Hey all,
After a while reading and seeing people speak wonders of Ruth Collin’s TDCO method I finally put time aside to try it out, and it was amazing.
I decided to try it on someone else to see how it works from the outside. She has a pretty small waist and bigger hips, and she has always struggled to find pants that fit. It was very easy to adapt the pattern to her body, so the waistband sits where she chose, and the rest of the fabric drapes around her body nicely. She couldn’t believe how good the prototype already looked.
Now I just have to go and make the pants!
Has anybody else tried it?
The instructions may seem intense at first sight but once you sit down with it, it actually is quite easy and straightforward.
I’d love to hear other people’s experiences!
Cheers,
AC
Replies
took Jennifer Stern's class on this method. Very good!!
Thank you so much!
na
Rights and plagiarism aside (I wonder if she had permission from the creator to teach it or credited her properly), if you enjoyed Stern's version I would recommend you check out the content from original source (Ruth's work). Her writing can be technical but the depth of understanding she offers is well worth exploring (especially if you want different kinds of pants).
Cheers,
AC
:) Yes, Ruth has given me permission to use all of her materials and techniques as along as I attribute to her. Ruth has taken existing elements of pants fitting, combined them with 3-D body mapping technology and put them together to create a very elegant pants fitting method! I have worked extensively with TDCO (both in person and virtually) and I have incorporated it into my fitting method (The Whole Scoop) which starts with "the basic framework of TDCO as described by R. Collins in Threads Article #218. It is an amazing way to start fitting any style pants. I have found that using a separate fitting waistband and single leg muslin is the best way to balance the front/back leg. (I also added Velcro to the waistband to make it easier for people who have mobility issues to manage the fabric around the waist as they try to drape the fabric onto their bodies). It also minimizes the number of traditional pants fitting adjustment you may need to fine tune the fit. Happy Pants Fitting!
I would only recommend those she endorses. She HEAVILY endorses The Crooked Hem on youtube as she has a series and is taught in a way that Ruth herself shares and approves of. As of now, Ruth Collins has been so wonderful in giving us, the sewing community a resource that is FREE and can make us feel good about our bodies as we make pants that fit and that should be honored. That being said, I feel like you and whatever team you may have, could do a much better job of giving Ruth her credit.
It is unfair to Ruth that in your association with her and her methods there seems to always be a lack of giving her credit in many directions. When looking up TDCO on youtube, I found a video from Lindsey from "inside the hem" doing this method. In this sponsored video ( that one can only assume you sponsored because Ruth did NOT sponsor it)- and in which she says she learned from you. no mention of Ruth or her practices were mentioned at all. Not in the video and not in the description. In this video, She mentions that you were "trained" in TDCO and Ruth Collin's does not offer "training" for this method. Additionally I found that in this course that you are charging 150 US dollars for, you are using her method as a major Chunk of the fitting, only using your original work for "minor tweaks" that probably would be resolved with TDCO anyway. This, along with not providing your clientele with any resources that directly lead to her method is an injustice to her and what our community stands for.
Upon even further research and trying to get the "whole scoop" think I have found the difference between the two of you. The method that Ruth created is for ALL bodies of ALL sizes where you have decided to limit your clients to a slim fit pair of pants where additionally, you have chosen exclude many sewists by having a size range that is inconsistent with where the rest of the sewing community is headed, which is size inclusivity. Why Should I want to take a fitting class with someone who only wants me to wear THEIR designs? The point of fitting especially with "expert" help is that you should be able to fit any pattern.
Moving on, Slapping some velcro on a waistband and doing the exact methods Ruth has come up with does not make it yours in the same way that shortening the hem to my favorite pants pattern does not mean that I designed them.
Do better, Be better.
I hope you choose to do better in the future and make the sewing space a healthy one, not one filled with people ripping others off.
Where to purchase TDCO instructions?
They are FREE through her instagram and you can find the Crooked hem Series:
Crooked hem series on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cgo5s8yC1I&list=PL0YteZsVGUw12ACD_vdnCFNDYFON2tJgI
Ruth Collins creator of TDCO
:https://www.instagram.com/ithacamaven/
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An excellent resource for TDCO is the Crooked Hem channel on YouTube. Her series explains Ruth's amazing method in an easy to follow format. Between Ruth's instagram posts (Ithacamaven) and the Crooked Hem series you will find all the information needed to successfully make great fitting pants.
Thanks!