Hello readers! Today’s entry in our Sewing for My Curves series is from Erica, curvy sewist and founder of MyBodyModel, a web app to create fashion sketching templates based on your measurements. Erica is on a mission to create body-positive design tools for garment makers and designers. You can learn more about Erica’s sewing makes on her personal Instagram @stitchinschmitz and find MyBodyModel on Facebook and Instagram @mybodymodel.
Self-drafted dress in Robert Kaufman Brussels Washer linen.
My Body Shape
When I was a teenager, a “doctor” told me that some women are built like Corvettes, but that I was built like a mack truck. I remember feeling mortified instead of outraged that he would say such a thing. If I could go back in time, I would tell my younger self that her body is beautiful and perfect. And I would get that guy fired!
Today, I would describe my body shape as curvaceous. I have broad shoulders, ample bust, and generous belly and thighs. In general, I try not to compare my body shape to inanimate objects! But I do find it useful to categorize body shapes for comparing fit and proportion. So for that purpose, I would say that my shape is hourglass-ish.
Self-drafted linen top and self-drafted skirt in Robert Kaufman linen-cotton denim.
My Measurements
My measurements tend to cycle up and down, but at the moment my numbers are:
Height: 5’5”
Bra Size: 36DD
Full Bust: 41″
High Bust: 37″
Waist: 34-36″depending on time of day!
High Hip: 39″
Full hip: 43″
Self-drafted tunic in rayon jersey
My Adjustments
I’m a total cheater here! When I first started sewing a few years ago, I downloaded the free Colette Sorbetto top pattern. I sewed up a muslin like I was supposed to. The fit was all wrong, but I was determined to get it to look good. My method involved lots of safety pins and cajoling of my husband to help me get the fit just the way I wanted. I ended up making about a dozen adjustments (and shed a few tears in the process!) and somehow, it worked! Which is good, because my husband said he was never doing that again.
My resulting sorta-Sorbetto pattern ended up becoming my basic bodice block. I’ve used it for drafting my own patterns for tops and dresses. I’ve also used it for checking and modifying other patterns so that I know they will fit.
My Patterns/Styles
My sewing time is rare and precious, and I want to spend it making garments that I will wear the heck out of! Over the past couple of years, I’ve started to hone in on what I like and don’t like to wear, which has helped me to focus my sewing. Reading the Colette Wardrobe Architect blog series was a total a-ha experience. I realized that I can have a “style” (who, me?) and not only that, but that I can decide what my style is! I’ve also learned a lot by joining social media challenges like #winter10x10 and Me-Made-May. Taking selfies still feels weird! But it’s helped me to better define my style and my wardrobe-building priorities.
Highlights from my recent #winter10x10 challenge (10 articles of clothing for 10 days!) including black/white striped Plantain tee, ivory/black striped self-drafted tee, self-drafted Robert Kaufman linen denim skirt, and self-drafted black Robert Kaufman Laguna jersey dress.
I’ve realized that I like to wear simple shapes in soft, breathable fabrics and earthy or muted colors. I like my clothes to be loosely fitted, but not baggy, and my skirts to be straight or slightly A-line, never gathered. I like to wear big scarves in the winter, and long earrings in the summer. I wear heels almost never. I’m blind to wrinkles. And, I like my waistbands to be forgiving!
I’ve learned that I’m not much of a pattern-follower—I’d much rather figure things out as I go. My favorite jacket is a hacked Grainline Hemlock tee with some shaping at the waist. I wore it almost daily this winter and spring! I want to make a summer version in gray linen, with 3/4 sleeves fold-up cuffs and big patch pockets.
Grainline Hemlock tee hacked into a cardigan in caramel French terry and Deer & Doe Plantain Tee in gray bamboo jersey.
My absolutely favorite top pattern is one that I drafted myself from my basic bodice block (a.k.a. very modified Sorbetto). I rotated the darts and added a drop sleeve. I’ve sewn about 20 different versions so far. I’ve made it in different sleeve lengths (short, long, and everywhere in between), different woven fabrics (linen, rayon, voile, lawn, double gauze, quilting cotton) and knit fabrics (usually minus the darts, but I’ve kept the darts when sewing with sturdy knits like French terry and it totally worked!).
Self-drafted top/dress pattern versions include: black dress in Telio bamboo jersey, indigo dress in yarn-dyed Robert Kaufman Brussels Washer linen, elbow-sleeved top in Nani Iro double gauze, sweatshirt in forest green French terry, ivory V-neck in organic cotton jersey, and long-sleeved tee in striped rayon jersey.
My other TNT is the original Plantain T-shirt by Deer and Doe patterns. I used my trusty bodice block to adjust the pattern so that it fits almost perfectly. I’ve made it several tunic and dress versions.
Plantain dress in forest green jersey with shirred waist, gray tee in Telio bamboo jersey, black/white striped tee in yarn-dyed Telio bamboo jersey, and swingy cinnamon-red dress in Telio bamboo jersey.
I’ve also hacked the Plantain tee into a cardigan. I made it in a navy blue linen jersey, so I can wear it with everything all spring and summer.
L: Deer & Doe Plantain cardigan hack in linen jersey and modified Colette Sorbetto tank in Cotton and Steel lawn. R: Deer & Doe Plantain cardigan hack in linen jersey, modified Colette Sorbetto tank in Nani Iro double gauze, and self-drafted skirt in Robert Kaufman Brussels Washer linen.
For skirts and pants, I’ve only made my own patterns so far. I made a basic skirt pattern using the instructions from Design-It-Yourself Clothes by Cal Patch (such an inspiring book!). My favorite skirt pattern is slightly A-line with an invisible zip and contoured waistband. I’ve made a couple of linen versions that I wear constantly. I also made a casual elastic-waist pant pattern traced from my favorite pair of pj’s! I wear my navy linen pants all the time, sometimes even more than once per week (shhh…).
Navy linen pants traced from pj’s and gray Plantain tee in bamboo jersey.
Future Sewing
I’ve been experimenting with minimalist silhouettes. I’m inspired by Japanese book patterns (which would never fit) and slow fashion brands (which are beyond my budget)! My challenge is how to make them work with my busty figure. By sketching out my ideas beforehand, I can “try on” different shapes to help me decide what to sew. I’ve decided that I love the idea of an unstructured sack dress, but for me, bust darts and waist shaping are a must!
I want to make a sack dress in lightweight denim with enormous sleeves and pockets, and a dramatic V-neck in the front and the back…
I’ve also been considering sewing culottes! When I first saw culottes popping up on sewing blogs a few years ago, I thought, “NO WAY.” But recently I started wondering… “Hmmm…. Maybe in the right fabric?” I made a few sketches, and now here I am, thinking the unthinkable: “Midi-length culottes in rusty red linen would be AWESOME!”
Testing out different styles of culottes on MyBodyModel croquis. They’re not so bad!
The online sewing community has inspired me to experiment with different styles. I’m dreaming about styles that I would never in a million years have considered before! I’ve put my foot down at cold-shoulder tops. But never say never! Maybe in the right fabric…
This article is beyond fabulous. You are beautiful and your clothes are amazing. Thank you for sharing as I have been struggling to define my style and you have done it perfectly. Your shirt pattern block is the shirt of my dreams! Am excited to follow you! You didn’t address what almost everyone does: jeans. How do you feel about them?
For the cooler months I highly recommend the wool jersey from The Fabric Store in New Zealand. Prices are good and the service is excellent. The fabric is fabulous. Once you wear the wool jersey it’s hard to go back to cotton (even in warm weather)
Thanks again! I hope you will write for the CSC again.
Kris, thank you so much! I have three pairs of RTW jeans that I got a few years ago, that seem to meet my jeans needs for now. When they disintegrate, I would love to try making my own.
I’ve been dreaming about wool jersey forever! It’s so hard to find, and usually very pricey. I was on The Fabric Store website just recently, and I just need to narrow down before I go for it. 🙂
Re a doctor’s comment…….50 years later I still remember my male doctor (friend of my parents too!!) telling me that, if I wasn’t careful, I’d end up with legs like my mother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What 17 year old wants to be compared to her mother????????????? (And her legs weren’t that bad!!)
I TOTALLY agree, we just didn’t know that we were BEAUTIFUL back then!!
Love your style so much- I’m vigorously resisting ‘friends’ who tell me I’m too old for jeans etc…. 😉 I’m a young thinking/looking 67, and I am NOT old!!!!
Aless I’m so glad you are not listening to those friends! And I can’t believe your doctor said that – Oh wait, yes, I can totally believe it -In fact when I was younger, a doctor may have told me something similar. By the way, my mom is 70 and can still rock a pair of jeans, and her legs are beautiful. 🙂
Hi Erica – emmmm……. your body is Normal!
Great to see you discover your own style and fit – that’s what sewing is all about. and even better that you are drafting your own designs to suit your body and lifestyle.
You are an inspiration – thank you.
Oh Ruth, thank you for your kind words! 🙂
Hi Erica, What a thought inspiring post! Thank you. Goodness, it has had me thinking, planning, pondering about my sewing projects and my current wardrobe. Then I popped over to the Wardrobe Architect link, more thinking, planning and pondering!!! Wow!!!
That Doctor forgot to mention how beautiful you are, and you’ve enhanced that beauty through your sewing. My Mother is famous for her faux pas and appalling comments about her family. She thinks she is being funny. We just don’t give those words any power, and laugh ourselves silly.
Hi Carole, thank you for your kind words! I hope that the Architect series is as helpful to you as it was for me. Oh those comments from mothers and grandmothers can really sting as well! Laughing it off is a good way to make sure those words don’t stick. Have fun thinking and planning! Sometimes the planning part can be just as much fun as the sewing itself! 🙂
Aless I’m so glad you are not listening to those friends! And I can’t believe your doctor said that – Oh wait, yes, I can totally believe it -In fact when I was younger, a doctor may have told me something similar. By the way, my mom is 70 and can still rock a pair of jeans, and her legs are beautiful. 🙂
Re a doctor’s comment…….50 years later I still remember my male doctor (friend of my parents too!!) telling me that, if I wasn’t careful, I’d end up with legs like my mother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What 17 year old wants to be compared to her mother????????????? (And her legs weren’t that bad!!)
I TOTALLY agree, we just didn’t know that we were BEAUTIFUL back then!!
Love your style so much- I’m vigorously resisting ‘friends’ who tell me I’m too old for jeans etc…. 😉 I’m a young thinking/looking 67, and I am NOT old!!!!
Aless I’m so glad you are not listening to those friends! And I can’t believe your doctor said that – Oh wait, yes, I can totally believe it -In fact when I was younger, a doctor may have told me something similar. By the way, my mom is 70 and can still rock a pair of jeans, and her legs are beautiful. 🙂
Love your style.
Thank you, Kel! 🙂
I’m always fascinated when I find someone with near exact measurements as me but totally different body type. Well…my high bust is just 34″ and I have fewer hips and more butt and as a result, I’m more straight-ish. So fascinating!!
I love your linen dress and LOVE that first plaintain tee in the deep teal(?) color.
I’m not into sketching but love what you’re doing. Good luck!!
Oh, and go ahead and make the cold-shoulder tee, Go with the Style Arc one! 😉
Thanks, KS! I loved the green/teal shirred plantain dress too – Sadly I made that one with low-quality fabric that got really pilly soon after just a couple of washes. I need to get better fabric and try that one again! I might come around on the cold-shoulder one of these days… 🙂 I just discovered your blog and everything you make is beautiful!
Wonderful style – you have a fantastic grasp of what suits you. Lovely clothes, understated but original, you look amazing.
Thank you, Yvette! You are very kind!
You are an inspiration! My style is very similar… I have had a small wardrobe ever since I was pregnant (24 years ago) and realized how little I needed. I keep the basics, usually, and it is very much like your style (I have three pairs of linen pants – black, blue, and khaki and tops to mix and match). However, whenever I sewed, it was by impulse and according to the latest thing I saw on the internet. This year I read “The Curated Closet” and it was life changing! I have only made two items this summer but I have worn the heck out of them because I finally stuck with “my style”. I plan to follow your blog to be inspired even more.
Thank you, Patti! Your wardrobe sounds perfect to me! Having my daughter 9 years ago had a big impact on my style as well. Maybe it was being spoiled by all those months wearing stretchy maternity pants! Ever since then, I have refused to put up with uncomfortable clothing. And, I have preferred to have fewer things in my closet (still a work in progress!) “The Curated Closet” is on my reading list – I followed Anushka Rees blog for a few years and I love her wardrobe planning approach.
Thanks so much for this post! I signed up for your “soon-to-be” program. Your post was so helpful to me since, aside from being an inch shorter than you, I have very similar measurements and very similar taste. I have been trying to “define my style” but, aside from using the words “simple shapes”, I was having a difficult time articulating what I like and am comfortable wearing at this point in my life.
Several years ago the book by Elizabeth Cline “Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Fast Fashion” brought me back to apparel sewing…and I love it ‘sew’ much more now than I did years ago. I wish I had been aware of the Sewing Architect series when it began. Thanks for referring to!
Hi Marie, I’m so glad you found something useful in my post! By getting clearer about what I like and don’t like to wear, I’ve been able to push myself to sew fewer pieces and use higher quality fabrics that will last a long time– instead of being seduced by cheap fabric that barely makes it through one wash! I still fall prey to bargains from certain big fabric stores… But it happens less and less these days.
Love your style/sewing and sketching. I signed up at your website. What a wonderful idea! I fought sketching my projects first, but with so many ideas I’d get lost! Sketching helps me focus on one thing at a time!
Thank you, Eliz~! I have the same issue with too many ideas. They keep me awake at night! Sketching helps me get the ideas out of my head and onto paper, so that I can get some sleep. It also helps me make decisions about the endless options of what I could do with each piece of fabric. It’s so helpful to be able to visualize what things will look like on my body.
Man…I hope doctors are getting more with the program now re not saying this kind of thing to teenage girls! I experienced something similar when I was in my teens: as a teenager I weighed about 145 pounds ans she told me I needed to lose about 30 pounds to be healthy.
At that age I had basically your body type except plus a cup size or two!! That stuff can stay with you though.
FWIW, you have a pretty figure and your clothes are effing amazing. Let us all know if you open a boutique! 🙂
“She”= my doctor! Didn’t proofread….
Thank you Natalie for your kind words. Seriously – I have known many wonderful doctors, but a few stupid docs can cause so much damage from their positions of power! I hope that sort of thing happens less these days. Such an irony that during those teenage years when we thought we looked so horrible, we actually looked (effing) amazing! My daughter is 9 years old and I hope she never has to go through those years of body shame. I’ve tried to teach her that every body is different and unique, every body is amazing, and no body is “better” or “worse” than another. But then other people say stupid things, and like you say, it stays with you.
Thank you for your post, you may never realize how MANY of us you have encouraged to continue to sew!!
Thank you, Dara! The CSC blog and community have helped me so much and I am honored to be sharing my sewing story in this space!
Great post! LMAO at your attitude towards culottes and cold-shoulder tops! I have similar feelings, but made my first culottes this spring. Still holding out against cold shoulders.
Thank you, Tricia! I’m glad I’m not the only one. How do you feel about jumpsuits? 🙂
Oh hell to the no! Maybe on somebody else. (Same with rompers)
https://youtu.be/oKI-tD0L18A
Ha! I feel the same way! Never say never though…Oh I’m crying I’m laughing so hard!
So inspiring!
Thank you, Annette! The CSC has been so inspiring to me for years and I’m excited to be sharing here!
Fabulous post. I love your style and attitude.
Thanks Lisa! It’s definitely a work in progress. Sewing has been so liberating!
Hour Glass is right1 You go girl! This is the best post ever. You are giving me the incentive to get working on drafting my tops and pants. I like your style – just what I like to wear. Thanks for all the photos (and the sketch). I also appreciate seeing what fabrics were used for which items. Very helpful.
Aw thanks Liz! Definitely, go for it! I’m terrible at following directions and I tend to learn by trial and error. I like to use actual muslin to test my patterns so that I can mark it up with a sharpie or pen. Sewing the muslin with a bright-colored thread that is easy to seam-rip is also helpful. I would love to see what you make!
I have wardrobe envy. What a clean, beautiful style! Good for you on making your own designs. You look great and how easy it must be to get dressed in the morning.
Thank you so much, Vebeke! Making my own clothes has definitely made it easier for me to get dressed in the morning. It’s still funny to think of myself as having a “style” but sewing has made figure out what I love to wear, and pay more attention to what I wear the most. I’m still learning, but I’m getting closer to figuring it out!
Oh me too – total wardrobe envy! 😄
🙂 Thanks Natalie!
Excellent post! Erica describes her work so clearly, and the photos are great!
Thank you, Susan! All photos were taken with my phone or iPad. I keep meaning to start using a real camera. Someday!
Love this!
Aw thank you GariChild! 🙂
Hooray!!! Your style is very similar to what I love to wear. It’s wonderful to make well fitting clothing in lovely, breathable fabric. Great Job!
Thank you PepperReed! Learning about fabric breathability has been a revelation. I recently switched to using natural deodorant (TMI?) and as long as I stick with natural fibers it’s all good! 🙂
Thank you. As I read, it was a eureeka moment. You put so clearly what I have been struggling with. Now it is time to reflect and evaluate. And that doctor, he was dead wrong. To me, you look like a Queen!
Wow, thank you, Pamela! Sewing my own clothes has been such a learning experience about my body and what I choose to put on it! It’s helped me to simplify by learning what I don’t like, what I don’t need, what I care about (comfort!) and what I don’t care about (making legs look longer by wearing heels? no thank you!)
You’ve done a lovely job on all garments!!! And good for you for finding your style, that can be hard and frustrating at times. Where do you get your bamboo jersey from?
Thank you, Sue! I got the bamboo jersey from fabric.com – it’s the Telio brand. My favorite is the yarn-dyed stripe one. It seems to be thicker and higher quality than the others. I’ve worn and swashed it a ton over the past year and it is holding up really well. It’s so hard to find knits that look good for more than a few months!