minor changes? Thankfully I took good notes and I know which lines are the final version.

Now should come the fun part - trying to make clothes from it!  

Teacher Bag Number Three, Kiddy Version

This one isn't a teacher bag, per se.  Its more of a bonus present that goes along with the last bag.  Leah's teacher has an eighteen month old little girl and we've gotten to know her a bit.  While I was thinking up teacher gifts I came across this pattern which I've been meaning to try out for a while.  Perfect excuse to give it a whirl.

It's this bag, pattern and such from this blog, which is all done by an incredible woman whom you really must check out.  She's the queen of super cool sewing and kids crafts - you've really got to see it to believe it.  I've drooled over many things she's made and love following her blog.  If you have a few hours to waste online, please consider wasting them on her blog.  You won't regret it.  :)

Anyhow, here is my version of the cutest bag ever.  

Front:

Embroidered name and hand stitching to match her mom's bag. 

Back: 

I love the polka dots with pink piping.  This was my first project using the piping foot on my serger and it worked great.  I made the piping on the serger, but then attached it using the zipper foot on my sewing machine because I could sew slower and more carefully that way.  Very happy with it overall.  

Two side views, to better see the adorable shape and piping:

Love that strap too... 

The lining is a cute apple and bird print:

Here is Grace holding it: 

See... its pint sized!  

Perfect for an 18 month old who wants a purse like Mommy's.

In case you couldn't tell, I am in love with this little bag.

Must make one (albeit larger) for myself.  

Leah and Grace are also begging for their own versions.  

Now, next up is sewing clothes for myself.  Finally. 

Teacher Bag Number 2

Check out this previous post for Teacher Bag Number One if you missed it.

This bag is for Leah's first grade teacher (whose first name is Allie, and she goes by Mrs. Allie at school).   We have LOVED her and I am really happy with how her bag turned out.

I used the same 'sophisticated alphabet' and grey linen-like fabric as the last bag, just made a different style of bag.  Its a simple tote bag - two straps for handles, boxed bottom.

Here is the front.  

I fussy-cut the letters of her name from the panel fabric and am pleased with how it turned out.  

Here is the back.  Not too exciting I guess, but I love the grey linen fabric.  

I did some hand stitching with embroidery floss around the name and along the top for extra embellishment.  I love how it looks.  Anything looks better with hand stitching, really.  :)  

This bag has the alphabet print for the lining.  No pocket, mostly because I forgot about putting one in.

Here is the bag, worn by a five year old for size reference.  Its a pretty standard size tote bag for an adult.  

Hope she likes it!

Bag Number Three coming up next...

  

Teacher Bag Number One

Since finishing the big quilt, I've been busy working on end-of-the-year teacher gifts.  Happy to report I'm done with all three - and school isn't out for another few weeks!

The first one is for the leader of Grace's little church class.  Its like pre-preschool for a few hours once a week.  Grace went regularly this year as she enjoyed it, it made her feel like a 'big kid' going to school, and it gave me the opportunity to volunteer in Leah's first grade classroom without Grace tagging along.  The teacher is wonderful and so I thought she definitely deserved a gift.

I found this fabric at a local quilt store and knew it would be perfect for teacher bags.  I've been calling it a 'sophisticated alphabet'.  Its alphabet, but it doesn't have little animals or other juvenile things running all over it and its done in a nice rich color palate rather than primary colors.  I chose a linen-look-alike grey to keep it classy looking, and a little pop of red thrown in for fun.

Here is Bag Number 1:

The fabric was designed such that you could cut a panel that would include the whole alphabet.  I made that into the front of the bag and then designed around that.  Its big enough to hold paper, notebooks, binders, etc.  She's an organist and it could hold a healthy sized pile of music as well.  

I made it with just one strap for over the shoulder and was pleased with how it turned out.  

Love that linen-look.  I'll be going back for more of that fabric in other colors for other projects.  

Its lined with plain muslin and has a medium sized pocket.  

And here is the five year old modeling it for size reference.  

Just ignore the messy sewing room in the background.  :)  

Coming up next will be Bag Numbers 2 and 3.  

I'm posting them in the order I made them, but it also happens to be in increasing cool-ness.  I liked each bag better than the one before.  So, stay tuned for more fun bags!