Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Changing Sizes


I'd like to say thank you to pattern companies for printing patterns in multiple sizes. In the last two years I have gone from size 22 to size 16, and most of my patterns have that 16 option - or 18, which is easy to size down. Before you congratulate me on my strength of character and moral superiority, please note that this weight loss was achieved with no effort on my part. Part of my disease affects my appetite - therefore I am losing weight. (Proof positive that exercise does nothing! I never exercise willingly.) If you ever want people to say to your face that they hate you, just try dropping that fact in conversation. My daughter and I have often discussed how we think that every woman in America has an eating disorder, by which we mean that not one woman of our acquaintance eats normally. Everyone is either on a diet, or just became a vegetarian, or just quit being a vegetarian, or in some way is obsessed over what they eat. When I worked in an office I was always amazed by people who literally ate all day long. There would be co-workers on Atkins, or low-carb or all carb. One co-worker was spotted eating chocolate birthday cake while drinking a Slim-Fast. (You know, they don't cancel each other out!) If you are a shy person, and need a conversation topic, just try talking about diets. You'll never have to say another word; everyone has a firmly held opinion, and all of their diets are better than your diet.
(Now that I am newly thinner, I have sworn to never give other people diet advice, since the only way I have ever lost weight was by getting an incurable disease. This is not a viable option for most people.)
Back to Simplicity 4076. I have made this one many times, but as a larger me. To make one for a smaller me, I taped my pattern pieces to my giant dining room window (AKA free light box) and traced the smaller size.When doing experiments I like to trace so I still have the original pattern to go back to. I use inexpensive gift tissue, available everywhere. Then I do an FBA which in the gathered front means doing a quick pivot slide to add to the top bust area at the side and also add a schosh more room in the front gathering at the center (that gathering is the pivoted dart). Easy as pie. Now I will make a test top in inexpensive knit and see how it looks before I cut my fancy Gorgeous Fabrics retro print jersey.
Once I get the fit right again I'll make a few tops out of the new altered pattern. I don't understand people who would only make a pattern once. Once I get it right, I'll do a theme and variations and do multiple versions. But I also like listening to my favorite songs over again too. Maybe the different pattern every time people are like Mr. Hunting Creek, who will never willingly watch a movie he has seen before, and constantly flips channels seeking new stuff.
Are you a pattern repeater? Or a one time only person? (Are you now or have you ever been on a diet?)

11 comments:

Beangirl said...

what is this "diet" of which you speak? I personally eat only organic vegetables grown by Tibetan monks and whole foods untouched by processed metals. I spend almost no time at all throughout the day thinking about this.

um. I forget. You like snarky sarcasm, right? Girl, leave it to me to not get an incurable disease. Unless you count my obesity, which clearly is incurable. As for pattern reusing, I am somewhat perverse about this (ha, like it's just that!). I know that I should reuse a pattern that I have painstakingly (and usually rather traumatically) managed to get to fit me. But then once I do manage to achieve this Nirvana, I find that I'm bored with the whole concept and couldn't possibly want more than one of those garments. You know. In my humongous and totally glamorous wardrobe.

Debbie Cook said...

Pattern repeater. Song repeater. But usually not a movie or book repeater. (Have sons who can repeat many movie lines verbatim - must be a guy thing.) Not currently dieting, but should be. But, sigh, chocolate repeater too.

Word verification: endfit ... was that a subliminal message? ;-)

cidell said...

I'm not a movie or book repeater. Occasionally a pattern, but rarely. As for food, for the first time ever I'm putting on weight despite no change in my diet or level of exercise. But, I guess I'm eating better because of my current boyfriend.

Venus de Hilo said...

Pattern repeater, when one truly works for me. So far there aren't many, but I am ever hopeful. Ever hopeful, too, that I will wake up some morning at least one size slimmer, but am not willing to give up wine and chocolate.

neighbourhood.gal said...

I have just repeated two patterns (will post them in the next day or so).

I have also recently joined Weight Watchers. I am not a food extremist in any way - I have never dieted before this. But good grief, have I caught flack and suspicious looks!

Uta said...

I get bored easily by repeating patterns. I get overwhelmed easily by new, complicated patterns. Tell me what to do! The diet/disordered eating thing: Think how much mental energy would be freed if people stopped thinking about this?! At some point I consciously decided to set myself free and eat according to appetite (including chocolate when stressed. That's what my appetite says!). That was over ten years ago, my body is the same as always, and my mind is free (to obsess about different things!). So if I believe in a diet, I believe in eating real food (not pre-fabricated) and enjoying it.

AuntieAllyn said...

So many patterns, so little time . . . I've got TONS of patterns that I haven't used yet, but I have a couple of "TNT" patterns that I return to when I need a quick, reliable outfit. I think I'm definitely a "repeater" . . . I've eaten the same thing for breakfast for years, watch the same TV shows/movies over and over again, can listen to favorite songs/albums repeatedly as well. I like what I like!!!!

Mary said...

Diet? Me? I am blessed at being the smallest person in my family and therefore I always feel slender and fit. Of course, this is all illusion but hell, it works for me! I actually have only dieted once in my life and decided that it was a waste of time and boring.

I have not been sewing repeaters until recently. I am happy to have found the secret to the perfect summer blouse and will continue to sew said blouse until fall.

badmomgoodmom said...

I like the novelty of the new, but I also like to revisit my favorites.

About the other thing. I, too, have an incurable disease that leads to early morbidity and mortality. I have outlived two aunts who died young from the same disease.

You know the advice, "If you experience unexplained weight loss, feel tired and have frequent infections, go see your doctor right away. It could be a sign of serious disease."

It's true.

"We live in a crazy society when, at my sickest, people kept telling me how great I looked. I was so thin! What kind of diet was I on?"

http://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2007/09/miracle-weight-loss.html

I am currently trying to lose weight. We learned that I do best if I gain 10# before cold and flu season to improve "survivability", and then lose it again for the summer to lighten the stress on my joints.

In the Spring, I go to the gym more, and eat less carbs. I eat lots of veggies and healthy fats.

It is way more fun putting on the weight than taking it off.

In the Fall, I have to eat that second scoop of chocolate ice cream--doctor's orders! LOL

The Slapdash Sewist said...

I think you are so right about all of us having disordered eating. (Although, I've been a vegetarian for 18 years because I don't want to be responsible for ending lives; I don't think vegetarianism is always disordered eating.)

I repeat movies but rarely books, and meals but rarely patterns.

melissa said...

Funny, you say "exercise does nothing" - I'm the opposite - dieting does nothing and it's ALL about the exercise for me!!

Case in point - when I got ill last year I had to stop running. I ate exactly the same and (obviously) gained weight, even when I had my transplant with the huge chemo doses and everything that everyone said would make me lose tons of weight. Nope. Didn't lose a single pound. For me, running = losing weight. Not running = gaining weight.