I have a bit of extra cash in my PayPal account at the moment, and instead of spending it on fabric like I usually do, I'd like to add a fitting book or two and maybe a sewing techniques book to my library.

I currently have (and like) Fit for Real People for fitting, and Simplicity's Simply the Best and the Reader's Digest sewing book for references.

Based on the comments/reviews I've seen here, I'm considering Nancy Zieman's Fitting Finesse and Sandra Betzina's Fast Fit for fitting, and Jackets for Real People, Pants for Real People, and Sandra Betzina's Power Sewing for the more specialized techniques, etc.

A little background: Currently, I'm concentrating on fitting my upper body and am very interested in learning different techniques for doing FBA's (particularly moderate to large sized FBA's). The FFRP method works for me, but I'd like to play around with some other methods to see if any of them produce a better result for me.

Out of this list, which of these books have you found the most valuable? Is there any book that I should be considering that I've overlooked?


Last post by mssewcrazy at Fri 16 May 2008 05:57:31 PM Total posts: 28

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Hi all: This is my first forum post, so please forgive me if this isn't the right category for this post.

First, since I'm new, a little background: I'm pretty new to sewing--it's been about four months, and I've taken a basic sewing course that didn't cover fitting issues at all. The sewing scene in my city, Columbus, OH, seems to be completely composed of quilters, but I'm more interested in apparel. I've finished a few skirts, a couple of dresses, some other odds and ends. But I've been bothered by the fit--poor fit of RTW was also a major reason I decided to learn to sew.

I'm *extremely* pear-shaped, with what (now) seems to be a size 18 at the over-bust/chest and a size 28 at the hip. I have been simply grading out gradually to the larger size in multi-size patterns, yet something still isn't right. But I enjoy a challenge and I like to thoroughly research things that intrigue me, so I've read and read and read about fit, both here at PR and in books.

I bought FFRP, seeing as it's so highly recommended. When I read through it I felt the information was a bit disorganized but easy enough to figure out. I made my Body Graph (where you basically create a silhouette of your figure)... so far so good. I purchased the McCall's fitting pattern according to my above-bust measurement... check.

I went through two fitting patterns trying to use their tissue-fitting method (with the taping of the curves) because I kept ripping the patterns in such a way that I couldn't tape them back together accurately. Grrr. I didn't even get far enough to determine any kind of fit!

So I decided to trace it onto Pattern Ease, which has allowed me to actually work with the pattern. I can't keep pins in anything, it seems, so I'm using safety pins. I put together the bodice and for the life of me, I can't figure out what's wrong.

That's sort of the method, right? You try on the pattern as printed, see what's not fitting, then make the alterations in the pattern, and try it on again. But no matter what I do, I can't figure out why the as-printed pattern doesn't fit right!

Or, rather, I can *see* the problems, but I don't know how to characterize them in such a way as to use their alteration methodology. For instance, I can see that, when I turn to the side, my waist in front is about two or three inches longer than my waist in back. (I'm using a comfortable elastic waistband from an old skirt that I cut out, wearing it around for a while, and letting it "settle" to find my "true" waistline.) I suppose that's a "Swayback" adjustment, and I did have some success simply shortening the back piece of the bodice, but then that seemed to throw off the places where my back is narrow. It's like I didn't take out the extra length in the right place, but I have no idea where the right place is.

I can also see that, thanks to a mighty slump, my back's pretty rounded, but the "High Round Back" adjustment didn't work at all. My shoulder point seems to be about 20 degrees off vertical (perhaps this calls for the "Forward Shoulder" adjustment they mention in the book but don't provide any instruction for). My back at the waistline looks to be quite a bit narrower than my front at its waistline, as it turns out. My chest seems to be even narrower (and scoopier) than I had thought, because the front bodice piece is wider than I am, although the rest is too small.

As a matter of fact, I'd say the person in the book I most resemble is the elderly woman Olga, but the "Very Rounded Back" adjustment didn't work at all--it just made the bodice ride up my neck. My silhouette looks mostly like the 80-year-old silhouette (with the addition of a lot of poundage). But I'm only 42! ARRGH!

I actually made up the bodice, using safety pins, rather than using just the two pattern pieces, to see if I'd be able to figure things out any better. I tried to observe the wrinkles to see what was wrong, and it seemed like the wrinkles indicated things that were in opposition to each other. Like, my back is very rounded but I'm not getting the gap at the neck--yet I have a tremendous gap at the back of the armscye. Frankly, it's all a blur at this point...

It's like I can make the back work, I can make the front work, but I can't make the back *and* the front work together. It's like the front half of me is an entirely different person from the back half of me!

I was reading a post at the blog called Fashion Incubator, a post about bra fitting actually, and she suggested something about shape that kind of explains things, but doesn't explain how to work with the shape. Basically, if you take a cross-section of your body and look at it from above, some people are an oval shape (an oval on its side) and some people are egg-shaped (in my case, I think, an egg with the narrow end toward the back). Patterns and clothing are made for oval shapes, which makes it tough for egg-shapes. It explains my weird front half/back half problem very well. In the context of the bra discussion, I have the fitting problems of the egg-shape figure.

It still doesn't help me fit a pattern to my body, though! Am I forever doomed to shapeless, baggy clothes? Can anyone shed any light on my problem, or suggest how to adjust for it? I could post pictures if it would help... although it would take me a while to get the pics together.

My next step, I think, is to start without a pattern and simply make my own custom bodice. I have a book called "Make Your Own Patterns" by Rene Bergh, which looks to be similar in concept to King's moulage. Does that seem like the way to go?

Help me Obi-Wan PatternReview! You're my only hope!
-- Edited on 4/26/08 8:55 AM --
-- Edited on 4/26/08 8:55 AM --

Last post by boppingbeth at Fri 16 May 2008 05:30:00 PM Total posts: 113

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Hello Friends! I am would say a beginner/basic sewer. I have a Babylock sewing machine which I have had for 8 years and I do love it. Recently, I took it to the shop to get tuned up and was introduced to the new embroidery/sewing machine combos (I was looking at Babylock). Now, I want one! I have just started to research. Babylock has a special on the Ellure until 5/31 - no payments for 1 yr ($999). But, is it worth it go up in models - Ellure plus or Esante? They won't take a trade in with the Ellure offer.....I need some advice! Any other brands worth it on low budget/simple skills than babylock? Thanks in advance!!!

Last post by Jeannie Lou at Fri 16 May 2008 05:27:25 PM Total posts: 3

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