Sewing A Formal Tuxedo Vest

Sewing Friends:

My son needs a new formal vest to go with his tuxedo. I thought I would surprise him and give him a vest as a Christmas gift. He is 6'4" tall and needs extra long length. He is also about 220 lbs., so he is a big guy.

My husband and I went all over town looking and came back empty handed. No one carried extra long vests. I even checked online, but what little I found was not acceptable in color or quality. I was frustrated and exhausted.

So, today, I went to my sewing room, rumaged through my stash and found some fabric that I used for some of my grandson's skating vests when he was ice dancing competively. I found a perfect blue with sort of a burnished silver swirl. This will look great with his red hair! O boy, I found another piece of coordinating fabric, a solid gun metal metallic. Great! Now, I could make the vest reversible.

I even had an old sewing pattern from the 60's that I used to make my husband a vest back then. They really haven't changed over the years. If I make it a little longer than Dad's, that should do it. I dug around some more and found enough button molds to cover. I was all set.

Don't you just love finding these treasures? I have everything I need right here and it is FREE . . .well, sort of.

Once I got started, I didn't want to stop. I was excited to see my creation! The vest is together and is ready for the buttons and button holes. I love it! Hope my son likes it.

I have to stop for the day. My back is aching and it's time to get dinner ready. Tomorrow is another day. I will finish the buttons and button holes by applying some of the sewing tips I shared with you in other articles.

The sewing technique that I used to sew the reversible vest is the turned one that I published in an article in April, 2006. If you want to see how to sew a reversible vest, go here:

http://1ststeptosewingsuccess.blogspot.com/2006/04/two-sewing-techniques-on-how-to-sew.html

Find out how to sew some reversible vests for your loved ones, young and old, male and female. Vests are fun and easy sewing projects. You can sew them out of almost anything. Use some of your embroidery or special stitches on them. You are the designer. Have fun!

To Your Sewing Success,

Marian

PS: Just a thought for those of you sewing formals for weddings or proms. How about sewing vests for the guys to match the girls dresses? That would be a nice gift for them.

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Sewing Pants That Don't Fit!

Hi Sewing Friends:

I am on a pants fitting rampage today. I can't stand to see you continue to suffer from fitting frustration.

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"Finally! Pants That Really Fit"

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How many times have you seen the headline, "Finally, Pants That Really Fit"? Well, I know I've seen it many times over the years. And, I can tell you, too, that I was suckered into believing I had found the magic key to pants fitting success. But the results were always the same, "Pants That Don't Fit".

Every "expert" I found basically laid out the same plan to achieve good fit. . .take your full hip measurement, yada, yada, yada, and make muslins and more muslins and tweak it, tweak it, tweak it until you finally give up totally frustrated, or. . .maybe you got a decent fit, but you have no idea how you got it and can't do it again! It makes you feel like you need to call one of those "Extreme Makeover" Shows for help to redo your body!

I'm sorry to rant on like this, but I just read another article about fitting pants in a well-known sewing magazine and it drives me crazy! No wonder you quit sewing for yourself. These articles are not what you need. It is the same old song, so you will get the same result. . .more pants that don't fit in the UFO pile.

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Whose fault is it?

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It isn't your fault. It is the instruction and information that you've been given over the years that is basically a guessing game about what you need and where you need it to achieve good fitting pants.

It probably isn't the "experts" fault either. They can get good fit if they work at it, but they have years of "tweaking" experience. They can start out with a pattern that fits no one, put it on you, and pin and tuck until it comes close to fitting. Then, they send you home and tell you to continue doing the "trial and error" method til you get what you want.

I actually paid a lot of money to have someone do that for me. I still didn't get what I needed. Who knew I was lopsided? I had to find that out for myself.

A balanced sewing pattern can't possibly work on an unbalanced body. The "experts" don't want to deal with unbalanced figures in their classes. It just takes too much time. One of the major problems is that so many people are lopsided, but they don't even know it and many of the instructors don't recognize it or know how to deal with it. You don't know either; you just know that your pants don't fit.

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What do we want?

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I know that most of us who sew are not pattern drafters, nor do we want to be. That is not our forte or interest. We simply want to sew something, put it on and enjoy the fruit of our labor.

We like to use sewing patterns to help us do that. We can read and follow instructions, but the sewing pattern instructions are vague and fitting all the different types of figure deviations can't be addressed in an envelope.

Sewing pattern companies are in the business to sell patterns, not to actually help you get a good fit. They want you to continue to buy more patterns! So, you keep trying different ones.

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So, what am I promoting?

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Now, I can hear you asking, so, what am I promoting? Yes, I have developed a fitting method for pants that works a heck of a lot better than anything I've ever tried in my 50 years of teaching sewing before. Yes, I do sell it. But, I don't really care if you buy it or not. It is up to you. If you want to try it, fine. If you don't, that's OK, too. It isn't a big investment in money, but it is a tremendous investment in achieving the fit you are so desperately seeking.

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How is it different than all the other pants fitting methods out there?

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It is based on common sense! It is not a "trial and error" or a "tweak it" method.

I hate "muslins"! I don't even have it in my house. I want to wear what I spend my time sewing. If you know how to measure accurately, you should be able to wear what you sew.

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How do you achieve good fitting pants?

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Basically, to achieve good fit, you must have the right amount of fabric where you need it. . .not too much or too little. To do that, you need to know how much you need. You achieve that by measuring each section of your body, not the whole body. You need to know how to do that and most methods gloss over this, but don't address it. Then, you need to know how to apply that knowledge to a commercial sewing pattern. That's the tricky part that usually isn't covered either. Sewing the pants is the easy part.

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Does this make any sense to you?

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If I have made some sense to you and you want to know more about my common sense skirt and pants fitting method, "Common Sense Fitting Method For Hard-To-Fit Sewing Folks Who Want Great Fitting Pants And Skirts", check out my website, 1st Step To Sewing Success, at: http://www.1ststeptosewingsuccess.com

To Your Sewing Success,

Marian


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Happy Thanksgiving from Sewing Success

Sewing Friends:

We here at Sewing Success Sewing Blog just want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

My family will be here for a few days, so I'm cooking and baking their favorite things. Ah, now this is the time of year when I really appreciate that "Comfort Waist Band". It will grow with me and let me enjoy those yummy pies.

There is no time for sewing techniques or writing for a while. I will be spending my time counting my blessings and enjoying my family. I hope you will be, too.

There are lots more good sewing tips, and sewing projects that I want to share with you soon.

Please let me know if there is something special that you need or would like to see to help you learn how to sew better. I'll really try to accommodate you.

To Your Sewing Success,

Marian

PS: Instead of fighting the crowds and traffic on "Black Friday", give your sewing friend or family member a sewing or fitting ebook for Christmas. It's easy and you don't even have to gift wrap it.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving!

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Sewing Tips - Fitting Skirts Using Common Sense

Sewing Tips

Hi Sewing Friends:

Skirts are perhaps the easiest garments to fit. A straight skirt almost tells you what you need to do to make the skirt fit correctly. If the skirt doesn't fit well, figure problems definitely show.

I encourage my students to begin their fitting projects with learning how to fit a skirt. If you get your skirt to fit correctly, it really helps to build upon that fit - UP for the bodice and DOWN for pants. Think about that!

To begin your skirt fitting project, start with a classic straight skirt. All the seams on these skirts must hang perfectly plumb or perpendicular to the floor. The hemline must be level or parallel to the floor. Then, you have a beautifully fitted skirt.

It always seemed dumb to me to measure up from the floor to make your skirt hemline level. It still hangs crooked if your body is crooked. Why? Because your skirt hangs from your waist! If your waist line isn't level, the skirt will never hang straight on your body unless you make the waist crooked to match your waist line. Doesn't that make sense?

Think about a pregnant woman for a minute. When she has a big belly, her skirt hikes up in the front and the skirt has diagonal pull lines pointing to her tummy. You can measure from the floor all day long, and the skirt will still have the diagonal pull lines and a hiked up look. The problem is at her waist line, not the hem line. Deal with the problem where it is!

Fit should be incorporated into the sewing pattern before you cut out your skirt. But, you ask, how do I know where I need to alter, how much I need to alter and how do I do the alterations?

It's in the book! My ebook, that is. I give you specific step-by-step instructions on how to determine what your unique body needs to get your fit and I even tell you exactly how to alter your sewing pattern. See my new "Common Sense Fitting Method For Hard To Fit Sewing Folks Who Want Great Fitting Skirts And Pants". It just makes sense!

You aren't sure you have a problem? Try on a straight skirt that you have in your closet. Here are some tips to help you analyze it.

Do you have. . .

• A high hip? A high hip makes a hemline shorter on the high side of the body.
  
• A "pot" tummy or large abdomen? A large abdomen makes the hemline stand away from the legs at the center-front.
  
• A flat seat? A flat seat makes a hemline touch the legs in the back and the side seams will swing toward the front.
  
• A large waist? A large waist looks even larger if the waistband is too tight.
  
• How about rounded buttocks, or sway-back or large thighs?

When you identify your specific fitting problems, you can discover the fitting solutions. When the fitting solutions are applied to the skirt sewing pattern, the skirt fabric lies smoothly on grain on the body.

With my "Common Sense Fitting Method", you can determine exactly how much your body differs from the sewing pattern. You never have to guess or do the trial and error method again. It isn't necessary when you absolutely know what you need, exactly how much you need and where you need it. Believe me!

Good fit improves your figure tremendously. You will look thinner, more fashionable, and feel more comfortable, too.

Of course, when you cut out your skirt, the fabric must be on grain. You must also lay out your sewing pattern on grain. No cheating! Your skirt will not hang correctly if you cut it off grain. Be careful and always respect grain. You really can't fight it. Grain wins every time. It's like that tee shirt that comes out of the wash with the twisted seam. That garment was cut off grain. You don't want that!

Always preshrink and straighten your fabric before you cut out your garment. It saves a lot of frustration and potential problems later.

Skirts are always in fashion. Good fitting skirts will conceal figure problems. No matter what size or age you are, it seems everyone needs to make some sort of fitting alteration to their skirt sewing pattern so that it fits their body correctly.

And the extra bonus is that when you get your good fit in a skirt, you are half way to getting your pants fit. Both skirts and pants fit the same from the waist line to the hip line. Wouldn't you love to have great fitting pants, too?

It's all in the book. You get two for one. Discover how to fit skirts and pants and enjoy comfortable, good fitting pants and skirts forever!

I just makes sense!

To Your Sewing And Fitting Success,

Marian

PS: If you have a website, you can make a nice commission by selling my ebooks. Check out my affiliate program at my website, 1st Step To Sewing Success

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Sewing Tip - How To Sew Bias Strips Together The Easy Way

Sewing Tip

Hi Sewing Friends:

One of my beginner sewing students really struggled with sewing angled bias strips together. She could never sew the angles so that the strip came out even. It always had a jog in it.

Maybe you have the same sewing problem. Well, you won't anymore! Here is the common sense solution for sewing bias strips with pointed ends. It just makes sense!

Easy Method For Sewing Bias Strips Together

Cutting

When you cut bias strips for binding, do NOT cut the ends at an angle like you normally would and try to sew them together. Instead, after you cut your binding, cut the ends square.

Get Ready To Sew - Layout

Lay one of the strips right side up. Now, making a right angle with the strips, lay the second strip wrong side up with the 2 right sides of the fabric overlapping together only at the corner of the strips.

Now the two strips should form a square corner shape.

Sew The Bias Strips Together

You will sew these two strips together in this way.

Do NOT stitch from the inside corner to the outside corner.

Do stitch diagonally across the corner as if you were going to cut the corner off.
Tip: Lay a ruler across the corner and draw a line to use as a guide so you can sew straight.

Press

Press the funny (dog-ear) corner seam allowances open.

Trim

Trim the corner seam allowances to 1/4 inch.

Look!

Can you believe that! It is perfect. No more guessing. No more jogs in your bias binding.

For most people, squares are easier to sew across than trying to join two angles.

It just makes sense!

Hope you enjoy this sewing tip.

To Your Sewing Success,

Marian

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Sewing Tips - Wax And Iron Your Hand Sewing Thread

Sewing Friends,

Many of you are familiar with using beeswax to strengthen your sewing thread and help keep it from tangling when you hand sew.

If you are new to sewing, you want to wax all your hand sewing thread. It's a great idea.

The problem is that the beeswax leaves a waxy residue behind on the fabric that can just be ugly especially on fine silk fabrics or dark colors.

To eliminate this problem, after you cut a length of thread and pass it through your needle, run the thread through the beeswax. Then, simply pass the thread under a warm iron to melt the wax into the thread. No more residue. Problem solved.

And, the best part is that the waxed thread slides through the fabric slick as a whistle and doesn't tangle. Sure saves a lot of frustration when hand sewing.

You can find beeswax at your local fabric store in the sewing notions department.

Here are a couple more sewing tips for you.

Have your sewing thread be about 18-20 inches long when you sew. Also, pass the end of the thread that comes off the spool first through the eye of the needle. It doesn't twist and tangle as much.

Enjoy hand sewing by waxing and ironing your sewing thread. It just makes sense.

To Your Sewing Success,

Marian

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Sewing Tips - For Great Gifts, Sew Pajamas for The Whole Family

Sewing Tips - Pajamas

Hi Sewing Friends:

I am going to try to give you several sew-quick-and-easy gift ideas for you to make. Here is a good one that will be appreciated by all your loved ones.

One year, I made matching granny gowns and nightshirts for all of my little nieces and nephews. I used a red and white stripe flannel. They all looked so cute. There were 9 little matching "munchins" running around on Christmas. What fun!

Enjoy sewing for your family this holiday season. Gifts made with love are treasured forever.

To Your Sewing Success,

Marian

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Sewing Tips - For Great Gifts, Sew Pajamas for The Whole Family

- by Marian Lewis

©2006 Marian Lewis - All Rights Reserved

1st Step To Sewing Success

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Need a gift idea for the whole family?

Everybody needs them, young and old alike. Everybody loves comfy ones. So, why not sew up some soft, baggy pajama bottoms for the whole family? How about sewing matching ones to wear Christmas eve?

Use your serger/overlock machine to make this a really speedy sewing project.

Just sew the bottoms and buy tee shirt tops to coordinate with them. This is really popular with kids of all ages, even the college kids. They often use them for lounge pants.

Sewing a pair of pajamas takes very little time and they don't really need to fit. Baggy bottoms are cool! There are some really cute fabrics in cotton or flannel. Why not make a pair of silk or satin pj's? How elegant!

Make them short, long or mid-calf, whatever you want. You are the designer! Add ruffles, lace, trims, piping, decorative stitching, embroidery, monograms, etc. You are only limited by your imagination. Try out all of your sewing techniques.

There are lots of sewing patterns available. Or, just use a pants pattern that you have and make it a little looser. Sew a casing and add elastic. Copy what you see in ready-to-wear. You can do it - only yours will be better. They won't fall apart in the wash!

Here is an extra sewing tip:

To keep your pant legs from twisting like you see in ready-to-wear, be sure and pre-shrink and straighten all your fabrics before you cut and sew.

It just makes sense!

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Marian Lewis is a sewing instructor and the creator of an amazing new fitting method for hard-to-fit sewing folks. In her ebook, “Common Sense Fitting Method For Hard-To-Fit Sewing Folks Who Want Great Fitting Skirts And Pants”, find out step-by-step WHAT you really need and HOW to apply that to commercial sewing patterns for fitting pants and skirts . It just makes sense!

Finally, you can sew great fitting pants and end your fitting frustration.

Marian is also the author of other eBooks related to sewing including, “Sew A Tee Pee And Accessories For Your Tribe Of Kids” and “Classy Designer Straight Skirt” where she teaches basic and advanced sewing techniques.

Discover FREE sewing projects and Sewing Success News.

If you enjoy sewing, visit Marian’s sewing sites for more sewing tips and techniques.

It just makes sense!

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Sewing Tips - Pajamas

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