On TNTs and the holy grail

Posted by Alexandra at Studio Alexandra

Just as I was patting myself on the back for having traced out and adjusted four new BWOF patterns in a weekend, Carolyn posted about her weekend sewing. She has two new skirts to show for it; I have pieces of paper and muslin. I was going to feel sorry for myself but then I realized that maybe there's a message in her post that I missed on the first read-through.

If you've been reading my blog for at least a month, you know I have at least four well-fitting TNT dress patterns. Why then did I feel compelled to trace out and adjust three new dress patterns? I have a theory - the holy grail theory. We're all looking for the holy grail of fitting, and justifiably so considering the deterioration of fit in RTW. We read books and watch DVDs about fitting, spend hours adjusting paper patterns and making mock-ups in muslin or inexpensive fabric, and participate in the multitude of threads about fitting on sewing-related forums (fora?) in an effort to look our best.

It seems easy to define fit in objective terms - no wrinkles or gaping, follows body curves without clinging, hides bulges, and has enough room for movement. But I believe there is a subjective component, too - does it look flattering? And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the reason many of us try pattern after pattern, adjusting and tweaking, and moving on to the next pattern. We don't want a pattern that fits objectively, we want one that makes us look and feel great.

The problem is that those of us who have body image issues sometimes end up in a never-ending quest for the pattern that will make said issues disappear. I'm speaking from experience here. I keep looking for a dress pattern that will make my back view look shapely. You see, if I had to draw myself, I'd draw a fairly skinny figure with curves for the front view. For the back view, I'd draw a long rectangle with a head and limbs. My very square shoulders form an almost straight line and my butt looks very rectanglish no matter what I wear. As I reflected on this last night, I realized that what I'm really looking for is not a pattern that will make me look shapelier from the back, but rather my own acceptance of things I cannot change. I mean permanent acceptance rather than the typical skinny/pretty days vs. fat/ugly days.

The holy grail of fitting is not the pattern. It's knowing your body issues, accepting them, and then finding ways to mitigate them. For me this means necklines that dip considerably to break the solid line (collars work well, too) and well-defined waist lines. For others, it may be a proportion thing or a matter of length. Threads has a good article about finding your best silhouette and proportions.

I like my new patterns. When I compared the adjusted pattern pieces to my TNTs, they looked almost identical. So from here on out, my motto will be TNTs work so work your TNTs (and use new patterns only for details). And with that, I cut out a sleeveless sheath dress in a lovely royal blue wool crepe, using not one of my new BWOF patterns but an old TNT self-drafted one.