Hopefully you’ve already picked up by now that the CSC is a body-positive website, where women are free to express themselves and feel great, away from the body-shaming that’s so prevalent in the world. Taking a positive approach has been fabulous for the editors of the CSC – remembering that anything can look good on any figure if it fits, and that it’s all about making the clothing fit your body, not making your body fit the clothing!
As such, we’re committed to sharing posts that are body neutral or positive, and we’ll remove any comments that are shaming or negative about the bodies of our contributors, as we have already done on a number of occasions. As always, we welcome different points of view and feel free to disagree or offer constructive criticism on patterns, sewing techniques or fitting – just not on our bodies. There’s enough to deal with in the outside world, and we hope that this space can be a little respite from all that.
Want to read more about the CSC’s mission and how we talk about size? Check out Mary’s post here.
I think the positive body image for us curvy girls is wonderful! Thank you very much for keeping it a positive site and for sharing your wealth of knowledge xxx
Curvy belly dancer down under 🙂
I am so happy to have discovered this blog – I cannot express enough my gratitude for your combined efforts! I was RTW 4/6 as a young woman and after my first child at 25 I received a “sticker shock” from my body: my 34C has since been maintained for the past 20 years as 38G/H. During my late 20’s and all of my 30’s I simply disappeared into this new body. I allowed my child rearing years to enable this disconnection – moms are amazing at putting others first. I have sewn a few dresses over the years – when patterns used to “fit” (although, not nearly as well as they should have fit, despite my small numbers) and I thought “well, I’ll just make my own clothes”. Entre – sticker shock: it is rare to find a beautiful, tailored patterns to fit my absolutely awesome girls (entre hubby’s sentiment) and my almost invisible waist (entre hubby’s affectionate and grateful “baby pouch”) and then I stumbled upon your individual blogs and surprise – the curvy sewing collective! Every photo uplifts my soul – such beautiful women clad in the efforts of their craft/art. I am much happier these days to not be invisible and I am learning how to do a FBA and break out some of the beautiful fabric I’ve collected over the past few years. I may even be brave enough to blog about it… I, too have an unused blog. Thank you, my sewing angels, from the bottom of my heart and the top of my soul.
Hi! I agree with a lot of whats been said. So far this community has really made me feel better about myself and turning my “want to sew” into a “need to sew.” Honestly, I spent a lot of time hating myself and hiding because of how I was treated growing up. It has gotten to the point where I can barely say anything nice about myself, but I want to change that. Sewing for myself has really allowed me to see myself in a positive light.
I’m curious to know how to get blogging more. I do have a “blog” but rarely post anything. I’ve always been afraid of my own voice. Is there something in the works to help those new to blogging or unsure about blogging to try and be a little better at it? I would be interested in something like that. I really want to find my own voice and not be so afraid of it.
So glad that sewing has been that way for you, too! That’s a good question regarding blogging – I think that many of us just started off with a very small blog that we didn’t really publicize outside our friends and family, and over time as we got braver, we started getting the word more out there with comments on other people’s blogs and whatnot. But this might be a good topic for our beginner’s series!
Hi! I just want to say that I absolutely agree with your policy of positive body image. I know the out in the world there is what I call “fat oppression” including but not limited to not hiring women of size. It is shameful that anyone would treat people that way, and here (the online collective) must be held as a safe place for all women. Thank you. I am not yet brave enough to make clothes for myself – I made a few items in my 20s and 30s, but haven’t made clothes since (now 70). I am looking at the patterns and the photographs and hoping to wind myself up to start making myself some nice clothes. Thank you for being there for me, and I will send you photos when I make something spectacular – or just nice!!!
Hi Anne – yes, I totally agree that there’s challenges wherever we go, some of which we’re aware of and some we’re often not. I hope that you re-start sewing – what a great thing to do at 70! Definitely send us photos so we can see!
There are many different grading techniques. As a sewer, having at least one book on “fitting” is important!
My fav is Nancy Zeaman’s “Fitting Finesse”. I also have about 5 others… but I always check Nancy’s book first. Having a bodice sloper is also VERY helpful.
Great reco! I also really like Palmer & Pletsch’s “Fit for Real People”
Denise or admin, how does one go about getting or creating a bodice sloper for a plus size woman?
Thank you! I love that the CSC has created such a supportive community here. This was something that the online sewing world greatly needed, IMO. I know that you’re just getting started, and I’m looking forward to seeing where things go.
Thanks, Michelle. So glad to have you on board!
Kudos to you all for taking a stand on this issue! I think it is really wonderful. I’m working on being nicer to myself when it comes to my body image, and sewing is helping tremendously with that. And thanks to this site and various bloggers, it no longer seems so daunting to alter patterns to fit my shape.
So thank you, CSC, for all you do for this community! And thank you for being a continual positive force – it is so refreshing.
Thank you Dana – we should all be nicer to ourselves, on a regular basis!
I love, love, love this site and the manner in which it addresses body image as well as the problems with sewing and fitting clothes for that image. There are no other sites like this out there and I think I would feel better about sewing clothes for myself if I had some resources. We all know that curvy clothes are near impossible to find and are never reasonably priced.
Just reading these posts has given me inspiration to return to sewing for myself. I’ve sewed for everyone else and have so much that I can give to my own wardrobe. Thanks for inspiring me and please keep up the good work.
And I love that the photos on your site are not the hand-on-hip photos that I see everywhere else. These are photos of real women with real lives and real clothes……Beautiful!
Hi Aleeah, glad that we’re encouraging you to get back into sewing! It’s so great for body image, plus you get your very own perfectly fitting wardrobe!
thank you for all your patterns and positive talk about curvy clothing — I always tell people that I am a quilter not a sewer, but I watch and enjoy all the postings of this group and am collecting ideas and patterns to someday take the plunge. double thumbs up to you all!
Do it, Rose! We’re actually going to be starting a beginner’s series very soon so hopefully that might help you take the plunge!
I lost interest in critiquing my body shape and size at some point after my mid-twenties. I don’t know what it was, motherhood or something else, but I no longer had the energy to worry about being thin. In any case, there is such a spectrum of size and shape out there that no single word will ever cover everyone adequately. I consider myself curvy because at every weight I’ve been my waist has remained much smaller than the rest of me, and I have always had a fuller bottom and bust. But women with completely different figures use the word curvy too. I don’t really care. The word is not special to me. While I don’t technically wear plus sizes in RTW, I do have to do a lot of fitting adjustments with the simplest sewing project, so this site is extremely helpful. And it’s reassuring to know that there are many ways bodies can deviate from the “standard” small-busted, slightly pear-shaped figure assumed by both RTW manufacturers and pattern companies.
Totally know what you mean, Scarlet! Isn’t it nice how much the RTW standards become meaningless when you sew for yourself?
I love what you ladies are continuing to promote a healthy attitude toward one’s own body. I love seeing all the beautiful women here and looking at the outfits they have created, it very inspiring. For someone like me it like all of my creative best friend are in one place and it amazes me. As I get older and my body “continues” to develop I am more focus on getting a great fit in all my clothes not just pants. lol. I’ve always sewed my clothes and RTW was an option so lord know who they are sewing for. It’s just unfortunate that it feeds into women attitudes toward their own bodies. Thanks for monitoring the negative comments no wants to read that crap anyway!
Thanks Sabrina! I’m in awe of women who have always sewed their own clothes – you must have so much expertise by now!
I was horrified the first time I was using a pattern and the size that was right for me was a large number. My next pattern, I assumed I’d be the same number and instead, it was completely different. I had no clue how completely arbitrary most “sizes” are! It really helped free my mind from the number and work with FIT. I look better and I feel better in clothes that FIT me. The number isn’t important. The label isn’t important. Feeling good is good. 🙂
Ha, doesn’t it just go to show how crazy things are! Rosie wrote a fantastic piece for us on just this if you haven’t already read it: http://wp1094.hostgator.com/~waezmq0ac6rs/curvy-confidence-series-rosie-on-the-joy-of-sewing/
This is such a great idea.
I’m always encouraged with blogs like these.
Since I’ve started drafting my own patterns I’ve felt so good in my clothes. It’s all in the fit. I don’t worry about the size, jjust work from my measurments. The clothes fit my behind and don’t ride up when I walk and I feel nice.
Takes me ages to make stuff, but so rewarding! Can’t make everything but
Congrats for dealing with the negative talk, its important to acknowlege that beauty and style comes in many different packages.
XXX
Thanks Miss J, and glad to hear you’re also finding sewing as rewarding as us!
I turn 57 this year and am trying to come to terms with the body I have. I have struggled with my weight all my life and the latest trip the doctor “confirmed” that I am obese by their standards. Diets don’t work but I am healthy and active and that is what is important. Unfortunately the “inner vision” doesn’t match the exterior and I am constantly surprised when I see my reflection.
I look at the women of the Curvy Coalition and all I see are beautiful women. Everyone looks amazing and wonderful. But I can’t translate that to my opinion of myself and that is aggravating. I am an intelligent, self-confident woman and yet have this disconnect with the way I look in clothes. Every one of you is an inspiration and I am so glad you have chosen to share your lives.
I saw your comment and couldn’t resist to reply. I feel exactly the same way. I don’t judge people based on size, I am thrilled that some companies make a pledge not to utilize retouching and use models of all sizes. Just like you, I am in awe of all women in this collective and I love every outfit they make. However, when I look at myself, I do not see beautiful, I see someone very different from what society considers to be pretty. I have trouble making clothes for myself because it comes out so different from what I imagined. It is so hurtful, and it is even worse because it comes from the inside of me, not even from mean in considered people who we all run into once in a while. So, I just wanted to say – you are not alone, it happens, and I know how you feel. I am 42 and I am trying to work on it. I have big hopes that with the help of this collective, we one day will love the way we look.
I hear you, it’s definitely not easy, and it’s quite a journey. There are just so many influences out there making us doubt ourselves, and when you start sewing you definitely don’t manage to get a perfect fit quickly! It takes a while. In the meantime, we hope that by consistently providing positive examples of curvy women in the sewing community that we can slowly help women change how they feel!
Thank you for all you have done so far on the Curvy Sewing Collective! I went shopping yesterday for fall inspiration and for once I enjoyed the process! A friend and I always meet to shop (and celebrate our fall birthdays) and it has been a painful process in the past as I tried on multitudes of clothing that didn’t fit me or look anything like the models in the catalogs – that is, if the store even carried my plus size. Now that I am sewing, I realize why – my body is my body and it has its own peaks and valleys. Nothing to be ashamed of or upset about – it is just the way I am built. Even when I was “skinny”, I had wide hips and a flat chest. Now that I am focusing on sewing my wardrobe, I am shopping for ideas such as what colors are flattering to me, what patterns are new and upbeat, how did the manufacturers add details (such as leather buckles on the sweater sides), etc. It is a whole new outlook and so much more fun!! Keep on keeping us inspired and positive… it is appreciated more than you know.
Hi Patti, I’m so glad to hear your story! Like you, I’ve found going shopping in regular stores a lot easier ever since I started sewing – it’s quite the revelation, isn’t it? Thanks for your kind words.
Fantastic! I sell bras to breastfeeding mothers and body negativity and critical self-talk is something that I deal with on a daily basis. I will occasionally say firmly that ‘this fitting room is a body-positive zone, no negativity allowed’. At times, it can be met with a very visceral rejection from the woman I am helping. The idea that her body is good and perfect and sacred can be too scary and challenging. It’s those women that both break my heart and keep me going when I am sick to death of hearing the word ‘back-fat’. Body negativity and the associated schism between body image and self image steals women’s joy and kills a large part of their enjoyment of a precious stage of their lives.
Thank you for your efforts at building a body positive space online, and for the change in habits of thought and speech that this space has the capacity to influence.
Faustina, sadly I’m not surprised to hear your story – I feel like I”m surrounded by women in my life who are very similar. But the best we can do it be a role model and help others understand how much better life is when you are body positive!
I read with interest grading up the size for your jumpsuit. I am not sure how to tackle the grading. Is it taking measurements and then grading up based on final measurements or are you actually increasing based on the variation between sizes. I will be needing a size larger than the largest size on the pattern. When I increase by 2″ (for example) I divide between all the seams but do I increase in the increments on the pattern for the next size up. Does this make sense?
Hi Anne – it depends on how much you need to add to the pattern, and where. For me, it was mostly adding at the bust, so I did a Full Bust Adjustment which added about 2.5 inches to the bust and waist, using the pattern pieces. If you need to add more than that (e.g. go up more than 1 – 2 sizes) then you’re better off taking a different approach – here are some tutorials:
http://wp1094.hostgator.com/~waezmq0ac6rs/how-i-upgrade-a-pattern-basics/
http://tanyamaile.com/2014/08/06/tutorial-pattern-grading-method-one-easy-way/
http://tanyamaile.com/2014/08/18/tutorial-pattern-grading-method-two-shift-grading/
Thank you, thank you I am so anxious to make some clothes that fit and look good.