Australian Stitches No26-3

The fashionable side of the fitness wear industry has taken flight. It’s a clothing category that has infiltrated almost every other area of our closets, with hoodies, yoga pants and the like now seen on the street as much as, if not more than, in a gym. But what’s out there seems to be tailor-made only for bodies that look like our super-fit model on these pages. What‘s the less-than-lithe to do? Charlott Kisvarda, director of Australian active lifestyle brand ‘Fit Image’, offers some handy tips and tricks on these four pages to use when sewing stylish workout wear that suits your OWN shape, because looking fabulous while getting fit should be for Every Body … PANTS Pants are the most important component of any activewear look, and they are more about engineering…

Think the early 1970s and Pucci and this style of print comes to mind – psychedelic was in! Now you, too, can have the same look but with a twist; these colours are a little bit more muted than the hottest pink on the planet (which was all the rage back then) and now much more wearable. But just in case you want something a bit more classic in toning then navy, black and cream might be more to your liking. And, as always, Knitwit fabrics go anywhere, never crease and are ‘dead-easy’ to sew. Get to it girls before it sells out! Note: At Stitches we can vouch for the non-crease fabrics because when Wendy sends us parcels of garments to photograph, they are crammed into postal bags so tightly…

We all know, as we age our bodies start changing shape, but we don’t always know how to make adjustments to suit us. In this instance, we look at narrowing the shoulder line; we change in this area, as we get older often because we lose weight or lose muscle tone on the shoulder and this can make a huge difference to the fit of a garment (this alteration can also be used for women born with narrow shoulders). Then to add to our woes, we often expand around the middle, where once a waist lived. So here are some great fitting tips to help you overcome these two pesky problems. Standard shoulder line alterations When it comes to patterns for the upper body, there is just one rule – if your…

As women age, they tend to put on an extra amount of weight around the middle section of the body, making it a difficult area to fit without increasing the armhole and bust area. Here we show you an alteration first brought to us by Sandra Beztina, which adds fullness without affecting the armhole. 1. To determine how much you need to expand the pattern, measure your body 7.5cm (3in) above and below your natural waistline. Use the larger measurement as your reference measurement. Add 10cm-15cm (4in-6in) of ease to this measurement. A drapey fabric, which is slightly more generous in the oversized area will be more flattering than a skimpy cut. See diagram 1. 2. Compare your full-bust measurement to the pattern size you are using. Measure the pattern between the…

This series of articles focuses on various areas of garment construction, offering different methods to those detailed in the pattern guide sheet. The ability to personalise garments is a great benefit of being able to sew. Adding in-seam pockets can provide both functional and decorative elements to many garments. In-seam pockets can be incorporated in a new garment or added to an existing garment. When deciding to add an in-seam pocket, consider the most comfortable and useable placement position and the weight of the garment fabric. Pattern pieces provided for in-seam pockets in dresses or jackets, see photo 1, usually state ‘Cut 4’ from garment fabric. If the fabric is heavier, for example in a jacket or coat, it is good idea to cut two from the garment fabric and two from a…

V8963 – JACKET, TOP, DRESS, SKIRT AND PANTS: Fitted, lined jacket has shoulder pads, princess seams, and two-piece sleeves. Bias, pullover top or dress (fitted through bust) has side back seams, and flutter sleeves. Semi-fitted skirt has back zip. Straight-legged pants have waistband and invisible side zip. Jacket, pants and skirt for tropical wool crepe or ponte knit. Jacket also for sweater knits or tweeds. Dress and top for crepe-back satin or crepe de chine. Misses’ sizes: 6 – 22. www.voguepatterns.com…