Sunday, December 12, 2010

Changes Afoot

When I wrote about those Vogue pants fitting right out of the envelope, I must have been high on pain medication. Seriously.

I decided to try the muslin on again - just to do a final little check before gearing up to cut the fashion fabric and the lining. Intriguingly, the crotch was too low and the legs were too wide. It was almost like I should have cut the 12! (Note: I think the 12 would have needed a bit of enlarging in the waist, what with my once-pregnant abdomen requiring some give. Oh, who are we kidding. I would have needed biggening even before I had the child. Nonetheless, that would have been a quicker alteration, yes? Other note: The pattern I bought came in 14/16/18/20. The size 12 is in the packet I didn't buy.)

Do you know that there are lines on pants patterns (well, on this one anyway) which advise you where to shorten the crotch? It's such a good idea. I took a half an inch out. Looked good on the muslin (though I was scarily, and unusually, unscientific about the whole thing). Again, drugs - they're your friends, they're your foes. Then I took 1 inch out of the outer leg seams grading from nothing about 2 inches above the hip, all the way down to the hem seam.

Understatement: I would be so pleased if these look very nicely fitted when they finally get made. (A propos of that, I have a terrific sewing-Xmas story to tell, coming up soon.)

Brief Foot Update: I'm really on the mend (knock wood). Able to put weight on my foot again, though I'm not doing it for too long. Since physio started, I've actually been moving it more (and more directedly). I'm not hiding from the discomfort. It's part of the healing process. I don't want pain to keep me from stretching muscles that may otherwise atrophy. Something to consider when determining whether pain is "good" or "bad". Good pain generally feels less intense as you repeat the action, and usually the pain changes with movement. Bad pain just crunches in a severe way and it doesn't improve with repetition. Perhaps this is obvious to y'all, but it's a question I was asked often when I taught yoga, and I didn't really have as clear an answer as I would have liked back then.

5 comments:

  1. I am glad you are on the mend and look forward to the sewing Christmas story.

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  2. So glad your foot is feeling better. I always think of good pain like a pulled muscle, it feels so good-painful to stretch it. Much sewing fairy dust to you.

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  3. so you're back at it, already -- good for you! Looking forward to hearing your Christmas sewing story.

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  4. I'm so glad to hear that you are on the mend! I think this is one of the best definitions of good pain that I've seen.

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  5. Thank you everyone! I'll keep you posted on my (not necessarily fascinating, but novel) transition.

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