This is the backside of my muslin. I have scoliosis and my curved spine can be seen clearly here. This might be the first time I ever photographed my backside deliberately.
The last time I saw pictures of my backside is when I was 15 years old. They were laid on the table in front of me and I got a few disheartening comments (parents can be so inconsiderate!) about it. I got traumatized and avoided fitted clothing since then. Until now.
I must say that sewing and blogging about sewing have helped me to see human bodies differently. I make muslins and put them on, look into the mirror and try to see what needs to be fixed. This process has slowly taught me to know my own body better. Usually I just made some baby doll or loose dresses quickly and threw them over me, feeling sure that what needs to be hidden is hidden.
After looking at so many creations all over the net, I suddenly can see that there are a lot of variations in human bodies. Sometimes I see that ‘oh her left shoulder is a bit higher than the right one’ or ‘her waist is almost the same width as her hip’. Not to nitpick their bodies, just for my personal observation in order to learn good fitting.
Then I see that none of these flaws affect the clothes. Well, of course they affect how the clothes hang on their bodies, but a pretty dress worn by a pretty lady who posed proudly for her own creation is still a pretty dress nonetheless.
My spine is curved. But they look okay. Sometimes they hurt, and that’s what I need to be working on instead of spending energy thinking about hiding them. I am happy to know that what started as a curiosity whether I was able make the whole wardrobe for myself has turned into a journey of self-discovery.
Uh, anyway… as I was saying in the title, I did the alteration for the bust cup as I’ve planned in the previous post, and it seems to be working out!
The right cup in the picture is altered while the left cup is unaltered. I pinched the excess fabric on the left cup to show how much that I have eliminated.
Now I need to think about the skirt part. I don’t really like the sarong skirt on the original pattern but still haven’t decided what to make instead. Maybe a simple gathered skirt with sideseam pockets!
I used to dread shopping for clothes, especially pants, because the side seam on the right leg is always crooked and ends up at the middle front of my leg. I was born with hip dysplesia and in fixing it my right hip is way out of alignment, but I can walk and other than that pesky seam (that everyone always thought was a manufacturing flaw) I’m normal. Now, I make all of my own pants with crooked right side seams
It’s why I started drafting my own patterns. That’s the great thing about sewing, you can fit the lines of the garment to the lines of your body.
Can’t agree more with you! I used to think that sewing is just something ‘crafty’ that I like to do, but it now has become a necessary tool that I can use to make myself feel comfortable
You are beutiful as you are! Never mind about your back, if something can be done it’s ok, otherwise one should learn to accept oneself just as. My mom has scoliosis too and her spine looks like a question mark, and her back developed a little hump, so that she selects things she wears in order not to let it show. She only wears loose-fitting clothes or ones without horizontal sewing on the back. It’s almost painful for me to see her struggling over this thing, I wish she had more confidence and do not pay attention to other people stupid comments/looks about her back. She used to sew her own dresses when she was 20, I wish she would start again, it would give her more self-confidence.
The best bit about being able to sew is getting the fit right, and making things so snazzy that nobody would see any body faults at all!
That’s my theory anyway, and I’m sticking with it! And it works – nobody comments on my scarred birthmark arm when I’m wearing a blindingly pink dress
all that anyone seeing the back of you is going to think is that you have great skin and a seriously waspy waist. (that dress is going to be smokin’!)
that said, when you wear yourself well, it hardly matters what you’re wearing. i always say that “I don’t have any unattractive friends” (good line, not mine) and get giggles from people, but it’s true! after i get to know someone i start to notice how many things about their person really show off who they are.
i often wish i could make everyone have those happy-goggles on when they look at themselves in the mirror. we’re all so sensitive to those parts of us that aren’t what we see as dissimilar to ‘everyone’ else and assume that those bits are bad.
my personal remedy? tell people how hot they are. all. the. time. and! be honest. not just “that makes you look skinny,” but real things. tell your mom how that dress really sets off her hair and your husband how cool those socks look with his rolled-up pants. sincere compliments can conquer the world!
cheers,
flynn
Lmao, You are gorgeous! I simply hate you for being so gorgeous
Not to mention creative, wonderful at writting tutorials (Love the bag pattern – great write up), And you have a personality that shines through a computer screen.
If all you have to worry about is a curved spine, You are ahead of the game and I wouldn’t have noticed unless you pointed it out.
Rock out with your spine out, You make it look good.
I completely agree that the skirt with the pattern is a dud, I think a gathered skirt is the best way to go. You’re bodice is coming along beautifully! You have completely motivated me to get working on the fitted bodice sweetheart dress I’ve been putting off for weeks! can’t wait to see your final product.
Oh I want to see your sweetheart dress! I really have fun working on this dress, there is so many things that I can learn in this course!
If I had your gorgeous petite figure I’d probably walk around naked 😉 Anyway, I also didn’t notice your scoliosis until you mentioned it and I love the fit of that bodice. You are indeed a bombshell in the making. I like your idea of a gathered skirt with that bodice, very Audrey Hepburn. A tulip skirt would also be cute on you and if your fabric has stretch, you’d rock a pencil skirt. Can’t wait to see what you decide!
A tulip skirt is a wonderful idea! I think it will be better to use plain fabric with tulip skirt. Hmmm I still haven’t decided my fabric yet…
I’m with Vicki, the first thing I noticed was your beautiful skin! And you are very pretty, the dress will look good on you.
You know, I have two of the flaws you mentioned! Scoliosis AND a waist that’s almost the same width as my (non-existent) hips. I don’t worry much about my scoliosis though, and I’ve embraced my boyish figure. I agree with Jenny’s Sophia Loren comment, if the (ready to wear) clothes don’t fit, something is wrong with them, not with me. It’s not my body’s fault all the pants fall down on the floor when I try to put them on, there should be smaller sizes! Unfortunately I do worry about my body. Just about other parts of it, It’s really hard not to worry is it? It’s nice to hear that sewing is having this positive effect on your body image! Maybe it will have the same effect on mine. (Though I doubt it, as my problems are not so much with my figure. But, for example with things like my skin. It’s GREY. except for the dark blue cirkles under my eyes. Why can’t I be a lovely healthy shade of brown like everybody else, instead of this unhealthy looking color?)
Anyway, what I really wanted to say was, wait, you mean you are making and wearing all the loose fitting clothes because of body image issues?! I thought it was just your style! And I’ve been influenced by you and your sytle so much this spring and summer. Hmmm. I wonder what I should think of that?
Ooops I guess I owe you an apology! 😀
I agree that it is so hard not to worry about our bodies. It’s like we keep finding things to nitpick about. I think we need to change how we look upon ourselves. Easier said than done, but it will make us feel better
Wow, thank you for sharing this very personal message. It makes the blog reading experience so much more meaningful and personal to know the author is a real person who has insecurities just like the rest of us. I love that your journey into sewing has also been an opportunity for you to become more intimate and secure with yourself. When I was born I had 3 open-heart surgeries. I’m all better now, but I have a scar that runs down my chest and across my right shoulder blade. It never really bothered me, inexplicably. As a young and silly girl I blamed it as the reason why I hadn’t developed breasts as quickly as all the other girls, but somehow I never felt ashamed of it. Growing up in hot Florida, I never bothered to cover it up with high-cut tees and such (although now living in Scotland I find myself quite often fully-covered, but as a weather-related necessity!). I guess it is what makes me different from everyone else, which felt kind of neat. And who’s to say it’s ugly? I think it’s unique, but I never thought of it as ugly; and anyone who does find it ugly isn’t worth worrying about.
Sewing, and learning to fit one’s own clothes can be, I think, a liberating thing. The commercial clothes industry produces for an “average.” This average isn’t real, just a median statistic of measurements for the most part. It is easy to think that we all should fit perfectly into those forms. I don’t, and probably whatever I do, I never will. I remember a story about Sophia Loren, trying on (I think) an Alaia dress. One of those bandage things probably, and it didn’t “fit.” So, Ms. Loren supposedly said something like, “there is something wrong with this dress.” Yes. So many of us think we have figure “flaws” because we are not a perfect commercial size xyz or a certain shape. My experience is that learning about fit and sewing my own clothes dims these energy-steeling thoughts. It’s been a recent and unexpected positive…
Oh I love the visual of Sophia Loren looking at the dress and said that something was wrong with it!
You’ve started an outing of people with scoliosis! I too have scoliosis though it was thought too mild for a brace. We used to have these checks at school where we all had to strip down to our underpants and parade before these nurses to check our backs. I not only had to line up for the initial check but then had to go to the supervisor for another check. Additional humiliation was that my bust was too small to need bras at that stage whereas most other girls wore them so I used to clutch my dress to my front while I did this walk of shame…Adults can cause such harm to people, girls esp, when they are developing their sense of self.
My spine also curves out so I have this very prominent bone running down my back and I used to get bruises from sitting in those hard plastic chairs at school and also carrying a back-pack.
Nowadays it doesn’t bother me much except for fitting clothes!! I have a deep ‘sway’ and then an ample bottom so pants and jeans are impossible. (Pretty picture huh)
But these are the things that bring us to sew just for ourselves to get that unique fit. It’s fun. Interesting.
And you are beautiful too. Lovely back view
That must have felt horrible! They should do things like that in private!
I agree that these little things are interesting and even fun! There were a lot of body image issues that I’ve gone through in the past, sometimes I wish that I’ve found about it sooner.
A gathered skirt is more practical if you are not using stretchy fabric.
The only thing I was looking at in that rear-view photo was your beautiful clear skin! I am white and spotty (I have cheloid scars on my back from pregnancy, and they look like blemishes, so I am shy about showing my back).
Every time I visit Asia, I feel like a pale, lumbering hulk next to all the elegant, slim brown ladies, while they always look at me and compliment me on my blazing white skin! So funny how we only see the good in others and only focus on what we think is bad in ourselves. *shake head*
Anyway, Yay! You have your machine back, and we can all look forward to your posts again!
Every time I look at other people, the first thing I notice is their straight spine! It is so true that we tend to focus on our own flaws. Maybe it’s the grass always looks greener on the other side thing….
Oh, I think your new dress already looks great! I’ve been reading your blog for about a year now, and I did notice a lot of babydoll dresses and loose shirts. I’m very excited to see something formfitting and refreshing — also I think you will look great! It’s very heartening to hear you write about knowing bodies and accepting your own. Thanks for sharing it all through your posts. I’ve loved everything I read here, including the hercules beetle posts!
The adjustment you made is perfect, the fit is genius! When I finally take this class I will remember your adjustments as I will probably have the same issue. I really like this bustier style, for tops and dresses, it is vety much what I gravitate towards. As far as your back goes, like everyone said, you are very pretty and should not feel subconcious about your back! We all have imperfections, it’s part of being human. Beauty isn’t perfection, it is when we shine through our imperfections!
This looks fab! The fabric is lovely– I hope this turns into a wearable muslin! Great job with the cup alteration! The bodice looks really beautiful on you (and you look beautiful in it)!
I honestly wouldn’t have noticed if you had not mentioned. I was just thinking you’re lucky to have such an elegant back and neck! It’s very sultry! Mine is very stocky and thick so I avoid revealing it. But I doubt anyone would notice even if I did.
Bust alterations are something I’m going to have to battle with I think. It’s the area I have most issue fitting nicely into clothes.
I am thinking about making this dress too. I was going to change the skirt to a pencil shape with princess seams to match the seams on the bodice.
Great post about sewing / body awareness / acceptance of self. Thank-you.
A pencil skirt is a wonderful idea for a body conscious dress! I love that this bodice pattern can have so many possibilities
I have scoliosis too. I used to be quite, well ashamed about it, people have always commented on my back being curved. Now I love it, its part of me. The only reason I don’t like having scoliosis is because my back really hurts sometimes.
Its not really something I would have picked up on you, you have a lovely figure and that dress is going to look amazing. Now I just have to follow your lead and weare more figure fitting clothes.
xx
I know how it feels! I used to look longingly at other girls’ back. But as you say, it is a part of me and I’ve come to terms with it now. I hope you find treatment to ease the back pain though!
Like you say, I wouldn’t worry too much about a curved spine. I didn’t notice until you pointed it out- I was too busy looking at your seams!
Just a quick note, as I know English isn’t your first language, that ‘backside’ usually means ‘arse’ (Being from England, I would have written ‘bum’, but that also has a totally different meaning for American readers), whereas the area you’ve photographed is just your ‘back’.
It must be difficult to fit clothes like this bodice when you need to cut out different pieces for each side. I’d be really interested to hear more of how you get on with it! Keep up the good work ^_^.
Oh! That was why the word didn’t feel quite right when I wrote it! 😀 Thank you for pointing it out!
I won’t say that fitting the bodice is easy, but it is quite fun to do. It’s like playing puzzle
what a beautiful message. and I hope other people can learn from this. We worry *so* much about hwat our bodies look like and completely forget to be greatful for all the bits of our bodies that work properly, as lots of other people are not as fortunate. And absolutely “pretty dress worn by a pretty lady who posed proudly for her own creation is still a pretty dress nonetheless.” confidence is what makes someone attractive, so focusing on (so called) physical impoerfections is missing the point completely and setting yourself up for failure
xx GS
I think you look wonderful and so stylish in all your creations! and you are so right about how sewing one’s own clothes and being part of the whole sewing and blogging community is definitely helpful for helping us get over our own body and self-esteem issues (and we all have them I think) This dress is going to look beautiful. I’m sorry your back hurts sometimes, and I hope not too much…
Thank you Carolyn! I used to try to not think about my back, but sewing kinda force me to see my body honestly, and it turned out to be not that bad! I’m glad I found this community
You have such lovely style and such a lovely figure that I’d never know there was anything wrong,though I know that it must nag at you. If I was you I’d definitely wear more fitted clothing – the dress bodice is looking fantastic on you!
You’ll be very pretty in your new dress!!
Me and my mother both have scoliosis. She wore a brace but i never did. My spine kind of curves outward, though, and i was the same as you were for a while. I think you (and your back!) Are very pretty Novita! And i hope your back doesn’t hurt, but i think it is nothing to be self conscious about. Nobody should really be looking at your back anyway when your face is so pretty
Aww thank you Kate! Yes, I think there are more interesting things to think about than the curved spine