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Posted on: 9/21/07 10:04 AM ET
Ok ~ after telling myself I do not want to add more patterns until I actually am sewing for me I got the email notice about the Fall Marfy patterns in Vogue.

Coat F1414 is the perfect coat that I have been looking for as I am not a trench style coat person and jacket F1439 is so nicely detailed.... Many of you are familiar with Marfy. How do they fit in general? Complexity is not an issue, but fit issues are another matter. I hate the thought of wadding a pattern that costs $17 or thereabouts.

Thanks for the advice.
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Posted on: 9/21/07 6:02 PM ET
I know very little about Marfy patterns but love their styling. I am not a perfect size anything so always need to make pattern adjustments. And could certainly use some construction information.

My question - how complicated are Marfy patterns since they state Expert.

I love this pattern Marfy F1463 Would I be better off trying to find a similar pattern from another company?
  
Member since 8/26/05
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Posted on: 9/21/07 6:43 PM ET
Is it just me, or does anyone else just absolutely drool over the detailing in Marfy's styles? Their jacket and blouse styles are just exquisite. I wonder if my sewing skills are up to it. I actually have a few blouse patterns, but have yet to gather up the courage to try them.
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Posted on: 9/22/07 9:14 AM ET
I consider myself an intermediate sewer but I don't find Marfy hard per se. But I do pick patterns that I know I can do, or are similar to what I have sewn in the past. Marfy comes without seam allowances, and in some patterns, you will need to draft your own facings.

I would try a simple blouse or skirt first. Marfy usually supplies collar and undercollar pattern pieces, cuffs, and front facings, but no back facings, underlaps, or lining pieces, etc. Notches are cut out triangles as are darts, and each pattern piece has letters on the seams which you match up. There are some english words like stuffing for shoulder pads, pleating for gathering, on the pattern pieces.

The drafting and styling is why I love Marfy. There is such subtle curves in the collars, sleeves and darts, etc. Everything has fit me without major alterations, especially in the shoulders.
  
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Posted on: 9/22/07 1:29 PM ET
In reply to lmg
Don't know if I hit post or not... I was curious about how they fit. Thanks for your reply. Are you narrow, average or broad shouldered?

Since I tend to "design" via the "chop-shop" method, it should not be difficult to deal with the construction. The details on the jacket and coat that cuaght my eye are nagging at me. What a great pattern line.
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"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin

"Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal." unknown

“Be curious, not judgmental.” Ted Lasso
  
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Posted on: 9/22/07 2:40 PM ET
In reply to KathySews
That really is stunning. I keep hesitating on these too. I consider myself advanced, but I like to have a few guidelines to start with.
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Posted on: 9/23/07 10:58 PM ET
Are you narrow, average or broad shouldered?

I have an average shoulder width but a very narrow back.

If I can't picture how I would make the pattern I don't buy it. Also, you might want to try the free patterns first. I have made the skirt and cape from this issue. The skirt caused me some problems in the construction as I couldn't get how to make the pocket. As for the cape I lined the it by hand and used a 2.5 inch hem all around. What is really interesting is that julesberry and I made the skirt and they look more or less the same, Liana and I made the cape and ditto. But the construction was TOTALLY different.

Marfy's make you think. And I find it freeing that I don't have any specific directions which I feel guilty about if I don't follow them.
  
Member since 8/2/02
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Posted on: 9/24/07 6:13 AM ET
Well I'm no Marfy expert - having made up only a grand total of one so far - but if you compare the size chart on Vogue's web site to the Burda WOF size table you'll get a pretty good idea of the fit. Overall I'd say the Marfy sloper is taller and leaner than the average US Big 4 sloper.

I found the shoulders to be on the broad side (like Vogue and McCall's) and the back waist length to be really long for the size I chose (46). I don't need an FBA, so I don't have any insight there.

The pieces fit together beautifully, and the sleeve fit into the armsyce with very little easing, and even though the underarm was cut high, there is still plenty of ease in the finished piece (I made a sporty jacket-like shirt.)

I liked not having to cut out a pattern for once as well!

Phyllis
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Member since 3/23/06
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Posted on: 9/24/07 7:47 AM ET
I have never made a Marfy jacket, so I can't comment on the fit on the upper body.

However, I have made the free skirt, and didn't find that hugely difficult to alter, and it didn't come in my size so I had to grade it down. I also shortened it proportionally for my lack of height, and chose to raise the contoured waistband to sit on the waist. Of course, skirts aren't nearly as difficult as jackets to alter. Though I still haven't figured out that pesky pocket properly.

The catalogue does have detailed body measurements, more so than the big 4 (it is nearer to the level of detail that BWOF provide) which I think makes trying to work out how to alter things, or at least where to start, much easier. If you don't have access to those measurements and would like to know what measurements are given, or the exact measurements for a particular size, then just send me a PM and I will look it up for you.

As to lusting after these patterns, I have that catalogue on my dining table, and a forest of post its are sticking out of it, from all the "shopping" I do from it while I am waiting for dinner to cook. (haven't done any real life buying yet. I have set a goal of making all three free patterns before I am allowed to buy the jacket and blouse that I want).

Jenni


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Member since 3/19/05
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Posted on: 9/24/07 8:24 AM ET
I too was very hesitant on trying Marfy but once I did I found the fear was more in my mind than anything else. There are no directions but there are letters on each pattern piece that will help you fit it together - a lot of it is intuition but if you have sewn for awhile it should go quite well for you.

I am another who fell in love with the jacket that started this thread - love the design details - hope someone will make it and post a review - won't be me as have too much on the burner now to go for that.

I did find my pattern wide in the shoulders too but as it was a raglan style sleeve I went along with it - I will be frank and tell you I absolutely did not like the finished jacket but that was due to the color and fabric I chose more than anything else.

In the big 4 I use a 16 if lose fitting and an 18 if not - in Marfy I use 46 - no adjustments necessary so far but I have not sewn anything very fitted from them - hope all this helps.
  
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