Hi Friends, exciting news! The ladies at Hipstitch and I have been working behind the scenes to pull together a very fun new type of class exclusively focused on curvy sewing and fitting. This will be a two day class where all supplies are included (except for the fashion fabric so that you can pick your own) and lunch, snacks and beverages are also included. I’m very excited about this, since everything is provided, we will be able to focus just on sewing and fitting!
This class is designed for garment sewing beginners and those more intermediate sewers looking to improve their fitting skills. This exclusive fit-focused class is a start-to-finish production, where I will guide you through the garment fitting and making process of the Cashmerette Montrose Shirt. The Montrose is a classic woven shirt with two views tailored for sizes 12 to 28, in three cup sizes (C/D, E/F, G/H), and with two sleeve sizes (standard and full bicep). If you are unsure about fitting in this size range (pattern sizing is different than clothes you purchase in a store), please email me for assistance before signing up for the class. Our goal is to help you create a beautifully fitted shirt that celebrates your curves, PLUS an amended pattern you can use to sew even more pieces for your custom wardrobe.
On day one, we will go over sewing pattern basics, including measuring yourself and choosing the best size for you body. We will trace the pattern to preserve the original and then changes to the flat pattern based on measurements of your body. Examples might include lengthening or shortening in targeted areas or tracing between sizes.
After the pattern is prepped, we will sew a tester garment out of muslin to asses how the pattern fits your body. This pattern comes with both a standard and wide bicep sleeve option, so I will encourage everyone to try both and see which sleeve works best for your body. Once again, we will make changes to the muslin and tweak the fit until it is perfect for your body. At this stage, we will probably be adjusting the bust darts, checking and adjusting the shoulder fit, or perhaps even deciding to start again with a different size. The beauty of having two days for this class is that we will have plenty of time to experiment with fit and get it just right.
Once we are done with adjustments to the muslin, we will copy those changes back to our traced patterns so that you can leave the class with a pattern adjusted just for your body and you can use over and over again. We will spend the second day constructing our final shirts and working on garment sewing skills like finishing seams, perfecting necklines, and hemming. I will bring my serger for students to try out if they are interested.
As I mentioned above, this class is nearly all inclusive. The class fee includes the printed Montrose pattern, Pattern Trace non-woven, muslin, bias tape, lunch and afternoon snacks both days, as well as coffee, tea and water. Note: Fee does not include fashion fabric or thread, however fabric, thread and notions purchased at Hip Stitch for use in this class will be discounted 20% for class participants.
In terms of fabric, I would suggest a cotton lawn, of which there are several beautiful options at Hipstitch. If you are a slightly more advanced sewist and feel confident, you are welcome to try out a rayon challis or similar, but a cotton based fabric should make it much easier to be successful and you can try out a trickier fabric on your next version. That said, no quilting cottons please! I sewed my version out of a cotton lawn that is unfortunately no longer in stock.
During one of the class breaks, I am happy to help all students select their fabric in the store on day one, however you will need to be able to pre-wash it that night in order to sew it on day two. Please prewash your final garment fabric before the class in whatever way you foresee washing the final garment.
I’m really excited to offer this opportunity to my fellow curvy folks in New Mexico, this is the exactly the type of class I would have loved to take when I was just starting out on my fitting journey. As you can see from my blog, I have spent a long time working on fit for my own body and I have also fit garments on a variety of different body types in my classes and for friends. Additionally, I am currently taking a pattern drafting course, so I can confidently alter existing patterns and draft changes. Please don’t hesitate to email me if you are interested in the course and have any questions. All the information to sign up can be found here: Curvy Sewing Intensive. I really hope this class is successful so we can run more curvy and fit focused classes in the future (pants, anyone?).
Just the Facts:
Pattern: Cashmerette Montrose Shirt
Current Measurements: Bust: 45″, Waist 42″, Hip 53″
Size: 18-20-22,, C/D cup size
Fabric/Notions: Cotton Lawn from Hipstitch Albuquerque, no longer available
The Green Violet 
Sure wish I could attend! You’ve inspired me to give this pattern another try, though. I haven’t come close to perfecting the fit. I know I need to lower the darts and move the shoulder seam forward. Back to the drawing board! Hope you have a fruitful and fun class!🙂
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Thank you!! Good luck with the shirt. I think its totally worth a few tweaks cause its such a great basic.
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