The principles of the actual pivoting and sliding

Once all your notes-to-self are written on your fabric the next step is to lay this crazily annotated pattern on your fabric (or paper if you are sensible) and start cutting and adjusting as you go. To work the process of Cut-Pivot or slide-Cut has to be done in a strict order, with hemlines for example cut first to establish grainlines for the whole piece, and cutting proceeding up to very distinct pivot points that are always the key point before where the pattern must be pivoted to make a width change. This prescribed order is different for garment type, I will just do pants now but if this works might explore it further another time for bodices. Typical sewer, mind always on the project after the one at hand.

That order as best as I can explain it:

1. Pin your pattern to the fabric or paper. Correction because there is a lot of moving the pattern around the best thing to do is use weights which is what they actually do in the book I am using. In my case the weights are a can of smoked oysters (my husband makes a wicked smoked oyster sandwich, a favourite from his Nova Scotia Acadian childhood), sardines (have had that can for about 15 years, been that long since I had sardines, and do remember them being on the menu where I grew up in rural Manitoba) and a couple of cans of tuna. Looks very scientific and professional doesn't it?

2. OK pin the hem to the fabric and weight the rest. Step one, to maintain grainline is to cut out the hem line, if you need to lengthen or shorten  then slide your pattern up or down.

3. Measure and mark all the additions or subtractions (but really when you are working from a pattern that is already 2 sizes smaller I doubt that is going to be an issue) on the fabric. This means for example measuring out the requisite 5/8" at the hip and waistline  and putting a pin in the fabric as a mark in the fabric. When you are done this you will have pins parallel to the stitching line at hip, waist, thigh or wherever else you will need to make additions.

4. OK then it gets weird. After cutting the hem, the next step is to pivot the pattern out to make additions, with the pivoting occurring at the level one below the place that needs the addition.

5. In detail, I need to add to my thigh, so pivoting from the hem I put only one pin in the pattern at the hem and side seam seam allowance intersection and use this as the pivot point to rotate my whole pattern piece until the pattern at the side seam touches the pin I have placed 1/2" out at the thigh line. I then cut along the pattern all the way up to the crotch/thighline along the side seam. This adds to the outer thigh.

6. I then return the pattern to my starting point with the pattern even with the cut hem line.

7. I remove the pin at the outer hem/side seam allowance intersection and transfer it to the inseam/hem allowance intersection. Using this as a new pivot point I rotate my pattern piece to touch the marking pin that is 1/2" out from the thigh line at the inseam. I cut to this point.

8. Next I move the pin to the crotch line, side seam first, then inseam, one step and one cut at a time, pivot out to my 5/8" mark at the hip and cut to the hip line.

9. I then move the pivot pins to the side seam hip line and pivot and cut out to my 5/8" waistline mark, then do the same on the inseam line.

10. Finally I slide the pattern up a bit to make the small additions to the length at the top of the waist.

Done, cut and ready to sew, no paper alterations at all. Interesting.

A look at how a real pro does it

Before I continue with my own adventures I want you all to have a look at some absolutely fabulous pants made by Cennetta, sewer of great expertise. Her review and samples of Simplicity 2860 made up are to die for and I really appreciated her helpful, clear detailed construction and alteration photos.

See it can be done! This is very encouraging. 

Isn't the internet fantastic? In the old days we had to search for sewing enthusiasts to share with and here we are now able to view and access such wonderful work at any time of the day or night. The inspiration is amazing.

Step two of Pivot and Slide

Sometimes there is a lot of life that stands between a girl and her sewing projects, nearly all good but busy. 

This week it's been my 55th birthday and a nice dinner out with my husband and daughter, the only available child in the vicinity this week, more mid terms and associated student angst at school and a weekend away for a party my daughter's new and wonderful mother-in-law gave for her at home on Cape Breton Island, complete with a famous fiddler and lots of incredible step dancing. Really a great weekend. My DD has traded in her very ethnic last name for her new husband's and as I watched her dance with the best of them her new father-in-law said to me "She's a Macdonald now." 

Yes I think she is and I am glad for her. In a world where it is harder and harder for young families to get all the family support they need I am so happy that she has joined a big strong supportive family that will be there for her just like we are. It helps too that they are as just as welcoming to us and these are people my husband and I will be visiting with in the future too for our own sakes.

So it has been great, but not sewing related, and I am anxious to get pivoting and sliding.

Now on to step two.

Before I go into the detail let me explain the conceptual approach behind this method.

P&S in step one asked me to do a series of basic measurements, hip, waist, stride, thigh and modified crotch depth.

Step two involves doing flat pattern measurements along the same spots, adding ease, and from that calculating the additions or subtracts that are required. Not too complicated.

The twist is that all the numbers, mine, the pattern's, and the changes required, are all written on the pattern itself.

The changes made to the pattern to accommodate individual needs are then made by either sliding the pattern up or down for length changes, or pivoting out or in for width changes.

In one approach the changes can be made directly on the fabric by literally pivoting and sliding the pattern as you cut, or by laying the pattern over paper and making the changes that way to produce a permanent pattern. First time out I am going to work directly on my test fabric and if I like this method do another paper pattern later with what I expect will be other and additional changes.

Here is what I have done so far in step two of P&S:

First off these are the suggested ease allowances for this method:

1. Hip at widest part = 2"

2. Waist at wearing waistline = 1"

3. Thigh = 2"

So working along the stitching line of the waist on my test pattern (which I note has a waistline 1" below the natural waist so I have remeasured for that) and being aware that I should not measure dart take-up this (interesting this pattern does not have front darts) is what I have:

1. The pattern (remember this is a size 12, bought 2 sizes smaller than my usual pattern size as suggested) measures 30.5 at the waistline, one inch below the waist which I find kind of interesting as the waist measurement of a size 12 is 28" I wouldn't have thought that 1" below would have increased that much. My own waist in the same place is 34". With the 1" ease allowance this means I need a waistline on this pattern of 35" and divided by the 8 seam (side seams, front and back crotch X 2) that means a difference of 4.5" divided by 8= .56 inches which so my brain can handle it I am rounding to 5/8". That is 5/8" to be added parallel to the waist at the top of all side seams and crotch seams.

I can do that and have written a note to this effect in red marker (my personal measurements are written in black - if I don't colour code I am going to blow this for sure.)

2. The pattern measures 37" at the hip line where the pattern had me draw it (I note that the finished hip according to the pattern is 38" I guess hip is calculated in a different place)  my own measurement is 39.5" and adding the 2" hip ease that means I need 41.5" at the hip or 4.5" extra divided again by 8 that gives me an addition of 5/8" (why am I not doing this metric? Canada is a metric country but my sewing education predates that change). Accountants and mathematicians or properly educated people should feel free to challenge and correct my rounding.

So I have written another add 5/8" at the hip line at all 8 seam points, sides and both crotches.

3. Again where the system tells me to measure the thigh, 1" below the crotch line the pattern measures, for one thigh, 23.5". My own thigh is 23" and 2" are needed for ease. That means an addition of 1.5" per thigh and divided by the 4 seam allowances involved in sewing up a pant leg that means an addition of 3/8" on each seam at the thigh level.

4. Length, easy one add 2".

5. Crotch length, always a worry this one. Well remeasuring 1" below the waist my crotch or stride measurement is only .5" more than the pattern piece measured along the stitching line, so I will add .25"at the top of each crotch seam on the waist. (Note if you are trying this yourself and have to made more significant additions or subtractions please let me know and I will post those specific instructions.)

6. Seat depth, measured along the side seam stitching line from the waist seam to the seat depth line marked on the pattern (see previous post) in my case 1/2" to be added.

Getting ready to Pivot and Slide

My Sew/Fit Pivot and Slide manual is pretty old. Copyright 1978, fourth printing 1985. It has taken me this long to read it. 

I've been pretty busy.

But as I said when I started this adventure. It's time.

I know there are new versions of this available from Hipline and that Nancy Zeiman who was the gorgeous (and tiny) model in my edition has reprised this in her Fitting with Confidence book but I figure that if any book has been waiting beside my bed for 23 years for me to read it, it's going to be the one I am going to work from.

This is a very clear step-by-step method and has the elegance of having all the calculations and measurements written directly on the paper pattern pieces and all your altering is done while you cut right on the fabric, no fussy paper pieces to add or redraw, which sounds pretty good. 

If the duct tape method had a sort of backyard mechanic feel to it, then this method has a sort of clever do-it-yourselfness from a time when sewers figured out their own way of doing things that is very different from a lot of the more academic approaches of most of my other sewing references.

As today was a big cooking day for me for some reason, a massive borscht, hummus and baked fruit to have in the fridge over the next few days as husband and son come and go and do school work (DH is going his course work for a home inspection certification - sort of a pre-retirement idea he had) I am late in getting to this.

So what I have done tonight is take the six measurements required and prep the pattern for tomorrow's pivoting and sliding.

It's all been pretty interesting.

1. The basic premise of this technique for pants fitting is that commercial patterns are drafted too loose in the legs and thighs. The P&S method asks that you work from a pattern two sizes smaller than the pattern size that matches your measurements, according to the pattern envelope. With 39.5” hips I am closest to a size 16, drafted for a 40” hip. For the purposes of this test I am using and cutting out, unaltered, a size 12 pants pattern. Fine with me.

2. To be marked on the pattern:

a. The crotch line on the front pattern piece. My pattern, Simplicity 3539, has this. If yours doesn’t draw a line from the crotch point to the side seam, parallel to the hem.

b. The kneeline, fold the hem to the crotch point and crease the paper pattern. Unfold and draw a line at the crease, parallel to the hem.

c. Hip line. Parallel to the crotch line, 2.5” above it.

The six measurements to be taken for the P&S pant fitting method:

1. Waist. Bend side to side to identify waist and measure to the closest ½”. Write this number directly on the front and back paper pattern piece at the waistline seam allowance. My waistline is 32.5”.

2. Hip. Fullest part. Write this number on front and back pattern pieces at marked hipline.  Mine is 39.5"

3. Thigh. Fullest part. Write this number on front and back pattern pieces at crotch line. Mine is 23"

4. Seat depth. Now this one is really crazy and is very different from the traditional sit on a chair and measure from your waist to the chair. In P&S this measurement is taken from the base of the waistline, at the side seam, over the hip bone and forward 2” (so it catches the widest part of the thigh) and then to the table you are sitting on. Yes, that’s right, you are supposed to sit on a stool or table so your feet don’t touch the ground to spread the weight of your thigh. This is a measurement that puts the tape forward on a angle not straight down your side. Using this method my seat depth is 11”, if I had done the old straight down my side while sitting on a chair method this measurement would have been a 12.5” Write this measurement on the back pattern piece at the top of the side seam near the waist.

5. Waist to waist – straddle the tape front to back, write this on the front and back pattern pieces at front and back crotch seams. Mine is 26”.

6. Waist to hem. 42”. Write this above the hem allowance on the front and back pattern pieces.

The next step is obviously to measure the flat pattern and, adding ease, compare this to personal measurements.

Length can then be added by sliding the pattern pieces up or down. Width can be added to key areas by pivoting the pattern out, and width can be reduced by pivoting the pattern in.

These maneuvers can be done on paper (quaintly my early edition suggests using waxed paper) or directly on the fabric as you cut (of course what I am going to do because it sounds easier as well as more daring).

Letting down the rear

As Robyn noted after my last post I was not in high spirits pants wise. It is time to come clean and say why. For some reason completely beyond me, my second pair from grey fabric was a disaster, or maybe it all showed more in the grey. The rear end puckered in unbelievably and after all my effort what I produced was a world class wadder. Pretty shocking as you can see. It has taken me a couple of days to recover.

Anyway regaining my composure I

started reading through my pivot and slide reference and came across a solution for a low, and I presume aging, rear which involved scooping out the seam not so much in as to drop it down, sort of scoop out the bottom right up to the inseam intersection. Really all this is, is sculpting out a shape only at the back out of the top of the inseam. Lowering the the bottom really down into the leg. Pulling these pants out of the corner where they landed the other night, I tried that and this, in a bad blurry photo is the result. Still a loose pull-on pair of pants but you can see what a difference this makes. I may of actually over done it but point is these pants no longer look like I am wearing Depends.

Definitely an educational experience if not a great pair of pants, but this whole process has moved me one step closer to understanding what works for me in one real area of fitting challenge,

Of course I debated the wisdom of posting such unflattering pictures but decided in the end that the whole purpose of this was to learn, and that someone else might find some fitting strategy that might help them too.

To quote Mao (actually this is the only Maoist quote I know) the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.

Step one.

High hopes for pivot and slide

I put the back view of the black duct tape pants at the top because I am most disappointed in that view. I also see that somehow in this process I have acquired the bow legs of an old cow hand, a very old cow hand. Interesting. These pictures do not represent the 20 or so hours I have invested in this first experiment. Perhaps it was too much to expect a pair of pants made from a pattern from a pair of pants to look better or different than the original pair of pants, if you can follow that.

Oh well. 

They are elastic waist pants after all, actually I like my test pair better than the final. Test pair was woven fabric.

Anyway, next up this week in the middle of exams and the final US debate I am going to start work on pivot and slide. 

I am pretty interested in pivot and slide and I am going to try and get the instructions posted here this week. The basic premise is that most pants patterns are too big in the hips and leg so you buy a pattern two sized too small and add to the top if and where you need it, I will.

As I am currently going through a baggy leg crisis I am wondering if this will be IT, to start where you are skinnier and then work on up.

I am also beginning to wonder what will happen if I work my way through all these methods and end up with nothing but 15 pairs of weird pants all weird in different ways.

This is a possibility, a distinct possibility it seems tonight. What if I am actually incapable of fitting pants, what if I have to go and fly off to the States like some last ditch patient trying to find the specialist and my family has to send me off to the waiting room at the clinic of Joyce Murphy or someone or Karen at Wild Ginger and they will have to fit me.

Is that where this is going to end up?

Time for bed and bath I think.

And Pivot and Slide.

Final duct tape pants

In between Thanksgiving dinners making and other weekend activity like reading the online news and fretting about the markets, I did a bit of sewing. In fact I made two versions of my very loose duct tape pattern pull-on elastic waist pants, the black version pictured here.

I am moderately happy with them. Since this is mid-term week and I am making up and giving  exams for over a hundred students in the next few days this is what my evaluation of this particular version would be:

Interesting experiment Barbara, a good start and evidence of real effort. However not sure that you reached all the goals you set for yourself. Your difficulties with the duct tape method you have identified with the wrinkling may be partially responsible for some of the difficulties I see here, perhaps choice of fabric, and possibly the shape of the original pants you copied. The front and shorter crotch length certainly seems to work for you and this is a learning experience that you can carry forward into your next project. I can see however that the fit over your rear end continues to present some challenges. Despite excellent email advice from Katherine in Australia your vertical wrinkling still persists and crotch grab has not been as visually eliminated as it may in fact seem to you when you are actually wearing these pants.

Quite simply, these are pants that definitely look better coming than going.

That said I do recognize that these pants are elastic waist, wide, and casual and that it would perhaps be unfair to apply to them the same criterion that I would apply to say a tailored pair in a firmer fabric. On the subject of fabric I see from your own notes that you used a rayon/polyester/spandex blend and I wonder if the fact that your fabric has some stretch in it has been problematic and contributes somewhat to the droop factor.

My own advice is that for future projects with this pattern you stick to suitable drapey wovens and that in that context this pattern might make more sense for loose summer linen pants, much like the original you copied.

Good effort, considerable room for improvement, look forward to your next assignment.

B-

Again more evidence I have lost it.