shirts shells and shifts

I have been sewing like a fiend lately, pretty much all day except for my workouts, food breaks and a sleep now and again. I got a commission to sew clothing for a friend and have enjoyed the process of making muslins, fine tuning the fit and shopping with her for fabrics, buttons, trims and all. I have some patterns, she has some patterns, and it is all getting melded in my mind. We are close enough to the same size that with some tweaking, we can share patterns for the most part. When you are the same size through your shoulders, the rest is just details!  I have made a couple of things (or at least cut them out and basted them together) so she can try them on and then I can finish it off later for me. The more different items I make for her, the easier it is to know just how I would adjust a pattern to fit her. I know what to do for myself, and so it's pretty cool to know what adjustments will make a garment fit her nicely. 

I have finished two pair of capris, two shells, a tunic and repaired a favorite sweatshirt for her soon to be daughter-in-law. I still have a sheer shirt and another tunic type top to do along with the dresses she will take for the wedding, two shifts and over dresses. Many of the items can be mixed and matched, so she will have a lovely and extensive update to her wardrobe when I am done. 

I am super duper enjoying this project, improving my skills in the fitting department, and love the fabrics she has chosen, even though they are proving to be a challenge, and again improving my skills as a seamstress. Several are sheers, which is something I have not worked on previously. I have plenty of resource books that I can look at, and I practice the different techniques to find what will work best. 

It's been a great experience so far. Love it! So all this sewing for my family has finally ledto a paying gig, cool!