Sew Explicit

Have you seen "The King of Boys" series on Netflix? It is Nigerian series spearheaded by Kemi Adetiba. The costumes and styling are awesome! Below is a pattern cutting illustration of the cape worn by Jumoke Randle (Nse Ikpe-Etim's character). shoulder padding seems to have been used to give that power sleeve look. A similar cape, albeit with less drama, was worn by Meghan Markle in 2018 to an official engagement with the Queen. The diagrams are pretty clear and do not need too many words to explain. If anything is unclear, you may ask me in the comment section. I started with a simple "dartless" bodice block that you can find in the  pattern shop in sizes 6-14 . By "Dartless", I mean not having a bust fitting dart. This makes the pattern construction of this cape simpler as I do not have to deal with eliminating or transferring the darts. This block is good for drafting simple, boxy styles that do not need to fit closely to the body. Meghan in a simi

I have been seeing this style of peplum top for a while and even tried it out for the first in 2015 using woven Fabric. I also made similar styles using different weights of Neoprene fabrics. I have copied pictures from google to Pinterest to show the variations of the style. My tutorial below is not precisely based on any of the copied pictures, however, the same concept can be applied.

This post brings the "how to learn to grade sewing patterns" post series to an end. In  part 1 and part 2 , I talked about why one may need to grade, what grading is and is not, and methods of pattern grading. You should look at those posts before continuing with this. Those posts contain videos and links to resources that can help get started. This post will even contain more links to resources I have personally found very helpful. First up is a Threads magazine online article from way back (2008).  This article is golden. It gives a simple example of how patterns “grow” at different locations within a pattern. It explained grading using a cut and spread diagram, but the info is also useful to both the “slide” and X &Y methods. This growth in different locations as shown on the chart in another  article linked to ) are known as “ grade rules ”.  The chart shows a simple formula for arriving at the grade rules. This formula is not set in stone, but it is an excell

The previous post defined what grading is and why you may need to grade. Today's post highlights different pattern grading method WAYS TO GRADE Different sources may categorize it in different ways but it all boils down to the same thing. Below is my classification: A.     Manual grading B.     Machine grading C.     Computer grading

What is Pattern Grading? Pattern grading is the process or the technique of making a sewing pattern available in other additional sizes without redrafting each size from scratch;  Grading is the method by which the pattern grader creates patterns for a whole range of sizes from the agreed base size. It is the task of grading to proportion those increments among the different parts or panels of the garment according to detailed, logical rules

Hello all. HAppy new month! How are you doing? So today we are delving into patternmaking. Yay! No better way than to start with this outfit designed by Ralph Lauren for Melania Trump for the Inauguration ceremony. So this outfit trended cos it was so gorgeous and very apt for the occasion. Me likey.  I plan to make the “Celebrity Style HacK” a fixture on the blog where I will be showing you how I think a (trending) celebrity outfit has been patterned. Hopefully, I might get around to making and sewing actual samples for us to see, or you (yes you) might just help us with the sample and send it to me or tag me @sewexplicit on Instagram. Or let us create a hashtag #CelebrityStyleHack. Hehehe.