Tira Sewalong - Day 1 Tracing

My fabric for the Tiramisu dress.

Breakdown of Tracing Steps

Ponti di Roma

Fabric Choice : Raspberry Ponti di Roma Knit, 60% Polyester, 34% rayon and Lycra. Medium weight. 3m@13$/m about 40$.

Task and estimated time spent :

• Buy everything needed  (duration not added)
• Gather tools, pattern, fabric and put in project box (5 min)
• Machine wash my fabric on cold and tumble dry low. (duration not added)
• Cut tissue pattern. I did it with the "help" of my 2 and 4 years old. They love scrunching the non used tissue pattern and running to the bin to trow it in! (20 min)
• Trace errata (10 min)
• Choose size, reading on sewing cake and flicker again to make sure! (15 min)
• Ironing tissue pattern (10 min)
• Prepare kitchen table (10 min)
• Highlight my size and all the notches with my highlighter. Trace with a teethed tracing wheel on freezing paper, holding both tissue and paper with my weights. Cut the freezer paper with my paper scissors with the notches outward, make 2 recto/verso pieces for #7 and #8, Shorten the hem, write info with ink pen. (1h30)

TOTAL : 2h40

Tools used to trace my pattern pieces in my size.

Chosen Sizes

Freezer Paper Pattern Pieces.

I'm 5'2", muscular built, wide shoulders, full bust, long torso and small legs.
My high bust = 38 in
My Full Bust = 40 in
My underbust = 34 in
My Waist = 33 in
about 5 in between underbust and waist.

The Chosen Sizes :
Back Bodice and binding : size 35
Front bodice : size 35 D
I will extend the sleeves by 13 in.

Midriff : size 35 to 32,5
I will lengthen the midriff height by 3/4 in

Skirt : size 32,5 waist and 25 hem.
Designed hem is 24 po, I prefer 21 in (just above knee on me).

I will sew with a medium weight Ponti di Roma. Not much stretch (2 ways only) but definitely some weight on the bodice.

Personal Comments 

The tracing step is the one I always like less... I did it on the course of 2 days (Jan. 8 and 10). Maybe it would be faster to trace on thin translucent paper?

I need a big enough table to cut and trace in my sewing room with a flat top and maybe counter height. Doing it in the kitchen restrain me to wait until the kids are really asleep since both their bedroom doors are in the kitchen and they are too curious to fall asleep if they see/hear me!