PatternReview: Plus Sized thread trainwreck

I hadn't planned to write this post, but I wanted to open a discussion about a trainwreck of a thread that happened in the PatternReview forums last weekend. I tried to let this go, but it's been bothering me. While I wouldn't normally post about a PR thread here on my blog, but based on what happened there, I felt that taking things off of PR was the best place to voice my concerns. I feel that the "trainwreck thread" is indicative of some bigger issues in that community.

 

The Incident

 

So...what actually happened?

I was browsing the PatternReview forums over the weekend, and a new thread in the low-traffic forums caught my eye. The title of the thread was "Plus Size Resources," and the thread was started by Madeline, a new PatternReview employee, who is supposed to be helping out with order fulfillment, customer service, and site blog posts, among other things.  Here is the original, first post (captured by a savvy reader and later re-posted on a GOMI thread):

I am collecting information that pertains to plus size pattern companies, online fabric stores that cater to plus size people, and other companies that provide things for plus size sewists. Please comment below and let me know what are your favorite pattern companies, fabric stores, etc who cater to you.

We all want to look like giant tomatoes, right?

Um, what?

I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, figuring that she was either putting something together for a PatternReview blog post or for the upcoming "plus size" sewing contest, so I posted a few pattern companies with inclusive size ranges and asked what she meant by "fabric stores that cater to plus size people," since I, and all of the other plus size sewists I know, all shop at the same places that thinner women shop at.

• A few other PR posters also posted in response things like, "You mean, where do I get my tentmaking supplies?" and other jokes along that line.
• The OP then returns and states that she's a new PR employee and that she was trying to find some new corporate sponsors for PR that were more friendly to plus sizes.
• The forum posters pointed out that she had asked some odd questions and that most of what she was asking could easily be found via Google. 
• There was a bunch of weirdness where the OP edited posts, got argumentative, made a few "sorry not sorry" posts, and said some weird things about the Eiffel tower. As more people called her out on her actions and suggested more diplomatic ways to pose her questions, she appeared to get angrier. More apologies along the lines of "I'm sorry your feelings were hurt" without actually apologizing for what she said or how she framed her question, etc.
• Finally a mod locked the thread.
• The next day, Deepika posted something about the OP being a new employee who was learning.
• Fairly soon after that, the thread was deleted, reminding us all where the "Deletka" nickname came from.

(For those interested, there's a funnier recap in the "Hate Read" thread on GOMI. No, I'm not a hamcat, but I do lurk.)

 

PatternReview, Inclusivity, Censorship, and You

 

I see two major issues with last weekend's incident: censorship and inclusivity.

PatternReview moderators have a long history of deleting forum threads when the threads get too heated. An overwhelming number of these deleted threads are political in nature. I can remember a handful of non-political threads getting heated and deleted though--there was a particularly infamous one on breastfeeding, and of course, a thread calling out the PR moderators for too heavily moderating the forums.

The only reason that I can think of for the "Plus Size Resource" thread getting deleted is that it made PatternReview look bad. The OP's responses lacked maturity and professionalism, and of course, that reflects poorly on PR. Unlike most deleted threads, the PR members participating in the thread weren't slinging insults at each other or otherwise at each others' throats. In fact, many of them wrote thoughtful and insightful posts as to how plus sized people are treated, both in the sewing industry and in society in general. I would have liked to have seen the thread remain open because it brought up some painful, but important points to many of us who fall outside of a Misses' size range.
 
I don't feel that PatternReview is a particularly inclusive community. The community demographic has gotten narrower and narrower in the ~8 years that I've been a member. Whereas there used to be a decent number of plus sized members who'd regularly post pattern reviews, that number has waned considerably in recent years.

For most "contests", most of winners determined by votes from fellow PR members. These winners are nearly always slender and are always well-photographed. If someone raises this concern in the PR forums, someone will point out that "Debbie won the such-and-such contest." Well yes, Debbie, did win a couple of contests...and I think those contest wins were probably about six years ago at this point. The "young, thin, and slim" contest advantage was brought up enough times that last year, some members nominated the idea of having an "Over 50" and a "Plus size" contest to level the playing field for those parts of the community.  There were actually then people who bitched that a "plus size" contest wasn't inclusive to thinner members.

Burda Plus Sack of Shame

The contests aren't the only part of PR where I don't feel entirely comfortable, though. While the forums can be great places to ask questions and get help quickly, I also see a lot of body snark there. The body snark doesn't just come from the size 6 "ladies who lunch" who complain "OMG, my thighs are so fat!" One woman wrote a post where she was clearly offended that someone had checked the "plus size" and "regular" boxes on an old pattern review, causing the "plus size" designation to persist to all future reviews, because she was NOT a plus size. Personally, I've had some rather rude comments posted on reviews that I've made (under the guise of "helping" or telling me what was "flattering"), and I know that I'm not alone in those experiences.

When the Curvy Sewing Collective launched last year, I'd hoped that it might become my new online sewing "home" and that I could leave PR behind. At this point, I feel like the CSC is still finding its footing, and the forums don't see enough activity to really be a viable replacement for PR yet. Many communities have growing pains, though, so I'm still holding out hope that interaction level will increase at the CSC, making the CSC will become a viable alternative to PR.

For those of you reading this post, I have a few questions:

• Do you participate on PatternReview? Why or why not?
• If you are on PR, does PR have issues with inclusivity (or lack of it) and censorship?
• What do you expect and want to see in your ideal online sewing community?

Note that I won't delete your comments if you disagree with me. (The only comments that I will consider deleting here are ones that contain body snark, because hey, you've got most of the rest of the Internet for that.)

5 Intermediate sewing books I wish existed

Ooh, you get a bonus post from me this week! I've got my weekly pattern roundup post almost ready to go, but I'm all amped up to talk about a different subject right now: Books.

I've been seeing a lot of discussion online recently about the gap in sewing resources between beginning sewists and advanced or couture level sewists. The conversations have struck a chord with me because I think of myself as a very intermediate-level sewist. Like the hypothetical intermediate sewist in these online conversations, I also have no desire to attempt couture techniques at this point in my sewing journey. (Someday I will want to try them, I'm sure, but not with a full-time job where I commute for 1.5+ hours every day and have 2-year-old.) I would, however, love to refine my techniques and add to my repertoire of techniques.


But how?

As a busy mom who is largely self-taught, the obvious answer is through books. Unfortunately, most current sewing books are geared either towards beginning sewists and offer mostly basic projects or target couture techniques and tailoring. The beginner-targeted books can be fun and pretty, but I'm probably not going to learn much from them that I don't already know. And, as I previously mentioned, I don't have much interest in couture methods or in-depth tailoring right now. La Sewista recently wrote a really useful post on books for intermediate sewists, and I actually have a few of the reference books on the list, but that's what they are--reference books. I turn to them if I need to sew a placket or something. (Side note: I am going to try to track down some of those Adele Margolis books that she mentions; they sound wonderful.)  Don't those of us who are intermediate sewists deserve some fun books, too? Books with fun projects and pretty pictures and current techniques?

If you make the argument that there isn't the market for intermediate-level books, I disagree. We've seen a huge influx in the number of people who have started sewing in the past few years. At some point, some of those sewists are going to want to move past basic beginner projects and onto more advanced projects.

I've put together of list of five sewing and fitting books that I wish someone would write and publish.  Some are project-based and some are more reference-oriented, but I think that all of these would help fill that "resource gap" that a lot of us mid-level sewists feel.

Project-based book for intermediate sewists

Yeah, so I essentially want something like the Colette Sewing Handbook, but for intermediate sewists. Instead of books with A-line skirt patterns and pull-over blouses, how about a project-based book that features patterns for a pair of fly-front pants, a button-down blouse with sleeve plackets, a lined dress, and a lined jacket with welt pockets?

Colette Sewing Handbook

In my mind, this book would start out at the advanced beginner/intermediate level and progress a reader through to the upper range of intermediate. Yes, I can certainly buy patterns that do this, but I want a book with pretty (color) photos and that flesh out the required techniques more than pattern instructions do.

Sewing a coat

Why doesn't this book exist? Seriously, Jenny from Cashmerette is in the process of sewing a coat right now and lamented that helpful resources are all over the internet, but there's no central repository for this stuff. She did, however, do an admirable job of compiling a bunch of coat-making tips, herself.  Plus, coat sewing tutorials might tell you what to do, but there's nothing that really tells you what NOT to do, which is often just as helpful. I'm planning to sew a coat (bound buttonholes, interlining, and the whole shebang), and I'd feel a lot less apprehensive about this project if I had a book to walk me through the process from start to finish on a linear path. I want this book to cover the things that my pattern instructions will leave out, including things like back stays, interlining, sewing notched collars. It should explain the pro's and con's about various decisions, such as whether or not to interface the whole coat, bagging a lining vs. hand-stitching, etc.

Troubleshooting book for techniques

Reference books and tutorials show you one way to complete a technique. What they don't usually help you with is figuring out what went wrong if the thing you just sewed doesn't look like the pretty picture in the book. For each "problem", the book would have a photo and then describe what went "wrong" for that particular case and then give advice on how to fix it. For example, it might show a picture of a gaping, flappy notched lapel, describe how the sewist failed to stitch to the point and pivot correctly, and then show the right way to do it. You could cover all kinds of technique issues like this. And if someone who's a more advanced sewist than I am wants to tackle this, email me for a list. ;)

The wonkiness of my first notched lapel collar

Secrets that home sewers don't know because no one tells them

I am ripping off this hypothetical book from this thread on Pattern Review (go to page 6, and scroll down to unfinished project's post in the middle of the page). The idea for this is to point out where most pattern instructions don't usually produce a RTW result. I want a book that tells me how to put a zipper in a lined garment without handstitching. I want a book that incorporates fly shield instructions in with how to sew the zipper fly itself, not as an add-on, "by-the-way" option at the end. My understanding is that Janet Pray's Craftsy class covers a lot of this sort of thing for her denim jacket pattern, but I want a reference that I can read and refer back to when I want to tackle a particular technique.

Sewing for a full bust

So here's a book that I could actually contribute to significantly, if not actually write myself. Fitting the bust is given a chapter, at most, in even the best fitting books. I argue that there's a heck of a lot more to know about fitting the bust and FBAs than can be contained in a 10-15 page chapter. Here's why I'd like to see and think I could fill an entire book on this subject:

• Most fitting books and tutorials only show a small-ish FBA--usually 1". If you're making a large FBA of 2" or more, your pattern pieces will look significantly different than the example shown in the book or tutorial. If you haven't done a ton of FBA's, you'll probably wonder, "Am I doing this right? My pattern piece looks so weird." This book would show the FBA examples for 1" and 3" for every type of FBA.
• Even the best fitting books usually only show FBAs for a darted bodice, one type of princess seam (either shoulder or armhole, but not both), and maybe a raglan or dolman sleeve top. Beyond that, you're basically told to do a darted bodice and rotate the dart somewhere. This can be intimidating if rotating darts isn't old hat to you.
• I'd want a whole chapter on dart rotation--Discussion of the "Big Honkin Dart" problem, how to rotate darts, different location options, and photographs of what those different options look like. Maybe I'd even give some suggestions on which location to use for certain bodice types.
• How to convert darts to princess seams--actually walking through the whole process, step-by-step.
• Finally, there would be a chapter on troubleshooting your FBA. My thoughts on this are similar to the Troubleshooting book I proposed--many times we think that something doesn't look quite right, but we don't know what we did wrong or how to fix it.

Final thoughts

What do you think about these hypothetical books? Would you find any of them useful? Are there any sewing or fitting related books that you wish existed, but don't? 

Tips for giving and receiving online fitting advice

Have you ever taken the scary step of asking for fitting advice online, either on your blog or via a Pattern Review thread? I say "scary" because asking for fitting advice, usually involves posting pictures of yourself online wearing a muslin, and these usually aren't particularly flattering photos. 

From my experience, after you hit the Publish button, one of two things happens:

• You get a ton of responses, and those responses are all over the map in their usefulness. Some responses will likely contradict each other, and you have to wade through those to try to figure out what alteration to make. I remember one time when I posted a request for fitting help, I was told by one poster that I had sloping shoulders and by another that I had square shoulders. 
• You get...silence. Maybe you get a couple of posts with possible suggestions, if you're lucky. This certainly doesn't help your confidence level with what your next step should be after that muslin.
  

I love how helpful the online sewing community is...most of the time. Sometimes, though, I think that we can ask our questions in ways that will elicit more helpful responses. On a similar note, if you're taking the time to offer fitting advice, I think that there are a few things to consider to make sure that your feedback is helpful to the person requesting the help.

I've put together a list of my own suggested tips for both people asking for fitting advice and people giving fitting advice. If you've got your own suggestions, I'd love for you to post them in the comments section!

5 tips for asking for fitting advice

These are my suggestions on what to include in your post requesting fitting help. In a nutshell, including more information for fit helpers and focusing your request will increase the likelihood that you solve a particular fitting issue.

• The fabric that you use for your muslins should be a solid, light color.
  
  If you're concerned enough about fit to post on the internet about it, I'll assume that you'll also be making a muslin or two for your project. Ideally, your muslin fabric should be a light color and should not be a print so that helpers can more easily see whatever wrinkles and drag lines pop up. Understand that if you wind up making significant changes to your pattern based on your first muslin, you might need to make a second muslin and another round of adjustments to fine-tune your fit before cutting into your "good" fabric.
  
  
• Include pictures in your post.
  Diagnosing fitting problems is extremely difficult without a visual reference. The photos don't need to be of great quality, but they'll help your fitting helpers see what you're seeing. If you don't have anyone to take pictures for you, learn to use the self-timer on your camera or download a self-timer app for the camera on your phone. Take your photos with your arms at your side, and include at least one photo from the front, back, and side angles.
  
  

  

  So...many...wrinkles to read!

• Be specific, if possible.
  
  Being specific will both help focus the people who help you and where to look, but should also help focus their advice. For example, posting "I know that I need a bigger FBA, but what's that weird drag line coming down from my shoulder" should hopefully elicit suggestions related to your shoulders and not a half dozen responses telling you that your garment is too tight across your bust or that you need a bigger FBA. Granted, sometimes the response will then be "When you increase your FBA, that drag line will go away."

• In your post, include as many of your measurements as your are comfortable (if relevant).
  
  If you're asking for help fitting a top or bodice, include your high bust, full bust, and waist measurements. If you're asking for fitting help with pants or a skirt, include your waist, high hip and low hip measurements. These measurements can helpers zero in on what might be causing your fitting issue. Make sure to include your height and anything notable about your proportions (e.g. short-waisted). Fitting issues aren't just caused by your horizontal body space; they can be caused by your vertical body space, as well.
•  Be open-minded but understand that you might need to take some advice with a grain of salt.
  Read through the responses to your request and take a few moments to process them before slicing and dicing your pattern. Understand that just because you've never needed an FBA or an SBA before, doesn't mean that you don't need one for this particular pattern, especially if it's a new-to-you pattern company.
  
  On the other hand, not everyone who responds to your post is likely to be a fitting expert for your particular body type. Some people zero in on a large bust and automatically think that you'll need an FBA or a larger FBA, when that might not be the case. (Hint: Having a very large bust can cause fitting issues outside of the arena of FBAs.)

Once you've made progress with your fitting, post an update with pictures! This is simply courtesy to those who helped you earlier and are curious as to how your project is going.  Additionally, "before" and "after" photos can be a helpful reference to someone who comes across your post at a later date with the same fitting problem.

5 tips on giving fitting advice

If you're somewhat experienced with fitting (or at least with a few particular fitting issues), 

• Keep it short and specific; concentrate on the question(s) asked.
  
  We all know that a person's body can deviate from a pattern draft in multiple ways. However, as a person asking for fitting help, it can be overwhelming to read a huge paragraph of text of all of the changes that someone is recommending that you make to a pattern. As someone who has been there, your eyes just sort of glaze over and you think, "Why am I even bothering with this pattern if this is what I have to do to make it work for me?" If the requester asked for help with a specific issue, help her with that issue and avoid the urge to comment on every single other wrinkle you see unless you suspect that they're related to the issue she's asking about.
  
  Besides, if you're experienced enough to post fitting help, you probably also know that a sewist should start making adjustments at the point that a garment hangs from, and then work her way down from there. Sometimes an adjustment to the shoulders can fix other issues further down the garment.
  
  
• Take the poster's skill level and confidence level into account with your answer.
  
  A beginning seamstress might be ready to tackle a traditional slash-and-spread FBA, but unless she's really confident, she might not be ready to tackle that FBA and rotate darts. Consider mentioning a shortcut method along with the "correct" method for an alteration in this case.
  
  Additionally, if you suggest an alteration to a novice seamstress, give a line or two of description of what that alteration is and what it does. Even better, include a link to a tutorial, if you know of a good one. Not everyone owns a copy of Fit for Real People or has the text of that book memorized. Don't just tell her to extend her back crotch length, explain that she needs more length going over her bum, and here's how you add that length.
• Keep body-shaming out of your advice. Don't tell a poster that a style is a bad choice; they chose that style for a reason.
  
  Trust me, every female sewist with a very large bust has been told to stick to princess seams at some point. While princess seams might be easier to fit well than a darted bodice, think about, wouldn't you like a little variety other than princess seamed garments in your closet?
  
  Where I do think it would be a service to say something, though, would be if you know of a pattern with similar details that might work better for the requester. For example, if a plus sized woman is struggling with grading up a Burda pattern that stops at a size 42, it could definitely potentially save her a headache to suggest a similar pattern from a company with a wider size range.
  
  If you do offer style advice, keep it general. For example, "Princess seams are easier to fit on a large bust" sounds a heck of a lot nicer than "You should stay away from darted bodices," doesn't it?
• If you're not the first person to post a response, say whether you agree or disagree with the preceding poster(s) and explain why.
  
  When the person requesting help reads the responses that she receives, she's going to need to wade through the advice and figure out which adjustments to make next, and that can be confusing. Let's say that an earlier helper has already told her that she has sloping shoulders, but from reading her muslin wrinkles, you think that she has square shoulders. In your response, explain why her wrinkles are pointing to square shoulders, in your opinion. On top of that, if three other posters also told her that she has square shoulders, by agreeing with them and saying why, you're adding weight to that opinion.
• Don't be shy about bringing up known issues with a particular pattern or pattern line.
  
  Not everyone reads every review or blog post about every pattern. However, for those of us who do read a lot of pattern reviews, we might be aware that certain patterns are known for certain issues. For example, a lot of women have had issues with the back neck gaping on the Colette Peony or that many women have trouble with the rear view of their pants fit from Big 4 patterns. If you're armed with this knowledge, you can decide how much work you want to continue putting into adjustments and muslins, or if you want to move on to try to find a similar pattern from another company.
  
  

  

  The infamous Lekala wadder

What do you all think? Have you ever asked for or given fitting advice online? How did the experience work for you?

"It doesn't look good on anyone with a full bust" (or putting yourself out there when you're not a model)

"A really huge woman made it, and it looked okay on her."

She wasn't talking about me, was she? I'd read the comment on a PatternReview thread where another poster had posted a question asking if Vogue 1194, a knit dress pattern would work for someone with curves.

Vogue 1194

Off the top of my head, I was the only plus sized who had sewn and reviewed Vogue 1194, so I quickly clicked the link to all reviews for the pattern, scrolled through and discovered that, yes, she was indeed talking about me. I was clearly the largest sewist who had reviewed the pattern so far.

I quickly typed a response in return. My response may have contained the phrase "huge bitch". However, I took a deep breath, deleted my response before I sent it, and instead contacted the board moderator and asked that the post be removed.

Did I look terrible in the dress? Nothing I wear is going to make me look like a size 8, but "huge"? While the dress wasn't exactly bust-minimizing, I thought that it did make my waist look awfully small in comparison, and I liked that about it.

A "really huge woman"

Even though I wanted to "take back" my dress after reading that rude comment, I never wore it again. I was also hesitant to post reviews on Pattern Review for a while after that, as well. (I wasn't actively blogging at the time, which was about four years ago.)

I'm bringing up this incident now because I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about what I feel comfortable publishing on my blog and online in general. When you post something online, whether it's a picture of yourself or a sewing tutorial, most of the responses you get will likely be very positive and supportive. However, you always run the risk of someone saying something that's less than kind. Usually the comments aren't as rude as the one from the Vogue dress incident, but I've still read the following remarks and managed to take them personally:

• "Don't feel bad, I've seen this pattern made up by many women so far, and I don't think it's looked very flattering on anyone." (Said to someone else who was unhappy how a pattern turned out...when I loved my own version of it.)
• "That print doesn't do you any favors." (Posted in response to one of my reviews, again for a print dress that I was actually happy with.)

Of course, it's not always the body police who post comments like these. There's also the fit police and the blog police. One sewing blogger took it upon herself to post direct links to blogs showcasing what she felt was sloppy work. I've also seen comments deriding blogs posted by beginner sewists for setting bad examples. (One such comment sparked this very thoughtful post from BeaJay.) Speaking for myself, I rarely post any sort of tutorials because as a largely self-taught sewist, I worry that my way of doing something isn't the "right" way. When I do post anything on fit or tutorial-esque, I'll usually post a disclaimer that "this is how *I* do it; there might be a better way". I've seen other more seasoned and talented sewists than myself post similar disclaimers.

I wonder how many other curvy and plus sized sewists hesitate to blog or post reviews with pictures of themselves because they don't want to open themselves up to potentially hurtful comments. I know that I've gone through phases where I didn't post much online because I didn't want to be vulnerable. (On a side note, somehow in the blur of last month, I missed that the Curvy Sewing Collective set up a private flickr group. Ask to join if you want some body-snark-free curvy sewing inspiration!)

So, what do those of us in the online sewing community do about these things? Mean girls are going to be mean girls, whether they're 16 or 46. Has anyone come up with a good way to deal with these comments when they happen? Do others (besides BeaJay and myself) have a tendency to sometimes take random comments too personally?

My wishlist for indie pattern companies

Intro about explosion of indie patterns, everyone has an opinion. In the past few days, a lot of those opinions have revolved around the pattern testing process used by some indies. (If you follow the sewing blogosphere, you've likely seen a few posts and heated discussions around this topic show up in your blog feed.)

These posts and discussions got me thinking about my own opinions around pattern testing, which in turn, got me thinking a bit about indie patterns in general and some of the things that many of the indies could do a little better to improve their product.

I don't want to armchair quarterback here. I know that as the head of an indie pattern company, you have to wear many hats:

• Fashion designer: You have to come up with attractive designs that people will want to sew and wear.
• Pattern drafter: You have to either draft the pattern yourself or outsource to a reliable pattern drafter.
• Technical writer: You have to write the instructions for your pattern. This process includes sewing up samples and illustrating or photographing the steps. You need to evaluate your target customer and make decisions about how much or how little detail to include in your instructions. Writing clear, usable instructions is an art form; it's also why I have a job.
• Production coordinator: For companies that offer printed patterns, you have to coordinate the printing and packaging of your product.
• Web Master/Marketing/social media manager: Maintain (or have someone maintain) your web site and maintain your social media presence so that people are actually aware of your patterns and want to buy them.

I'm sure there's quite a few things that I'm forgetting. What I've listed is still a hell of a lot of work for anyone, never mind if you still have a day job or a family that you ever want to see.

With that in mind, I've created a wish list of things that I like to see from a pattern company that will generally make me more inclined to spend money on that company's patterns. I've noticed these things either completely missing or poorly executed from at least a handful of pattern companies and generally shouldn't be a whole lot of extra work to implement.

(Note that I'm not mentioning anything about expanding size ranges, since I discussed that in a previous post, and I don't want to harp on it.)

Here's my wish list:

1. Include a technical drawing in the listing for all of your patterns.
   
   The drawing could be as simple as a fashion sketch, although it should be an accurate reflection of the actual pattern. Fashion photos are pretty, but sometimes the obscure details of the pattern.
   
2. On a related note, photograph your sample garments on a real person, so that we can see what the pattern looks like when it's made up.
   
   I'd love to see the photo shoot include models of different shapes and sizes so that we can tell how the garment looks on different body types. Barring that, add a photo gallery or link to an online photo sharing group so that your customers can at least share their finished garments. That works, too (sometimes even better than a very-stylized photo shoot).
   
   
3. Make your size chart easy to find, and tell us what bust cup size your patterns are drafted for.
   
   I shouldn't have to hunt through your web site, or even worse, type "size chart" into a search field to see the size range for your pattern line. Ideally, include a "Size chart" or "Sizing" tab in the navigation bar of your web site. At the very least, include your size chart as an image for the individual pattern listing on your online store.
   
   Some European companies will just list the European size range in the pattern description ("Drafted for sizes 34-44"), which is better than nothing, but if I don't have those sizes memorized and am on the border of your size range, I still have to go searching externally to see if I fit your pattern range.
   
   Along with your size chart, list the cup sizes that you draft for somewhere on your web site. Very few companies mention cup size, but this parameter is really important for most women (not just the large busted) in determining what pattern size we should start with.
   
4. Include a "figure flattery" key for each pattern, like Vogue does.
   
   This seems like a no-brainer, but Vogue seems to be the only pattern company that does this, and I find it immensely helpful in choosing designs that will flatter my body type.
   
   If you draft for a specific body type, please state that somewhere and be up front about it. I will probably never sew a Sewaholic pattern because I couldn't be any further from the body type that Tasia drafts for, BUT I love that she drafts specifically for a pear body shape and embodies this in both her sizing and styles. Outside of Sewholic, SBCC (who drafts for regular and plus sized petites), and a handful of others, few pattern designers mention a specific body type or size as their target. If you're drafting for a specific body type, embrace that, and I bet your customers will, too.
   
5. Make PDF versions of your patterns available, at least for basic things like tops and simple skirts.
   
   I know, I know. Not everyone likes PDF patterns. But some people do, and they make your patterns accessible to a much larger audience. I'm not naive enough to think that this doesn't involve a lot of work, but I would guess that it's probably a good investment of your time.
   
   For the indie pattern makers who blog and who offer both PDF and paper options, I'd be really curious to see what the breakdown is for your percentage of sales for one vs. the other.
   
   
6. If you do offer PDF download patterns, make sure that you provide some sort of guide for lining up and taping pages.
   
   If you've sewn a variety of PDF patterns, you've probably experienced this: You've excitedly printed out a pattern that you just downloaded, are ready to dive in, spread out the printed papers and...scratch your head. The pattern includes no key or guides for lining up and taping, and assembling the pattern itself becomes akin to working on a jigsaw puzzle. Or, maybe you had no problem figuring out which pieces go where, but when you try to line them up, there are gaps/misalignments. Instant frustration and irritation.
   
   If you're looking for help getting your PDFs in shape, Melissa Mora of Melly Sews/Blank Slate patterns offers an online class for this. I can't vouch for the course, but I can vouch for the fact that Melissa does an excellent job of creating extremely user-friendly PDF patterns that are well-tiled, clearly printed, and efficiently use paper without excess taping. (I'm not affiliated with Melissa beyond being a fan of her children's PDF patterns.)
   
7. Don't assume that someone will print your PDF pattern in color.
   
   Don't color code the different size lines on your patterns. Dashes, dots, and other line textures work better. Also don't assume that a sewist will be working from a color printout of your instructions. When you sew the samples used in your instruction photographs, keep it boring and use black thread on white fabric or other high contrast color schemes that photograph well and will be visible in a black-and-white printout.
   
8. Have a basic freebie pattern available for download so that we can check fit, drafting, etc, before we spend $10-$20 for a pattern.
   
   Look at a freebie pattern as a marketing tool, preferably something basic like a t-shirt or a shell. It helps get your patterns into the hands of people who are interested in trying them but want to see your instructions and check the the fit of your drafting block before spending money. Quite a few indies do offer these freebies in some form, so this "wish" is pretty low down on my list.
   
9. Release patterns on a somewhat reliable schedule. (This helps keep your customers interested and gives your fans something to look forward to.)
   
   I'm a dork. I look forward to new pattern releases. I totally eat up all of the teasers that get posted in social media and elsewhere. I stalk pattern web sites to make sure there isn't a new release that I've missed, and I continually hit the "refresh" button my browser on the last day of every month looking for the new monthly StyleArc releases. Feed my illness, please.
   
10. If you're doing a blog tour for a new pattern release, consider using bloggers of a variety of shapes, sizes, and ages.
    
    The Curvy Collective tour for the latest Colette releases was the first time that I could recall seeing more than a single token curvy or plus sized on a pattern release blog tour. That either seems to be changing with the Curvy Collective (several of their blogs are on the tour for the new BGD skirt pattern), and I hope that the trend continues.
    
    I know that most bloggers tend to be on the younger side, but I think it would be great to include a wider variety of ages on these tours, as well. A criticism that I've seen of some indies is that "Company X's target demographic is much younger than I am", and in some cases, that's probably true. In other cases, the bones of the pattern are a good basic that many women can wear, but the pattern/garment has been styled "younger" via fabric choice or accessories.

In reading this list back over, I think that two main themes emerge that summarize my wish list:

• As a customer, I want to know if your pattern will work on me. Detailed sizing information and photographs on a variety of figures will help me figure this out. Not everyone who is interested in your pattern will be a US size 4 with a slight hourglass figure.
• Offer a PDF download option for people who prefer that format, and make sure that your downloaded PDFs are user-friendly.

I'm curious, if more companies implemented these things, would you be more inclined to buy more of their patterns? Are there any things on your "wish list" that I didn't cover?

Six pet peeves of a plus-sized sewist

I've had a rough week. I'm tired, I'm cranky, I had way too much stress at work this week from last minute fire drills related to a release, and I just want a beer.

I usually try to keep things fairly positive on this blog, but sometimes you just need a good rant to blow off some steam. I've been so stressed out that I've found seven things to vent about. Why seven? Because I couldn't narrow the list down to six, and I didn't really have ten.

Here goes...

Pet Peeve 1: Patterns whose largest size is a 41" bust and 44" hip. 

I know that some pattern designers have defended themselves saying that they need a different pattern block at a certain size, but having such a narrow size range just reeks of body snobbery to me. It reminds me of the Project Runway designer who vocally whined during a "real woman" challenge about his client having 43" hips.

Size chart from an unnamed indie pattern company

Look, it doesn't take a lot of sewing experience when you're plus sized to figure out that the patterns that fit you best are the ones where the designer either uses a separate block for plus sizes or uses a larger size as their sample/prototype (for example, HotPatterns starts at a size 16 and grades up and down from their). But, when your patterns stop at a 41" bust, would it really kill you to add one or two more sizes? Do you really need a second block for that?

And before you tell me that I should just "grade up" a pattern if I like it, do I really want to spend those extra hours of work on grading unless the pattern was a cheapo that I picked up at a Hancock sale or traced out of a magazine?

Pet Peeve 2: Being told that a certain figure type "can't" wear certain styles or that certain figure types "have to" stick to certain styles. 

For example, horizontal stripes, skinny jeans/pants, raglan sleeves, dropped shoulders, kimono sleeves are all supposed "no-no's" on a curvy figure. Try being short on top of this--I'm not supposed to wear maxi-length anything, either.

Most of these "rules" don't take proportion or styling into account, anyway. If you wear a shaped jacket over a shapeless, boxy top, you no longer have a shapeless silhouette. Scarves and jewelry can draw the eye up and break up a "too high" neckline.

I truly think that if you have self confidence and know a few styling tricks, you can pull off most garments that you're comfortable with.

Pet Peeve 3: Thinking that every single piece of clothing you own had to make you look 10 pounds thinner. 

For example, "Dress in all one color to create a lengthening vertical column", or "Stay away from boxy tops if you have a defined waist." Sometimes something can be worth wearing because it's comfortable and a good color on you. Like the pet peeve before it, this one irks me because it's imposing needless limitations on us, and don't we have enough limitations already?

If I always want to look 10lbs thinner, I should probably really focus and work my ass off to lose 10lbs. Monochromatic dressing is boring.

Pet Peeve 4: Pattern cup sizes that stop at a "D" and act like they're doing curvy women a favor.

I especially love this when the pattern copy includes a blurb along the line of "Includes multiple cup sizes so that you don't have to do an FBA!" or something like that.

Really? Some studies indicate that the average cup size in the US is a "D", which means that half of the women in this country need a cup size larger than a D.

I do get it on some level; I'm always thankful when I only have to do an FBA of, say, 2 inches instead of 4. (Granted, I start using "fudging it" FBA methods when I need more room than that, anyway.) However, I can count the pattern designers out there that have designs for a DD+ cup on one hand. That bites.

Pet Peeve 5: Shapeless sacks and shapeless sacks with belts around them masquerading as plus sized designs. 

Sack dress from BurdaStyle

 
Who wants to look like this? This isn't going to look good on hardly anyone. Just because I'm a larger woman doesn't mean that I want to hide from the world.

Pet Peeve 6: Someone who wears size 36 in Burda saying, "Ooh, I like the Burda Plus designs better than the regular designs--you're so lucky!"  

I see this one nearly every month on PatternReview when someone starts the thread for the new BurdaStyle preview that's just been posted. I think this one bothers me because I find it really condescending.

Really, you're telling us that we're lucky when we're limited (outside of grading) to five or so patterns every issue? And nearly every issue, at least one of those patterns is one of the shapeless sacks mentioned in Pet Peeve 5? You get practically the whole magazine, if you're a size 36-44. Don't tell me I'm lucky because I get one decent knit top pattern, a dress, a shapeless sack, a basic trouser pattern, and some weird rectangle thing every issue.

Okay, I feel a little better now.

Is it just me, or are my fellow curvy and plus sized seamstresses irritated by some of these same things? Or are you irritated by different things?

A final word...

And on that note, I'll leave you with this brilliant scene from last week's episode of Louis CK:

Completed project: Espresso leggings

Let me start this post off with a rant...  In the sewing blogosphere, I've seen a lot of sewists refer to a finished garment as a "make". I'm guessing that this is supposed to be whimsical or cutesy or something? This term is like a nails on a chalkboard to me--I cringe every time that I read it.  (No offense to anyone who loves to use this term, of course.) The inner grammar policewoman in me can't help but scream, "make" is a verb, not a noun. You "make" a skirt; a skirt is not a "make". Okay, I'll step down off of my soapbox now and tell you a bit about my latest "make", er, finished project.

Test pair of leggings - gray mystery fabric

I finished my first "good" pair of Espresso leggings from Cake patterns. In a previous post, I described how to use the template included in the pattern to draft your pattern piece. After drafting, I was able to cut and sew up my first "test" pair in about 40-45 minutes. For the test pair, I used a piece of heathered gray jersey that had been sitting in my stash for years. This fabric was leftover from another project and probably didn't have the ideal amount of stretch for this pattern (not much lycra and little to no vertical stretch).

In retrospect, this wasn't the best fabric choice for a test pair of leggings. I chose it because I wanted a pair of leggings in a dark charcoal gray color, and the fabric itself is very soft. I think that this pattern (and leggings in general) work better when you have a generous amount of lycra in the fabric mix.

I wore my test pair for a day and decided that the front rise was too high (1"), back rise was too short (1.5"), and that I needed more room in the calves, so I curved that outward by 1/2" on each side. I applied these changes to my pattern piece. Here is the original piece vs. the altered piece:

original pattern piece

altered pattern piece

For the second pair, I used a really awesome textured "active wear knit" that I purchased from Rose City Textiles when we visited Portland in October:

kitty photo bomb!

The fit is better with the second pair, but since the second fabric has more vertical stretch, I should have removed some length in some places (the front rise is still too long with these). I love this fabric, though, and learned that I probably want to stick to activewear knits (or at least knits with a lot of lycra) for future Espresso versions. (I do have a lovely piece of chocolate brown knit from the same visit to Rose City Textiles that will be used for another pair of leggings.)

While I will always be wearing these under a dress or long tunic, I'm posting pictures of the fit for the curious. Keep in mind that I'm only 5'2" and usually wear a size 18 in pants in RTW:

Espresso leggings - fit in front

Espresso leggings - fit in back

Overall, I'm very happy with this pattern--it was well worth the $8 or so that I paid when pre-ordering the pattern. These only take about 40 minutes to sew up, so you could conceivably make a pair of custom leggings to wear under every dress or skirt that you sew without adding much total time to your project.