Oh yes dear none existent readers, I'm now talking in codes. Any of you that sew will have an idea what I'm referring to in today's catchy title. I am talking about the Full Bust adjustment.
I am in the middle of trying to make a dress for my Christmas party. this party takes place on Friday. This Friday. Yeah I know I'm cutting it fine. I bought a pattern, measurements matching mine or thereabouts. We (Spadger) made some adjustments to it to accommodate the girls. I made my muslin. It didn't fit. Shoulders were out, the neckline gaped. Not to mention the mess I made of the zip.
So a bit of research later and it seems that I shouldn't be using the pattern piece that fits my full bust measurement. I should be measuring above my bust and then doing an FBA. Apparently dress patterns are made with a B cup in mind. A B cup! I was a B cup from growing boobs up to being 18. I've steadily worked my way through the alphabet til I reached the wondrous letter of J (Jewels, Jubiliant, Jiggery-pokery, Jabber, Jackanapes, Jibe). However I only have a 32 inch back. So by my workings out the pattern piece I was using is designed for someone with a bust size of a 38B. Hmm, no wonder it didn't fit.
So currently I'm making toad in the hole and Spadger is making new pattern pieces complete with FBA. I love him!!!!
Hope it works this time or Cinderella may not be going to the ball.
Edited to add: The new pattern seems to work fine and I shall be starting on the dress proper tomorrow. Woot!
Edited again: Spadger is now cutting out the actual lining material for the dress. Man I love him!
Monday 30 November 2009
Monday 23 November 2009
Pattern or Bust
I hate my bust. No really. I hate it. Ok so maybe it's a slight exaggeration. But there are moments when I really do. Take this evening for example. I am planning on making my dress for the Christmas party. I bought a pattern that is wide enough to go around the girls (dress pattern sizes are scary, just ignore the numbers!!!!) and the rest of me. I got some amazing fabric from the local retro/vintage place. The only problem now is the fact that my boobs are deep. I don't mean they read philosophy. I mean they have added 4 inches to the length of my pattern piece but only in the middle.
ARGH!
Now I have the 3D spatial awareness of a gnat so how to fix this is beyond me. So enter Spadger who not only redraws the pattern piece for me but also puts up with the smattering of tears from me as well. As I said, I hate them!
I do love sewing it's just the fitting things to my body that I hate. 32J boobs will throw out the measurements on any pattern. I think that instead of getting many patterns I shall just get s few versatile ones and learn to embellish and alter them. Because I really don't think I can cope with the disappointment of having to change a pattern too many times.
Ah well, enough of that maudlin rubbish. Look at the pretty fabric :o)
ARGH!
Now I have the 3D spatial awareness of a gnat so how to fix this is beyond me. So enter Spadger who not only redraws the pattern piece for me but also puts up with the smattering of tears from me as well. As I said, I hate them!
I do love sewing it's just the fitting things to my body that I hate. 32J boobs will throw out the measurements on any pattern. I think that instead of getting many patterns I shall just get s few versatile ones and learn to embellish and alter them. Because I really don't think I can cope with the disappointment of having to change a pattern too many times.
Ah well, enough of that maudlin rubbish. Look at the pretty fabric :o)
Thursday 19 November 2009
Loss of blood
Where does the attraction to the bloodsucker come from?
For as long as I can remember I have been a lover of all things Vampire. I don't remember where it started really. I remember going to Whitby when I was very small and waiting to go through the Dracula experience. Of course it terrified me and my Dad had to take me back out. I still blame him though. If he'd let me just go through it rather than pointing out all the gruesome things in the walls I might have been ok! :o) Most likely thought it came from a book. I was a very precocious reader, way above my age group by the time I was in my 3rd year of primary school.
There again it could have been a movie. My parents were very cool where films were concerned. They would watch anything that they were worried about first and then sit me down, tell me it was just a movie, then warn me when the jumpy bits were coming up. Where ever it came from it has been almost an obsession from at least the age of 12. At 12 Interview with the Vampire came out at the cinema. I was 6 whole years too young to go see it so instead I went to the local WH Smiths and bought the book. After devouring that I promptly read the rest of the Chronicles and have been reading them ever since.
After that came the inevitable reading of Dracula. Not bad but certainly not the best. In my opinion at least. What Dracula does have in common with all the Vampires I have liked is their attractiveness. Not physical, though generally they are described as beautiful. No the attractiveness lies in their personalities. Their ability to dazzle, their intelligence, their courtesy. The Vampires we all fall for are Byronic heroes at their best.
For some of them the attraction is rooted in their hatred and disgust of what they are, their desire to be "human", to not be the "monster". In others it is the very fact that they are dangerous. There is the thrill factor in either case.
Vampires are the quintessential bad boys. Pretty much every girl (and some boys) are drawn to the bad boy at some time in their lives. Whether you believe you have the power to change them or just revel in the illicitness of the encounter, that desire is still there.
There are many fine articles out there on the connections between Vampire myths and sexuality. See here for example.
Currently on my Vampire radar there are 2 films (New Moon and Cirque Du Freake - The Vampire's Assistant), tv series True Blood and the ever increasing in popularity Twilight Saga on the book front. The Vampire is once again having a revival.
The Twilight Saga seems to be provoking quite a mixed reaction. It's interesting how polarized people's opinions are on it. See here for example. I do plan on doing a bit of an essay on the abuse issue in the Twilight saga but I've not read them all yet so that will have to wait.
For as long as I can remember I have been a lover of all things Vampire. I don't remember where it started really. I remember going to Whitby when I was very small and waiting to go through the Dracula experience. Of course it terrified me and my Dad had to take me back out. I still blame him though. If he'd let me just go through it rather than pointing out all the gruesome things in the walls I might have been ok! :o) Most likely thought it came from a book. I was a very precocious reader, way above my age group by the time I was in my 3rd year of primary school.
There again it could have been a movie. My parents were very cool where films were concerned. They would watch anything that they were worried about first and then sit me down, tell me it was just a movie, then warn me when the jumpy bits were coming up. Where ever it came from it has been almost an obsession from at least the age of 12. At 12 Interview with the Vampire came out at the cinema. I was 6 whole years too young to go see it so instead I went to the local WH Smiths and bought the book. After devouring that I promptly read the rest of the Chronicles and have been reading them ever since.
After that came the inevitable reading of Dracula. Not bad but certainly not the best. In my opinion at least. What Dracula does have in common with all the Vampires I have liked is their attractiveness. Not physical, though generally they are described as beautiful. No the attractiveness lies in their personalities. Their ability to dazzle, their intelligence, their courtesy. The Vampires we all fall for are Byronic heroes at their best.
For some of them the attraction is rooted in their hatred and disgust of what they are, their desire to be "human", to not be the "monster". In others it is the very fact that they are dangerous. There is the thrill factor in either case.
Vampires are the quintessential bad boys. Pretty much every girl (and some boys) are drawn to the bad boy at some time in their lives. Whether you believe you have the power to change them or just revel in the illicitness of the encounter, that desire is still there.
There are many fine articles out there on the connections between Vampire myths and sexuality. See here for example.
Currently on my Vampire radar there are 2 films (New Moon and Cirque Du Freake - The Vampire's Assistant), tv series True Blood and the ever increasing in popularity Twilight Saga on the book front. The Vampire is once again having a revival.
The Twilight Saga seems to be provoking quite a mixed reaction. It's interesting how polarized people's opinions are on it. See here for example. I do plan on doing a bit of an essay on the abuse issue in the Twilight saga but I've not read them all yet so that will have to wait.
Sunday 8 November 2009
I'm a lifer
So I am officially a Wardrobe Refashion lifer. And in my first week I have made bupkiss! I've bought a pair of jeans (from the RSPCA) but as I only wear them for "messy" work now that was hardly exciting.
What I really need to do is get on with my Christmas presents. So far I am halfway though this fetching hat for my Dad (image from knitsandthats.com)
Yes it's a fabulous Jayne Cobb hat. Now my Dad has no idea who Jayne Cobb is but I think he will like the hat :o)
Now to go sew or knit or watch more Firefly? Decisions decisions hehehehe
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