Janet

A tall order – the MARGE/Tall Guides sewing challenge

LargeHeaderDesignChallenge

If you sew, chances are it’s because it’s hard to find the clothes you like in the shops. I enjoy being tall, but at 5’10”, I usually find most high street clothing is just too short to fit my frame. Sure, I can buy a pair of trousers with a 34″ inside leg fairly easily, but they won’t also come with another 1-2″ added to the crotch depth. And woe betide the tall woman looking for a one-piece swimsuit or a jumpsuit…ouch!

My height was an important part of what drove me to learn to sew my own clothes. These days I love being able to create a fit and flare dress where the waistline lands actually at my waist, or where the sleeves are just the right length. (Ever wondered why rolled up sleeves are so popular in fashion photography? It’s because clothing models are usually tall, and rolling the sleeves up disguises the fact that the garment sleeves are too short for them.)

I love meeting other taller-than-average women who sew, so I’ve signed up to take part in the MARGE/Tall Guides #sewtallandcreative2017 design challenge. Alongside three inspiring tall sewists – Allison, Beth and Tiffany – I’ll be using leftover fabrics from MARGE’s most recent collection to create something new.

(If you haven’t heard of MARGE before, it’s a high-end US clothing brand, specifically designed for taller women.)

If you’re tall, was it part of the reason you wanted to learn to sew? And for you, what’s the best thing about being tall?

Other posts about #sewtallandcreative2017

2. Inspiration

3. Design ideas and choosing a pattern

4. Construction process

5. The finished dress…

 

11 comments

  1. This sounds like an exciting challenge! I’ve just been reading the link. Looking forward to seeing what you and the others make. I think my son will be asking me to sew him some shorts this year, he’s only 14 and is 6′ 2″ and all the chino style shorts on him look almost like hot pants!!

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  2. Crikey, that’s very tall for 14. The shorts>hot pants problem is a constant battle for us tall folk, definitely. In fact, shorts were the first thing I ever attempted to make – aged 14! My 3-year old son often grows out of trousers lengthways before they get to be too small widthways, so I keep them for summer and cut them off at the knees to make shorts. So much easier than making actual shorts…

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  3. I love being able to make my own clothing. It’s always been difficult finding cute and comfortable clothing. Being able to sew gives me the opportunity to wear a pretty jumpsuit and all of those other outfits that I can never fit into at the stores. Not to mention the fact that I’m the only one with this particular look. I cant wait to see what we all come up with! Happy sewing!

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  4. I’m 5’11” and agree with your conmments about trousers – it’s not leg length but crotch depth and length. I’m a relative beginner sewer (took it up after I retired) and trousers are my first aim – then jackets! My daughters and grandsons are tall but I do think it’s less of a problem today than it was when I was young. A little less, it’s still an issue.

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    • We sound quite similar! Trousers were the number one thing I wanted to learn how to sew too – it was just so hard to find a pair to fit in the shops. How are you getting on with Project Trouser? When I was a teenager there were only three or four shops where I lived that sold anything longer than a 32″ leg, whereas they’re now much easier to get so I think it is getting easier up to a point, but as you say, there’s very little for people who are long anywhere except in the leg.

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      • Getting there! Thanks. My inside leg is relatively short compared to my long torso. LTS 36″ too long – even 34″ can be too long. Possibly because I wear flattish shoes (age thing). When I was young no joy at all with length, though.

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