This weeks project - wide leg jeans designed by ME!

so this week, I am taking a step into unknown territory and I'm excited.

I have decided I want a pair of lovely wide leg jeans, no zip in the CF but an invisible zip in the CB. I saw jeans like this and they looked stunning. They'd been top stitched to look like jeans where the zip would normally be, but there was no bulk. Fabulous.


So what do I do? I decide to design them myself, with the changes I want. The front pockets will be straight and angular instead of curved. I'll be doing double stitching down the inner leg seam.

My first ever draft design

(I am not an artist, on paper anyway)

Next time I'll do the back on separate piece of paper as I ran out of room. Otherwise, I'm not that disappointed. They seem to look OK for a first go, but the main thing is, they seem to look how I want them to!

There's going to be a lot of trial and error in muslins, I'm sure. But this is a step for me in the right direction. 

Off I go to start drafting! Wow

Study then career! My mind is made up!

Well it's taken a lot of soul searching, and internet searching over the years, of finally deciding what I want to do as a career. A lot of people have suggested over the years, I get into the fashion/garment industry. I always kept it in the back of my mind though, as I wasn't fully sure.

These past few weeks of doing my drafting, has helped cement my decisions.

I want to work in the fashion design, or drafting etc area of the garment industry. I have been leaning that way for a while now, but after doing the drafting, my mind was made up.

There are a few different types of opportunities within the industry that I can look at eventually(that would also work in with the possibility of children and a family in the future, unlike a previous career goal that would really put me out of the running for a family), but for now, I plan on upskilling and studying.

For several reasons right now, which I won't go into details of, due to a blog stalker, moving away from my small town is not an option. It will be in the future, but at this current stage, it's a no go. So I shall hopefully be doing one basic correspondence course shortly(should know in the next 2 weeks!) and then doing a much more advanced course that runs on the Teleista pattern technology system, via correspondence too(with the possible opportunity of a few classes in person, but it's at the other end of the country, so I'd have to travel there via plane. but that is an option if I need more help), but I won't be able to start that particular one for at least 6-9 months.

It's a rather exciting decision, and I know it'll be a lot of hard work. But everyone who knows me, knows that once I put my mind to something, I work my arse off to make sure I achieve that goal.

While I don't imagine I'll be a world renound fashion designer - I'd one day love to have my own small line of clothing, even if it was only for family or friends! But the idea of drafting for a company, and walking down the street seeing clothes that *I* have created the pattern for, that's a pretty satisfying and exciting thought.

So here endth my rambling!

Wish I had a picture to add, wordy blog posts are so boring sometimes LOL, I've changed the font so maybe that'll make it a bit more interesting than times new roman!

How did I ever survive?

You know how sometimes you look at an invention, and think "pfftt really, is it really going to be that useful?".
It's a bit like a changing table for a baby, most people scoff at them, but once they've used one, they find how useful they are.

Well this cutting table is like that.
I pulled it out this morning and lifted one leaf up, it fits perfectly in an empty space, and is the perfect size for drafting. So I pulled out my drafting tools, my sleeve cap that I needed to change, and with no bending over, no having to get help to put the trestle table up and taking up space in the lounge(!!!), I changed the cap very easily.
Then I wondered, how on earth did I cope without it. Isn't that silly? 20mins using a new table, and I'm a full convert.
No bending over, no straining, I love it. So does my back, and my head(over 2 weeks of one constant headache now, that goes boom boom boom with bending, argh!).

But truly, if anyone has ever looked at these tables and thought "nah not worth it". You're wrong. LOL

And of course no blog post is complete without a photo.
I saw this painting a few weeks ago, and fell in love. It's massive (1m x 70cm) and had to have it (for an amazing price too. It was a $1 reserve, and didn't get very high)
The photo doesnt do it justice at all.

The more you look at it, the more you see. its so deep, dark, and you kind of walk into it. I can't believe I own it actually, as I turn my head and look at it now!

Look what found its way to my house!

I found a bargain, and got this table for a 3rd of the price they are new, not too bad!

My parents were taking a couple of cars down to the same town to drop off cars and pick other ones up from my brother, so I drove one of the cars down, and had a fabulous weekend with a girlfriend and her friends, and picked the table up on the way home! It worked out perfectly.

So here is the table last night. It's HUGE! like seriously HUGE!  With a working surface of 990mm x 1880mm (39" x 74") and being 87cm high, it's perfect. No bending over on the floor, no having to get help to put up the trestle table. Will do wonders for my back.
Excuse all the stuff around it, the main aim was to get it in the door last night and all the bags etc outa the cars we bought home! lol

The handles were pretty faded and cracked and scratched, so I thought I'd head to the $3 shop and get some cheap wee ones,
here it is with one new handle on. it looks like a new table!

Now I just have to work out how to fit it in the sewing room. It'll be compacted until it's actually needed, otherwise there's no room to walk in the room, woops!

On another bright note, I've now lost a total of 5.5kg(12lb) in a month I think it is. Fantastic! I'm really happy.

Pant block photo

Here's a photo of the front pant block traced ready to be cut out.
It is a very satisfying photo for me, because it does look how a pant pattern should look.

Success! Pattern drafting week 5

Gosh really, week 5 already, one more week to go.
So while I didn't get to class this week, the tutor emailed me the instructions, and this morning I hesitantly started drafting my pants block.
Well it took about 1.5hrs to draft the front and back, and the pattern pieces themselves look really good. Fitting of course will be another issue, but wow. It's about time I had a success moment!
They were without a doubt, the easiest thing I've drafted, bizzare eh!

I've got a couple of books coming through the librarys "interloan" system on pattern drafting, to see if they are any good, if they are, I'll buy them from Book Depository.

I feel inspired! Off to buy an old sheet now from the op shop, to make these pants, I'm out of musliny type fabric, and I don't want to use my good stuff for obvious reasons.
So exciting!

Update: It actually doesn't look too bad! There are a few wee alterations needed of course, but wow, disheartened I am not!

A scrumptious piece of fabric!

I bought this gorgeous piece of fabric before, 2.5m for $14! What a bargain.
It's a light wool (possibly a blend, not sure on that)

Isn't it just so divine. I think it'll make a wonderful skirt - out of a pattern that I have drafted myself!!!

I didn't get to class this week, have had an incredibly stressful week that I wish to never repeat and the stress has flared up my glandular fever again. I swore I was dying again last night. Though after this last week, dying probably isn't a joking matter. lol
But my tutor is emailing me through the instructions, so I can work on my pant block at home before next class.

I got up this morning and did some embroidery on the machine for someone. It was after I unhooped it, that I realised I had caught the sleeve into the bodice of the bodysuit. *sigh* It's going to be one of those days!

Pattern drafting - week 3 - doing my head in!

Having a very disheartened day today. After putting on my bodice block tuesday evening at class, we sorted out the couple of adjustments that needed to be done. That's fine, I understand what needs to be done and where.
But it's HOW I get those adjustments to be finished. things like lowering the neck line and adding the dart in, I fully understand and it makes full sense. But I have to add approx 10cm to my back waist length.

Now excuse the language, but WTH! I redrafted the pattern fully on thursday afternoon, no such luck, it came out identical. What on earth am I doing wrong? Or misinterpreting.
How the hell do I add 10cm to the back block, it's going to be sloped here there and everywhere. And if it's drafted originally to my back waist length, then why the hell doesn't it fit!!!!!!!!!

I'm truthfully over this bodice block. This is the 3rd week we've all been on it, and it's starting to get very old, very quick.

Next week is pants, btu I honestly see us all having to relook again at the bodice judging by what I spoke to another woman on the class about yesterday.
I wish we could all get one to one help for this bit.
I also feel for the one woman on the class who's bodice was fine first pop. She's had to suffer through the whole thing with us, it's not really fair on her.

So bitching whinging Emma is out in full force today!
I'm just so disheartened by it all. Can't work out what I'm doing wrong! Nightmare!