Blocks and what I did next...

It's been a few weeks.  There has been sewing, natch, because I am obsessed.

But mostly I've been learning and planning and thinking.

Learning - well, at Christmas I was given two sewing classes, one each from the husband and the mothership.  They are at Makeplace which is a lovely place - nice airy room, lots of space, lovely Juki machines, really good teachers.

I chose the ones I wanted, which were how to draft a bodice block and a trousers block.  I had to wait to go on each one - and as an impatient Mr Toad I-WANT-IT-NOW kind of person that was quite hard.  But each day finally came and I am now the proud owner of two pattern blocks that fit my exact measurements, and a whole heap of extra knowledge and information and a couple of new books.

The class is run over a day and has 4 people so you get really good 1:1 time with the tutor and plenty of time to ask questions and chat, as well as space to manipulate large sheets of card to make the block.

Each class used the steps and principles of Winifred Aldrich's Metric Pattern Cutting book,
What was interesting for me is that it really reinforced that there is no such thing as a 'normal' shape - even the slenderest of people have fitting issues!  And as I have my own ample bum to think about and fit, I had never really experienced that a flat bum is just as much of a fitting issue.  But it is!

The bodice is a close-fitted style, I should be able to go pretty much anywhere into fitted blouse or dress bodice with it, and I am planning a simple dress with a half circle skirt for summer.  But the trousers...oh my!  My trousers block, in particular, is simply amazing.

The style is for nice 'normal' trousers - the kind one might wear for work.  Not too fancy, not jeans, not skinny, but properly fitted.  I spent about 3 hours drafting the block and then the afternoon cutting fabric and sewing up a toile/muslin to tweak the fit.  Mine didn't need tweaking at all, my partner was a very good measurer!  And when I tried them on the fit is dreamy!  Perfect on the waist, perfect over the bum, perfect across the leg...no pulls, no wrinkles, no need for a belt.  And because they fit they also look nice on, they're flattering - and yes, in this context, by 'flattering' I do mean that they make me look a bit thinner.  I know, I know...

Anyway,I went straight to the fabric shop and hit the sale rail as per and bought enough for a first pair, it said dry clean but has come out of the washing machine unscathed.  And yesterday I went to the market and bought a piece of wool/poly which is definitely washable and that's drying too.

I really can't wait to get them made up...