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Sleeves and Their Wrinkles

March 28, 2017

I’ve scrolled past the question or remark about wrinkling around armpits a ton in sewing groups.  I’m here to talk about the #1 cause of armpit wrinkle on the sleeves.

It’s easier to understand why we have wrinkles around the armpit when we know how the sleeve was drafted.  Different sleeve types are drafted differently.

 

Dolman sleeves are also drafted so that there are no wrinkles when we have our arms lifted horiztonally.

Raglan sleeves are drafted so that there are little to no wrinkles when your arms are lifted.

Set in sleeves on knit tees are drafted so that there are no wrinkles when our arms are at a diagonal.

Okay, so what does that mean? When your arms are in other positions than the ones the sleeves are drafted for there will always be wrinkles/extra fabric/pulling.  Lets see a few real life picture examples!

Dolman: Shown here: The Sweet Tee Others we have in the shop are: The Pumpkin Spice Dolman and CoCoon Cardigan

Arms up (almost horizontal– I don’t stand with my arms straight out too much for pictures ;)): very little wrinkling or extra fabric and if my arm was up slightly more horizontal it would go away completely.

Arms Down: All the extra fabric is now “bunched”up under my arm when I put them down.

Arms Up:

Arms Down: in this more stable cotton spandex you can really see the difference!

 

 

Raglan: Shown here in the pink and grey: Slim Fit Raglan , Shown here in the black and leopard: Relaxed Raglan , and Shown here in youth: Jolly Roger Raglan

Arm Up: (almost horizontal).

Arms Down:

Arms Up: (again it was near impossible to find one all the way up/out but this is close!)

Arms Down:

Arms Raised: higher than horizontal. You can see the wrinkling move from under the arm to on top, it is being pulled since it is higher than the raglan sleeve is drafted at.

And another raglan set courtesy of my Little Guy 🙂

Arms Up: although it’s a close up, you can see his hands are on his hips-so not fully horizontal, but close!

Arms Down: (that look guys!  He’s a sassy one for sure…that doesn’t enjoy modeling for mama 😉 )

 

 

Set in Sleeves: Shown here: Sweetheart Dress , Shown here in youth: Henley , Shown here: fit picture from testing the upcoming youth tee 🙂 , and also in the shop we have Grandpa Cardigan , Wingman Shirt , Boundless Knit Dress , Buried Treasure Tunic , High Low Tide Top

Arms Diagonal:

One Arm Down and One Arm Extended Up: see the wrinkles are in different spots. My arm that is down creates wrinkle under the armpit area.  My arm that is extended all the way up creates them on top of the shoulder. (Also super crazy face I’m making because it was super windy 😉 ).

Arms Diagonal: the only wrinkling going on here is because I’m pulling my arm to the back (pointing my elbow backwards) unnaturally to try to show off the top.

Arms Down:

Here is a few youth examples of set in sleeves as well!

Arms Diagonal:

Arms Down:

Arms Diagonal:

Arms Down:

Arms Diagonal: (no wrinkling)

Arms Down: (wrinkling at under arm)

Arms Extended Up: (wrinkling above arm/shoulder)

If you’re realizing you have wrinkles at the bust, not sleeve we’ve also blogged about those here!

I hope this helps all you wonderful seamstresses out there creating knit garments and trying to make sure you’re getting the fit right 🙂

 

Filed Under: Fitting, P4P University, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Different Fabric, Different Fit!

May 22, 2016

Fabric choice can really make or break a garment.  Not just the color or pattern, but the kind of fabric you use.

I remember begging my mom to sew a pattern intended for knits with a woven, or a flowy top with ponte roma… of course she would try to explain that it wouldn’t work, but the begging continued!

It’s not until you use the WRONG fabric that you really understand using a fabric other than what is suggested in a pattern that you’re going to alter the final outcome.  It will fit and look different than intended.  I almost feel like it’s a right of passage to make a few mistakes with fabric choice to really understand how important it can be! But, I will try to help you out before you make those mistakes 😉

There are TONS of fabric types out there… I mean A LOT… too many for most seamstresses to remember.  But if you can familiarize yourself with what the fabric will look like made up (how it will drape and fit) then you can really help yourself when picking fabrics for a project.  Feeling fabric for the amount of stretch, thickness and drape will help you pair it with the right pattern.  Once you get to know the fabrics you like, you can more easily order them online for a bigger variety.

fabric choice

I have sewn up the exact same pattern in the same size, modeled on the same body to help show how different weights and fabric types can affect the fit and look of a garment.

I sewed up a ton of the new P4P release, the Sweet Tee, because it is such an easy, quick sew and has a semi-fitted silhouette so it can take a wide range of stretch and be wearable. So, here we go!

I will start with the fabrics with the most drape.  Drape is a term meaning how the fabric falls to the body when worn.  Fabrics with soft drape will be fluid and drape towards your body.  Think looser fits.  They will fall beautifully, and still show off your curves without needing to be tight at all. This is my FAVORITE kind of fabric for myself.  I love a little looser fit with a drapey fabric.  It means I can feel comfortable (not sucking in all day ;)) with a looser fit, but still not look sloppy or like I’m wearing baggy clothes- I still want to show my curves a little to be flattering. But, this is a very personal preference of course! My sister prefers more stable knits for her tees usually.  Think about what shirts/garments you like and how that fabric feels and drapes and it will help you understand what you prefer!

Slub Jersey.  One of my favorites to work with, it doesn’t have a ton of stretch (which makes cutting and assembling a bit easier), but has drape because it is thin and lightweight. It is light and airy to wear, but doesn’t cling and show off every lump and bump. Another fabric that fits in here would be a lightweight poly/cotton jersey blend :).

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Very thin sweater knit on beige and a lightweight rayon spandex on back.  You can see on both these that they drape under my bust towards my body/waist showing off curves. The loose-ness around the hips doesn’t look flared, but just relaxed.  Both are a little harder to work with during cutting and assembling.  The very thin sweater knit usually needs some extra support in the seams baring any weight (like shoulder seams).  You can use a clear elastic to reinforce them so they don’t stretch out with wear.  The rayon spandex blends are one of my all time favorites as well- I used to want my mom to make me every thing in it 😉 .  It has a slinkier feel because it has such a soft drape and can be difficult to fold on grain and cut without some movement. Rayon blends are also notorious for being “clingy”, because they drape so much they also tend to show lumps and bumps you might now want to show. So, I tend to pick rayon blends for a looser fit I know has plenty of room to not cling. Or a tight fit I know will be showing off everything anyways.

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Tissue Jersey on front and rayon spandex blend on back. The tissue jersey is a bit of mix, it is not at stretchy and fluid as the others, but so lightweight that is still has some good drape. But the very thin fabric also showed my bra line a bit in front there as well, so you take the good with the bad sometimes with the thin stuff ;).  I like the light airy feel of tissue jersey living in a hot climate.

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ITY Knit– Ity knit is a poly blend that is knitted to have a smooth face, soft drape and lots of stretch. It’s commonly used in RTW for maxi dress and skirts b/c its flows so nicely. It tends to not be as “clingy” as a rayon blend and usually a little thicker weights (although all fabrics can be found in different weights).  I like an Ity knit, especially for a nicer look.  When I taught kinder and wore more professional attire Ity was a great, comfortable fabric that looks a bit dressed up even with a simple tee silhouette.

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On to the sweater knits! I love a sweater knit for fall, winter and even early spring! Most sweater knits have good drape, especially light to medium weight sweater knits. They tend to be thicker than a rayon spandex and might do better if you’re worried about the thin fabric showing/clinging to any lumps/bumps/bra lines.

This is a very light weight sweater knit with almost an open weave.  Again, a tad see through, I will wear this one with a cami under after seeing the pictures ;).  But the looser weave also feels a little looser in fit, so putting on a cami under doesn’t make it feel too tight for me.

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Light weight hacci sweater knit. Again, you can see it drapes under the bust towards the waist for a flattering silheoutte.  This sweater knit is plenty thick for me to not worry about having to wear a layer under as well and a bit more comfortable that it doeesn’t show quite as much detail on lumps and bumps too.

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Medium weight sweater knit. This is a super soft ribbed sweater knit- It has tons of stretch and drape.  As you can see it looks a bit looser because it has so much stretch and drape.  I love this for a cozy sweater-I can’t wait to wear it in the fall (here in the hot south we’re already way past sweater weather!)  Even though it is a thicker weight it does show my bra lines b/c it’s so drapey.

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Medium weight sweater knit. This feels like an acrylic blend (it was bought from a LA detash page- so I’m guessing on content) so it has a little more body to it and doesn’t drape quite as well as the other sweater knits.  It also feels a little tighter, because it doesn’t have quite as much stretch as the others. You can see it still drapes on my deeper curves (like my sway back) but goes more straight down from my bust rather then draping under.

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Onto more stable knits 🙂

Cotton Spandex/Cotton Lycra.  Lycra is a name brand of spandex, so they are essentially the same fabric (much like tissue is to kleenex). This has good stretch and recovery with the spandex in it, but has much more body.  Meaning it will not drape towards your body, but stick out more stiff and hold it’s own shape.  I prefer to use cotton spandex on tighter fits, since there is no need for drape.  I find it not very flattering on a looser fit because it doesn’t drape under bust as well and will feel a bit tighter due to the thicker, more stable feel.  A lot of seamstress love this fabric because it is easy to find in great prints and a wide variety of colors, as well as a bit easier to work with because it is thicker.  And I love it for youth, but not for myself.  If we can all gang up on the knit companies to print their amazing customs on fabric with more drape I’ll sign the petitions 😉 I just can’t feel great in most cotton spandex shirts. I didn’t even hem this one because I knew it would quickly be cut up into something for baby girl! With that said, my sister likes a cotton spandex tee because she doesn’t like her fabric to drape to her waistline/under her bust. She prefers the more stable knit. Again, all personal prefence and learning to pair it with the right pattern for yourself!

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Stretch French Terry.  This is a medium weight french terry with good horizontal stretch.  French terry is a very popular fabric right now, and I share the love of it! But when using french terry you need to be aware that it doesn’t have great drape.  As you can see, it doesn’t fall under the bust to the body, but straight down. And my sway back pooling is much more obvious. It feels tighter on as well even though it has some stretch because it is thicker.  Now there are some with rayon in the blend which helps give it drape.  But most french terrys are much more stable on the knit spectrum and do better as something that needs a thicker, more stable fabric like pants, shorts, jackets, sweatshirts, etc… I added a cowl on this one for a fall/winter look since french terry is a thicker, warmer fabric.

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Liverpool.  This is also a very popular fabric right now. It is a poly spandex blend with high horizontal stretch and a texture on the right side. It has a feeling close to scuba/techno/neoprene. It is a more stable knit without much drape.  This is better suited for something that needs stretch and stability, like a tighter dress, pencil skirt, ect.  It does not have good drape, as you can see it goes straight down from my bust instead of falling toward my body under towards my waist.  It also makes the tiny “wings” on the dolman very bulky/poofy.  I was sad to cut into this gorgeous liverpool for this example, because I knew it wasn’t a great match for this pattern-but for the good blog post I did it!!! I hopefully still have enough for something that does work well with it! It is also all polyester, so it doesn’t breathe well. So, for me in TX I can only handle a thick poly knit during winter months.

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Ponte Roma would also belong in this high stretch, but more stable category.   It is a poly, rayon, spandex blend and is great for the same things: tighter dresses, pencil skirts, pants, etc.

Pictures coming soon!

Cotton Jersey.  This is a thinner cotton jersey.  It doesn’t have a lot of stretch or recovery since there is no spandex in it.  It doesn’t have great drape.  This is thinner cotton jersey so it has a touch of drape just because it is thin, but anything medium weight is considered more a “t-shirt jersey” without much drape or stretch at all (think traditional t-shirts).  I like this best for boys and men.  I don’t love drape on a man usually, they’re shirts are cut straight and they are meant to hang pretty straight as well (Unless they have some amzing abs to show off 😉 ).  For myself though I don’t love cotton jersey, but I do use it for a traditional t-shirt style from time to time.  Notice is looks and feels tighter because it has very little stretch.  it also sticks out from bust and booty instead of draping towards body.  I have a sway back, which I didn’t alter for here (you can see the pooling of fabric on my lower back) and it is much more obvious in a stable knit then a soft, drapey knit.  So if you’re still learning to perfectly alter for your body shape more stable knits are less forgiving to those alterations you may need, including full bust adjustments.  I do have some tees in a jersey I love though, I like to pair it with something only semi-fitted throughout the whole body so it doesn’t feel too tight on my chest and doesn’t miss the drape on a looser area.

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From top- the more stretch and drape the looser and more flowy it will look – to the bottom–the more stable and less stretch will be more stiff and tighter feeling garment.  Keeping this general rule in your mind when pairing fabric to patterns will help you decide what will give you the best look and fit!

This isn’t even close to all the fabric choices that are out there, but I tried to include the most popular knits I see in the shops and being asked about in the P4P group on a daily basis!  I hope it helps you when picking fabric to pair with a pattern for the perfect look and outcome!

And remember that practice makes perfect- so if you make a few garments with the wrong fabric choice, use it as a great learning experience and know you’re a better/more knowledgeable seamstress after that mistake 😉

 

Filed Under: Fitting, P4P University, Uncategorized 27 Comments

P4P Shirt fits Explained

December 13, 2015

I get asked a lot how the different P4P shirt pattterns compare fit wise.

So to help those visual people (most of us sewing/creative types are!), I created a little line drawing with the hourglass figure in each shirt.

Remember, P4P is designed for an hourglass figure; so if you have a different body type you will have a different fit unless you follow your measurements and grade between the sizes you are.

Also, “hips” are the widest part of you- usually your booty.  So while looking at the line drawings, remember that the widest part is really the booty!

Here is the quick line drawing:

 

 

 

 

 

And for more quick overview here I am in every P4P shirt.  I was a solid medium at the time of all pictures unless noted.

Layer Me Up: Tight fit through arms and body meant to be layered under other garments. (Size Medium)

Favorite Fabrics: Knits with lots of stretch (70% more are my favorite) cotton spandex, rayon spandex, and liverpool knit.

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Cross my Heart Cami: Fitted through bust and a closefit through waist and hips. This is a medium here.

Favorite Fabrics: Cotton spandex, rayon spandex, jerseys, poly blends, ity, brushed poly and ribbed knit all work well.

 

The Basic Tee: Fitted through bust and a semi-fit through waist and close at hips. This is a small/medium here.

Favorite Fabrics: Jerseys, tri-blends, double brushed poly, rayon spandex, cotton spandex, poly blends, ity, ribbed knit, sweater knits all work well.

Essential Tank: Fitted through bust and a close semi-fit through waist and hips. This is a medium here.

Favorite Fabrics: Jerseys, rayon spandex, cotton spandex, poly blends, ity and ribbed knit all work well.

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Women’s Henley: Fitted through bust and semi-fitted through waist and hips. (I don’t have many of these since it was drafted and released when I was pregnant 🙂 I made a medium here, but my bust and waist were bigger right after baby girl arrived!)

Favorite Fabrics: thermals, medium weight sweater knits, cotton jerseys, and rayon spandex.

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Boyfriend V Neck: Semi-fitted through bust, waist and hips. (Size Medium)

Favorite Fabrics: I like to use a cotton jersey, interlock, medium weight sweater knit for a more fitted look.  For a looser/slub feel I go for rayon spandex.

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Slim Fit Raglan: Fitted at bust and arms, semi-fitted at waist and hips.

Favorite Fabrics: Medium weight sweater knit, rayon spandex blends, cotton spandex, stretch french terry, slub jersey.

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Women’s Raglan: Loose fit through bust and waist, semi-fitted at hips- straight cut. Loose on arms. (Size Medium)

Favorite Fabrics: More stable knits like french terry, sweatshirt, fleece, interlock, and ponte roma.

1 (14)1 (4)1 (13)1 (28)1 (34)IMG_88011 (2)(PS- I have a light pink undershirt under the lace one! I didn’t realize that was a mistake until after the pictures! lol)

Favorite Tee: this is fitted at bust and semi-fitted through waist and hip. The side vent hem can give you even more relaxed fit through hip.

Favorite Fabics: You have a pretty wide range of knits you can use on this shirt.  I prefer a flowly, drapey knit for the curved hem option like rayon spandex, modal, poly jerseys, ITY.  For the banded hem option I love something with a little more structure like a rayon french terry and poly jerseys. The side vent hem can use either of these and look great.  For the dress length I prefer something more structured again like double brushed poly, cotton spandex, rayon french terry.

Sweet Tee: this is a slimmed dolman with very small “bat wings” under the arms.  It is fitted at bust and semi-fitted through waist and hips.

Favorite Fabics: light to medium weight knits, although it has very small “bat wings” I still strongly prefer a soft drape for any dolman so that your “wings” aren’t puffy 😉  I used tissue jersey, slub jersey, light and medium weight sweater knits, and rayon spandex for my favorites.

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Tulip Tee: this is a boxy, relaxed fit dolman.  Semi-fitted at bust and hip, but a straighter cut through waist.  Although it’s not straight, it is still very loose through waist. The plain option will feel and fit tighter at the waist and hip than the tulip option, which will naturally swing open for a looser feel.

Favorite Fabics: light to medium weight knits. I prefer a soft drape for any dolman so that your “wings” aren’t puffy 😉  I used mostly rayon/modal/ blends for mine personally.  I love it in a soft sweater knit for fall/winter as well.  You could use a slub knit, poly blend, triblend, ITY all as well.

 

Pumpkin Spice Dolman: oversized/loose fit through upper arms, bust and waist.  Semi-fitted on hips. Tight fit on lower arms. (Medium in the navy/grey and Large in the others- I hit those measurements at the time of sewing/pictures :))

Favorite Fabrics: I like fabric with good drape for this one.  Rayon spandex blends, sweater knits (both medium and lighter work), thinner slub jerseys, french terry with rayon in the blend, and ity.

 

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Free Spirit Tank: Fitted at bust, drastic a-line out to give loose fit through waist and hips. (Size Medium)

Favorite Fabrics: I like fabric with good stretch and drape for this one.  Rayon spandex blends, sweater knits and thinner slub jersey.

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Sporty Piko: A very loose, straight cut from the short sleeve juncture.  It is loose throughout the body with relaxed sleeves as well.

Favorite Fabrics: It really depends on the look you’re wanting for this one! I love a french terry for the hoodie options, but for an everyday tee it must have a very soft drape.  You can use various fabrics depending on how boxy you want the shirt to appear- the more stable the fabric the boxier it will look worn.

Brunch Blouse: Fitted at bust, curves in only a touch at waist, loose on hips.

Favorite Fabrics: Rayon challis, crepe, anything with a softer drape.

 

Everyday Elegance: Loose fit through bust and waist- straight cut to hips. (Size Medium)

Favorite Fabrics: I like fabrics with lots of drape for this one like peach skin, chiffon, rayon challis.

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Filed Under: Announcement, Fitting, P4P University 19 Comments

How to do a Full Booty Adjustment

June 13, 2015

n my post about the Greenstyle Taylor Shorts I made myself here … I mentioned I did a “full butt adjustment”.. well because I have a FULL butt 😉

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Well apparently the apple didn’t fall far from the tree… because when I went to measure my LO for some cute Winter Wear Aviator pants, I shared about them here in this post …  his measurements all hit a size 2… but THAT BUM was a size 5! UH-OH! ha ha ha ha… so I flat measured the bum area to see how much ease the pattern had… I decided he did need more room then the size 3 had… so I went to work doing a full butt adjustment for my not quite 2 year old…I thought kids were easier to sew for?????

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I had lots of inquires about a more detailed blog post, so I thought I would share his… it is the same on any size pattern 🙂

It is a really quick and simple adjustment!

Take your back piece and splice it across where the roundest part of their/your booty is.  usually about mid rise on younger/athletic builds 🙂 You will want to leave the seam allowance! Here is a picture of his:

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Now when you go to cut, you will spread out the back rise however much you need to add for the bum… I added about 1/2″ to my LO’s after flat measuring and comparing to his measurements.

Then you will need to “true up” the sides… since you’re adding length into the rise it wont match perfectly anymore, neither will the outer leg seam… Here is where you can customize your fit even more…

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For my Little Guy who still has a baby figure I didn’t want to loose ANY width on the waist or high hip… so when I “trued up” the outer leg I took the outer edge and added slightly straightening the line up.

When I adjust for myself, I have a small high hip and waist… so I don’t mind taking the inner angle and loosing some width up there.

(Looking back I should’ve taken another picture with a chalk line describing these… I will add those when I need to adjust a pattern for myself, or my little one!!)

I hope this helps those blessed with big bums! 😉

Filed Under: Fitting, Uncategorized 3 Comments

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