This is a free project sheet for a very striking black-and-white tote.  The idea could be made as is or embroidered with another design, but using the “shades of one color” idea.  I can see this in red and white, pink and white, your favorite color and white.  I can also see that it would take on an even different effect with a scrap border of all colors. 

I did not buy the Pattern Making System, but did bid a couple of times on eBay.  Every time on eBay, they went for around 1/2 the cost of the original system.  There are vintage systems out there on eBay so make sure you know what you are bidding on if you go that route.  By chance, I went to an estate sale for a sewing friend; and I found the system for $10 so I bought that right away!

Using my Accentuate, Hide, and Fake technique; I went through the book to mark all the styles that would best be suited for my current figure.  I did create a blouse pattern from the free patterns from the seminar.  I didn’t have a cardboard pattern board, so I used an old cut-up box.  I have since bought a display board (because I couldn’t find the pattern board) to use for other pattern making.

They also talked about using a Roller foot and Even-feed/Walking foot.  You can use a roller foot to put in a zipper.  They didn’t show us how — can you roll right over the zipper to do so?  Mainly the roller foot is used for fabric that seem to be hard to handle.  Your feed dogs do push fabric through your machine so some garment pieces are especially longer so that can happen.  The Even-feed foot is used for quilting and everything that doesn’t need the easing of the feed dogs.  Can’t you get that same effect from a serger?

It was a great time to be surrounded by sewing friends, and quite entertaining for the cost of admission.

Here is what you do:

In a leotard or tight fitting garments, take a front and side shot of your body.  Now, with the help of your computer, print out a couple of 5×7 or larger pictures of yourself.  Now, in the front view, draw lines up and down the side of your body.  What is the shape?  Do the same thing for your side view.  Do you protrude anywhere?  Also, check your chin and upper arm area.  Draw around those areas, too.

Now, here is the key.

1.  Accentuate the Positive - you’ve heard that one before!  Find out what are your greatest figure assets.  Think about how you are complimented in different outfits you wear.  What is special about them?  Have you ever been told you have, a nice long neck, beautiful hands, great legs?  Show them off!

2.  Hide what you don’t want anyone to see.  Have no waist?  Then don’t wear a short-waisted jacket or a nice wide belt there! 

3.  Fake it!  Create an illusion. One trick for someone like me who has lost their waist somewhere along the way is to go ahead and wear that belt — not so wide, though; and then wear a hip (or longer) jacket over the top of it.  Long, vertical lines create height and are slimming.

So you like that new, trendy style; is there any way that you can use the three tips above to help you adapt the style to you?  That might not be as hard as it sounds so give it a try.

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It’s all about the Math!  Watch this video.  It tells about how your body parts are mathematically related!  Then, it applies this to pattern making.  This is the Lutterloh System, but I remember mom purchasing this a LONG time ago under the name of “Perfect Fit Patterns.”  The concept is taking a tiny pattern and using your bust and hip measurement to make it your custom size.  Note, you are taking your bust and hip measurement to make the pattern.  This doesn’t take a lot of things into consideration — especially the petite/tall factor!

I am attending a Tru-Fit seminar at Hancock Fabric on Monday evening.  It uses this system, and I am interested in how they might address this fitting problem.

Wild Ginger also has a complete, and reasonably-priced pattern making system called “Pattern Boutique,” as well as, the “Click-and-Sew” pattern making software.  If you are interested in good-fitting patterns that allow you to do some designing, too.  You need to check this out!