Easy pear shaped sewing

[alias_sqbr]

I find myself in a bit of a vicious cycle: I am too frugal, fatigued, fat, and funny-shaped to have much luck shopping for off-the-rack clothes. I got a sewing machine to make my own, but am too funny shaped to fit the patterns I've tried, and don't have the money or energy to do a lot of practice sewing to get competent enough to make my own stuff from scratch (I'm barely competent enough to make stuff from patterns)

So: does anyone have advice for styles, patterns, or instructions for clothing suitable for a short dumpy pearshaped(*) woman who sucks at sewing? Easy instructions on how to adapt patterns or ready-made clothing to fit such a shape would be cool too.

I know from past experience that I suit A-line skirts if they're a size too big and have a relatively tight elasticized waist, and I've found some promising looking instructions (1 2 3) which I intend to play around with. But most other styles of clothing I suit are too complicated for me to feel comfortable just having a go. I may have a go at this dress or something like it and make the skirt a size bigger before attaching.

(*)More specifically: I have a short torso, bendy back, wide hips, big bum and narrow sloping shoulders. Clothing the right width for my shoulders/waist hits my hips/tummy and bunches/stretches in a seriously unflattering way eg this dress, which is a very flattering style on me and still too tight for my tummy AND too broad for my shoulders. And, a year after that photo was taken, too small :( :(

Comments

[alias_sqbr]

I do! And that would depend on how many is too many. 5? 50? :)

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

I think the pattern I like the best has... 10? ish panels? There are big ones, and then small ones in between to give it the swishy flair. But in the pack there are also some with fewer panels, I'm pretty sure. When mum gets back in a few days, I'll get her to find them. She's reorganised and I have no idea where anything is now!

[alias_sqbr]

Awesome, thanks.