Hello, friends! As you know, last week we asked for feedback on what you’d like to see more of on the Curvy Sewing Collective. We had a ton of great responses, all of which we’re going to address, but one thing really kept coming up. Everyone would like to see more separates showcased on the CSC. Y’all want tutorials about trouser fitting, reviews of well-designed tops, and inspiration to elevate your favorite skirt patterns. Well, we thought those were fantastic suggestions! The more we considered them, the more we suspected another CSC-sponsored challenge was in order. So, over the next three months, we’re hosting The Season of Separates. For one entire month each, we’ll focus on an area of your wardrobe: trousers, tops, or skirts.
February will be trouser month! We’ve already got some great tutorials on the agenda, reviews of various pants patterns, tips for sewing your own activewear, and much more!
Then, in March, we’ll switch gears into tops and blouses. After all, we’re going to need something to wear with all those pants! During this month, we’ll showcase some of our favorite curve-friendly blouses, tackle all sorts of adjustments you might need, and chatter a lot about buttonholes.
To wrap up our season, we’ve designated April as the month for skirts. We’ll step back on the dressier side of things with some chic skirt patterns, discuss capsule wardrobes, and tips for proper fitting!
We hope that you’ll sew along with us for the next few months, as we wade into mix-and-match waters. This would be a great time to finally tackle jeans, learn your way around a collared shirt, or just add more essential basics to your wardrobe. After each month has concluded, we’ll post a round up of all the various garments you sewed for that month, apart from usual CSC Flickr pool round-up. If you’d like a garment to be included in those posts, just add a photo of it to our Flickr pool with the tag “Season of Separates” or send your photos directly to admin@CurvySewingCollective.com. It doesn’t have to be made during that month, but can just be your favorite iteration of a garment! If you’d like to contribute a post to one of these months or have something specific you’d like to see covered, send it to us via our feedback form.
Happy sewing! We’ll see you next week with our first celebrations of trousers!
I missed the pants in Feb but can I join in now with tops? Thanks
Certainly, Nancy!
I also had trouble with the Flickr group. It’s set to Private, instead of Invitation Only, so you can’t request to join 🙁
The flickr group is private as people have the option to share their creations and not have them shown in public on this site. If you visit this page, it will tell you what to do: http://wp1094.hostgator.com/~waezmq0ac6rs/flickr-group/
I clicked on this page to go to flickr, but it tells me it is a private group and there is no way to sign up
Nancy – the link to this page tells you everything you need to know about joining the flickr group. It’s private and we have to add you to it. http://wp1094.hostgator.com/~waezmq0ac6rs/flickr-group/
http://wp1094.hostgator.com/~waezmq0ac6rs/flickr-group/
I’m really looking forward to this! I’m just returning to sewing after a long time off and need a “focus”. One thing though, how do I join the Flickr group? When I clicked on the link it came up just that it was a private group. Thanks.
The flickr group is private as people have the option to share their creations and not have them shown in public on this site. If you visit this page, it will you what to do: http://wp1094.hostgator.com/~waezmq0ac6rs/flickr-group/
Super excited for this! I’m in desperate need for seperates. For skirt month I would love to see a high waisted pensil skirt, Im on a mission for the perfect skirt and love the high waisted style.
Have you tried the BlueGingerDoll Betsy or the Tenterhook Snapdragon — both high-waisted pencil skirts.
I was going to try tenterhooks patterns next. I’d love to support a fellow aussie 🙂
Grace – that’s my go-to type of skirt! I’ll try and do some work on mine 🙂
I am so excited! I am definitely going to be sewing a pair of activewear pants. Bring it on!
How timely! I was already planning on making a couple of pairs of pants in February. I’ve signed up for the two Sandra Betzina classes on Craftsy, and have my patterns and fabric ready to go.
Doing the Wardrobe Architect series has really highlighted that I wear pants to work nearly every day, and somehow I keep sewing tops and dresses.
Great idea! Looking forward to February now!
I’ve signed up for a trouser course in Feb, perfect timing!
This is so right on time. I’m open to all suggestions, tips, inspirations and of course encouragement. Sounds like so much fun.
This is perfect timing. My next selfish sewing project will be a pair of pants (pattern undecided), so I’m definitely in.
Awesomeo! When we do tops and blouses, can we talk about contouring the bust for low cut necklines? I’m hopefully not the only one who enjoys a daring low neckline and it took me AN AGE to figure out how to design out the inevitable neckline gape that comes with having a boobilicious chest!
That sounds interesting, Geri – do you have any tips you’d want to share? I only know about creating a dart and rotating it out if the neckline is a certain depth.
That’s basically what I know too. My theory, based solely on my own experiments with drafting (I’m self taught) is that just as an FBA is a standard alteration for me, so is rotating out a neck dart on a low cut bodice, sometimes as much as a 1.5 inch uptake. I have a hollow chest but a large bust so hay be that’s a factor for me, but I think apattern drafted for a b cup probably has already accounted for the neck dart but for bigger busts maybe need to dart out some more?
I’m curious to hear other people’s experiences with this.
I’m not big busted but I have a hollow chest and need to do that as well when I have a v-neck. I usually do that alteration on dresses rather than tops but I’ll try and do a post on all the tricks I’ve got for a gaping neckline, probably when the SoS is over if that’s okay?
This is amazing! Can’t wait to read and sew along!
I’m all about the separates these days! I can talk skirts and tops endlessly. 😀 This is an awesome challenge. 😀
This is perfect timing – I have several pants patterns out right now as I was debating which one to use. I look forward to hearing from you regarding making pants in February.