A quick update for July so far.

The three dresses are complete. One is a smash hit, one is a no way, and the other is "okay."

Smash hit:

She loved this one~ the third. I had redrafted the skirt pattern as I thought the second dress was kind of wonky in the skirt. This one it was the colors, the fabric, the fit. She's wearing it to work this week. It's a light weight cotton jersey from Hancocks.

The others, not so much. The first one with the cross over top didn't get a picture taken darn it! I find cross over tops to be problematical, and the first dress was no exception. It was good in the heavier fabric, but in the light weight rayon jersey, there are a lot of unexpected folds across the bodice.

The third was not good at all. She didn't like the color nor the print, and with the initial pattern draft , it looks just wrong. Hemline is wrong and the pattern, which really was on grain the way the initial pattern was cut looks like it's going downhill and all I see is a big "frowney" face. And visions of a  long past pregnancy? Not good at all.

But for my picky daughter, one out of three is a good ratio! LOL

Once those were done and delivered on the 4th of July, I set to making myself some long wanted items. I have in my mind that I'm doing a summer six-pac along with continuing with my annual SWAP. I like the concept of making multiple garments in a colorway that will at least go together well increasing the amount of outfits without using all of the closet space. To that end, my first navy core grouping in a while. Pants were made Saturday and finished off Sunday, and the tee was started and completed on Sunday.

The top is a luscious rayon-lycra jersey, purchased from Emma One Sock back in April. I got three pieces of this and wish I'd got every color I wear. It was wonderful to sew, and wonderful to wear. It's my TNT Pamela's Perfect Tee Shirt pattern altered beyond belief.

The slacks are a very light weight (4 ounce) stretch denim purchased (on sale!) last November from Gorgeous fabrics. It's perfect for a pair of summer trousers. Pattern used is my custom draft made from the Don McCunn "How to Make Sewing Patterns" book. They're my go to. Can make them in about 5 hours total including pockets and fly front. That's a win for me!

Today I'm starting on the second piece of EOS rayon jersey. It's a royal blue and will have a vee neck as the only change. I'm hoping for a tee shirt marathon to put my summer six pac on the fast track.

Hope your sewing is going well!

More later ~

Number two in the queue

Here's the first dress from the borrowed pattern. I have since made a few changes to actually have it work like it is supposed to, but I think she'll be pleased with this one. Again, excuse the hanger shot, hopefully I'll get actual pictures with her in them soon.

Third one is cut out and on the sewing table to get completed shortly. I'm hoping this trio of dresses will help me hit the trifecta in the daughter's dress lineup. 

More later!

One down and one or two to go!

Hooray! My daughter's birthday is July 3, and she's been bugging me for a dress for a couple of years. The problem is she doesn't want me to measure her, she won't sit still for fittings, and I'm just supposed to guess based on what she looks like. As all my sewing friends know, that doesn't work so well.

A couple of posts ago, I showed a "wearable muslin" I had made her hoping it would fit, and of course it didn't. BUT, when I took it over and she tried it on, I was able to do a couple of measurements, lots of photos, and get an idea of what needed to be done to make it actually fit her properly.

At the same time, she "loaned me" a pattern from her favorite dress that she literally wore out. It was an inexpensive knit from Target or Old Navy or some similar shop, but she loved the fit and it was comfortable. I kept trying to get her to let me have it so I could copy it, but she wouldn't let it out of her sight. Fast forward to the disintegration of the dress. My non-sewing daughter cut it apart, made a pattern, and borrowed a machine from a friend and made herself another one, all without asking one word of advice or even mentioning to her mom that she'd done so. Pretty funny, huh?

Well yesterday, I finished the first dress for her birthday which is the original dress altered to fit. Sorry for the hanger shot, but until I see her on the fourth, that's all I have.

It's a royal blue rayon jersey from Girl Charlee. It's pretty light weight, and should be really comfortable for summer use even with the 3/4 sleeves.

I also ran over to Hancock's on Saturday and got another couple of pieces of knit to make her "favorite dress." Since she had to wait a few years for a dress, I figure two or three are in order. So the next fabric is on the cutting table waiting to be cut out and sewn up.

Holiday weeks are usually slow for me at work, so I anticipate having both of the new ones done before her birthday. The other dresses are just basic knits with a slightly raised waist, and slightly full skirt; she wants 3/4 sleeves, and I'll do my usual self fabric bound neckline. Hopefully they'll be quick and easy and not take much longer than a basic tee shirt.

More later!

Hmmm....

Well, I've finally got the second blouse don3 and hanging in the closet with a probable wearing today for the first time. I'm still not quite happy with the neck/collar area, and the dye job is a bit uneven. But I do have the fit down almost perfectly now, and that's a big bonus!

That said, my friend Kathleen scolded me roundly for focusing on the negative and not appreciating that I have a blouse that fits me, I dyed myself, and I should consider the color differences are like slubs in silk.

Without further ado...

My next quick sewing job will be a dress for my daughter. Her birthday is July 3rd, and I've been promising to make her a dress forever. I'm using Burda 7828, and have already got the alterations completed due to an unfortunate muslin that I had misjudged the shoulders on. I'm hoping it will turn out perfect and she'll have a new dress to love. 

Here's a photo of the unfortunate "muslin". 

It's a basic cross over top with a high waistline, and she wanted 3/4 sleeves so it could be worn almost year around. Somehow or another I got the shoulder width too narrow by about 1 1/2", so this one isn't really fixable. Too bad because this was a nice heavy weight knit from my stash that worked really nicely for the dress. The next one will be a royal blue rayon knit from Girl Charlee. I think this is my first purchase from them so we'll see how I like working with their fabrics. Everyone seems to rave about them on the blogs and Stitcher's Guild. 

In other news... I found a company in San Francisco via an article in the San Francisco Chronicle called Bootstrap Fashion http://www.bootstrapfashion.com/ that will draft a pattern to your measurements and send you a PDF file. They have a lot of patterns to choose from, and in general are $10 each. Right now, they have a promotion whereby if you buy 3, you get a $20 discount by inserting the name Bootstrap in the coupon box. 

I was told over at Stitchers Guild that Lekla patterns from somewhere in Eastern Europe have the same fashions and the same business model for much less money. I'd heard the name but knew nothing about their patterns. I figured I'd rather support a local company, and give them a try. So to that end, yesterday I purchased three patterns. A pair of crop pants which I've been wanting for a while, a cap sleeve blouse, and a cross over top. As promised, the patterns were in my inbox in about 15 minutes after placing the order. I haven't printed them out yet, but intend to do so hopefully this weekend if all goes well around here. 

I'll do a muslin of the cap sleeve shirt without making any alterations whatsoever and see how it matches up to my body and if by purchasing with the proper measurements, it makes my life easier or more difficult. Here's my first one:

I'm hoping for some good blocks of sewing time this weekend, and have multiple things on my list... not the least of which is a trial pair of the Barb pants from Style Arc, a new pair of denim slacks, and there is always the tee shirt marathon awaiting. I am also planning on morphing my TNT tee shirt pattern into a ruched front style ala the Sangria top by Bresnan Studios.

I won't do the ruched sleeves as my biceps are already quite large and don't need the bulk, but I am hoping the ruched front adds length and subtracts width visually and will be attractive.

I've also got a few jackets lined up in my head as well as multiple other garments! If only I had as much time as I do imagination about what I can sew! LOL 

Hope your sewing is fulfilling your needs for creativity right now! 

More later!

Close but no cigar for this one. Darn it!

It's been a long few weeks, but we're almost there. There will be and have been changes made for the next version, but I'm okay with this one. It will be worn with a jacket in public, so the minor issues I have with it will be invisible to anyone else. At least I hope so!

Since I don't fall "exactly" in any particular size in this pattern, with bust slightly larger, and waist closest to a 2X, and the hip between a 1X and a 2X, and knowing I was going to have to make multiple alterations anyway, I started with a 2X. My lovely friend Jo Anne, who has done a fashion degree and works with custom clothing and alterations daily, says with commercial patterns to start where your measurements fit closest to the size, so that's what I did. Then I started with the alterations. 

Alterations/changes made to original pattern (Straight Size : 2X used initially)

• Narrowed shoulders by 1"
• Initial sway back adjustment 1 1/2"; an additional 3/4" after other adjustments were completed.
• Narrowed center back seam by 1" all the way from neck to hem.
• Added 1" in length across the back at approximately shoulder blade level.
• At shoulder seam, lowered 3/4" front and back at outside edge, tapering to zero at the neck edge.
• Added one inch to back shoulder only. (I don't think this was the thing to do as now the "shoulder seam is down on the front of my body.)
• Removed additional 7/8" at back princess seam from armscye tapering to zero at about 13.5" down from armhole.
• Revised back armhole to remove excess fabric along edge, starting at shoulder seam and creating an arc with a maximum 5/8" indentation about the center of the upper back, ending at revised back princess seam. 
• Moved front princess seam 2" closer to center front. 
• Full bust adjustment of 1 1/8".
• Cut neckline down by 1" at shoulder joint and front, tapering to zero at center back seam. (This will be changed on the next version to add back in about 1/4".)
• Raised neckline edge by 3" to eliminate "oops" factor.
• Starting 3" from back princess seam at armhole, straightened seam to about 13.5" down. 
• Raised under arm at armhole seam 1 3/8 " at side seam tapering to zero at princess seams.  

WHEW! That was a lot of work for a simple sleeveless blouse, but I think in the long run this will be well worth it. 

So now the issues that will be addressed: 
1. Shoulder seam in the right location. 
2. Figure out why the under bust seam is wonky and fix that. It curves towards the side a bit and I think it should be about 1 1/2" towards the center seam at the hem area. I may need to add a piece at the bottom of the seam over the tummy area. 
3. Add about 1 1/2" to the side back seam and remove same from front as the side seam is way back from the center of my body. 
4. Neckline as noted above. 

Once completed, I will use this same pattern to revise my Hot Patterns Plain and Simple Princess Shirt and also will be using it for my Hot Patterns Great White Shirt. It will give me a good starting point to once again modify my jacket pattern. So I will be in much better shape TNT pattern wise once I get these alterations set. I'm thinking the previous post for the sleeve cap length is going to get added into my Pamela's Perfect tee TNT also. I will probably be considering the length of my sleeve cap in all of my future patterns. That alteration on the jacket was mind boggling to me! 

In other news, yesterday I took a fun quilt class at my favorite quilting shop, A Quilted Heart in Vacaville. It's called the 1600 Jelly Roll Quilt. You basically take a jelly roll, stitch every piece together, and then start sewing all of those pieces together until you have a quilt top. This one ends up at approximately 48" X 64", so I will be adding to it to make a queen sized quilt. It was fun, and in a few hours, you can have a great quilt top. The designer of the quilt, does a "1600 Jelly Roll Race" and there was someone that finished this in 35 minutes! (Of course, all the ends were already pieced and cut, and the pieces had all been seamed into the long strip before they started the "race.") Because I'm still figuring out this quilting thing, I am a BIT slower than that. 

Just in case you're interested, Here's a basic tutorial from the Missouri Quilt Company: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bEJLnaZQOU

But if you want to see a fun video, check out the race: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EomX7t7to_o

I'll post the 48" X 64" top later after I get it put together and before I actually start adding to it to make a queen sized, which I now have the directions for, based on this video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdiUxlglZH4

Unfortunately, I didn't find them BEFORE I started sewing this together, so I'm going to be adapting the process to get something that will work for what I want. We'll see how well that goes as things progress!

Very odd to me that with this particular quilt, you don't trim, you don't press, you don't do anything but sew until you've completed the top. So here's mine without being evened up, without being pressed, or anything. Just all the jelly roll pieces sewn together:

I used a Bali Pops precut Jelly Roll called River Rock. AND I am so enamored of this quilt and the speed of making it, I've bought several more Jelly Rolls for future use. :P}}

If you're in the States, Happy Memorial Day. If you're elsewhere in the world, Happy Monday!

More later,

Cutting into the good stuff!

Well, I'm happy to report that at this point in time, I'm down to thinking that this shirt is going to fit me better than anything else I've ever owned. There may be some minor tweaking happening on the final product, but I'm ready to move forward. 

Here are the most current pictures with adjustments. I will be making it shorter than this muslin, and have slightly adjusted the under bust area, but overall this is it! 

I have a lovely rayon batik I got as an end cut from Sawyer Brook. I don't have enough for facings, but do have enough for the exterior. I'm cutting into it hopefully tonight! Here's a peak:

It's going to add some much wanted and needed color to my wardrobe. It also lifts my spirits just to look at it! This shirt should go very quickly now that I have the alterations to the pattern done. 

Watch for it! 

Back to the drawing board.

Since the latest adjustments caused more problems, I'm back to the drawing board on this shirt. Slightly frustrated, but not willing to give up or given in until it's right. Not that I have OCD or anything. 

Once I get all of the adjustments completed, I am going to try to figure out how to give you a slide show. It's a lot of adjustments, and a lot of photos! LOL

When I moved the front princess seam in towards the center front 2" and added a 1/2" FBA, then straightened out the back seam and did another 3/4" sway back adjustment, it caused some new strange and puzzling problems with the neck/shoulder area. The neckline is now climbing up my neck, and the shoulders went all wonky again. 

I added in an additional 1" at the back shoulder only, and that made the front lie smoother. I'm going to cut the neckline down until it is lying flat. It appears to be okay at the back, and just too far in at the top of the shoulder right now. 

I still have too much fabric at the back princess seams, which I think need to be straightened somewhat as they are entering the armscye, and I think I need to take the back side seams in just a bit also. 

I'm scratching my head here and will be doing some more adjustments this evening to see if I can get closer. 

 I was sure hoping that the adjustments were coming to an end last Sunday, but obviously it didn't happen. I've had a very interesting week, so not much time for sewing at all, and when I'm tired I do really stupid mistakes, so that wasn't an option. 

I'll be working on this tonight, and tomorrow I will have time in between making lots of goodies for Mother's Day dinner. I'm really excited as my sister and brother-in-law are coming up from San Diego, and we'll have Sunday afternoon and early evening at my niece's house with them, my niece and her family as well as her grown daughter with two babies, and my daughter and granddaughter with partners. It should be a fun group with lots of love, laughter, and great food! 

I did want to wear a new shirt but that's not going to happen within the allotted time frame, darn it! But I would rather have it right than have it done and never be quite happy with it.

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend, and to those it applies, a very Wondrous Mother's Day. More later!

I like it, I really, really like it!

Just a quickie this morning.

I have the new muslin partially sewn, with the shoulders and side seams pinned, hopefully to be completed tonight for the next view. I've incorporated all of the adjustments made to date, and will list them with the final showing of the muslin.

Here's the fabric with the Wedgewood Blue over dye. I now love, love, love this fabric and can't wait to move it out of the stash and onto my body! :P}}

The color is darker in person, but you can hopefully see what a difference a day makes!

More later!

Back to the drawing board for a few more alterations

Currently, I have done multiple alterations, and I think I'm almost ready to start the new shirt muslin. Time for another sway back adjustment to get the back fitting right, and I have added a small full bust adjustment and moved the front princess seam in towards center front by 2" so it will actually run across my bust. 

I'm going to cut another muslin out of a heavier weight gingham and then will take more pictures to be sure everything looks right before using my actual fashion fabric. 

I have a linen that was not my color palette, stark white background with big stylized multicolored blue flowers. Color on this shot not exact, the background is REALLY white. 

After draping it against me multiple times it just doesn't work with my coloring. Then the light bulb went off. Dharma Trading Company is only about 45 minutes away. Tah, dah! It is now in the process of getting a beautiful Wedgewood Blue background and will hopefully be a much better candidate for my coloring. 

I'll be back soon with more pictures of the muslin, and some updated photos of the fabric. 

Hope your Sunday is going spectacularly!

What a difference a day makes!

Here's the next set of photos. Remember, this is a process and I'm starting at the top first. I wanted to get the diameter of the garment closer before I start fine tuning the fit and doing final alterations to the pattern.

Alterations made since the initial shirt with a 1 1/2" sway back and 3/4" shoulder width reduction:

Neck width at center back is reduced by 1" each side, 2" total.
Outside shoulder seam has been dropped by 3/4" front and back totaling 1 1/2" reduction.
Side back princess seams taken in by 7/8" on both the side back and center back, tapering to zero 13 1/2" down from armhole edge.
Revised back armhole from shoulder seam, creating an arc of fabric removed from the top down  to the new underarm princess seam.

So this is what it looks like now.

Going to need an FBA and the princess seam moved towards CF

More apparent that the FBA is needed. 

Back still has way too much fabric almost everwhere except the posterior!

Side backs, center back, waistline, etc. still too big.

After I had made the listed corrections, I got a wonderful note from my friend and mentor, Jo Ann, asking if I'd like her to give me some input. Yes, Please! As is her usual, I sent the pictures last night before I went to bed, and had a response before I got to my computer this morning. This woman is one of the most generous people I've ever met and never sleeps! 

If you're wondering, I do know there will be changes made to the back, and haven't redrafted that until I'm closer with the diameter adjustments. At the current time, I'm leaving the odd looking upper back until I have the balance corrected. Once they are closer, I will redraft the back for fine tuning, and have that center back seam nice and straight. But in the meantime:

Jo Ann suggested slashing and spreading the upper back by 1" which will allow the neckline to slide forward to the right location for me. 

As you've probably surmised as it is apparent to almost all of us, she suggested I take in the majority of the back because there is still too much fabric at the back princess seams and the upper center back above the waist. Not sure yet, but I may have to increase my 1 1/2" sway back adjustment even more if the other changes don't correct for that. 

I haven't adjusted the princess seams yet, but look what adding that 1" piece has done to the fit of the back! It's almost as much of a wow as happened when I pulled the neck edge in. 

I am truly fascinated at the difference in the look of the shirt and my body as each adjustment brings it closer to the right fit for me. 
Side view with the strip installed:

I have always read that you look better in clothing that actually fits your body instead of the over-sized tent like things we may chose to hide in, but this is really bringing that point home in a big way!

Tonight I'll be taking in the back princess seams from the top to the hip area, and check to see if/how much the sway back adjustment is affected and what additional alterations need to be completed in that area. Once that is done, I'll redraft the back pattern pieces and start on the front. 

The front is also going to require multiple adjustments, and I will be documenting as I go along. My bust point distance is quite narrow, especially for someone the size I currently am. The front needs to be altered so the princess seam runs across the bust and then down. It appears there will be at least a slight FBA required in width and length. 

Once we get all of these items completed, I'll be cutting a new muslin to look at it before I actually go into fashion fabric. I'm 99.9% sure once all the other adjustments have been completed, I'll have to raise the armhole at least 1/2" to 1" so I don't show off my bra when I'm jacket-less. 

I prefer a "French binding" on my armholes to facings or bias tape, and the way I do that is to attach it without eliminating any seam allowances. In that way, the sleeves will be finished at the same place as they are in the muslin. I think that will make it easier on my poor brain to comprehend the look the changes have made to the fit of my shirt.

Who would have thought that it would take so much work to get a simple sleeveless blouse to fit? Not me for sure! I think going through this process is making me see that each and every one of us who has thought "it fits better than anything in RTW" can actually, with time, practice, LOTS of patience, and input from knowledgeable friends with good eyes, have clothes that go way beyond "better than RTW" and come out the other side as "great fit!"

Virginia... Good eye. That adjustment did need to go all the way to the waist! 
And BeaJay, who would have thought the manual would be on a CD? I want my hard copy so I can look at it. The CD is never where I want to know how to do things! Guess I really need to move into the "teens" as my Grands would say! LOL. 

More later,

Starting at the top!

Well, after studying all of the pictures and reading a lot about fitting, the decision is to start at the top and work my way down. We are all familiar with the prospect of doing one alteration and finding something else has gone wrong somewhere else in the garment, so if I start at the top, by the time I get to the bottom, I'm hoping each quirk will have been worked out. 

I did waste time by make a very valuable chart of all of the minimum ease requirement as copied here from The Perfect Fit.

MINIMUM EASE ala “The Perfect Fit” by Creative Publishing International

Minimum Bust Ease

Blouse, Dress, jumpsuit                                              2.5 to 3” (6.5 to 7.5 cm)

Unlined jacket                                                             3 to 4” (7.5 to 10 cm)

Lined Jacket                                                                3.5 to 4.5” (9 to 11.5 cm)

Coat                                                                            4 to 5” (10 to 12.5 cm)

Minimum Back Ease

Blouse, dress, sleeveless jumpsuit                              .5 to 1” (1.3 to 2.5 cm)

Jumpsuit with sleeves                                                 1” (2.5 cm)

Jacket                                                                          1 to 1.5” (2.5 to 3.8 cm)

Coat                                                                            1 to 2” (2.5 to 5 cm)

Minimum Sleeve Ease

Blouse                                                                        1 to 1.5” (2.5 to 3.8 cm)

Dress, jumpsuit                                                           1.5 to 2” (3.8 to 5 cm)

Unlined jacket                                                             3 to 4” (7.5 to 10 cm)

Lined jacket                                                                3 to 4.5” (7.5 to 11.5 cm)

Coat                                                                            4 to 5.5” (10 to 14 cm)

Minimum Waistband Ease                             

Up to size 16                                                                ½” to ¾” (1.3 to 2 cm)

Size 16 or over                                                            1” or more (2.5 cm or more)

Minimum Hip Ease for skirts

Up to size 16                                                                2” (5 cm)

Size 16 or over                                                            2.5” (6.5 cm)

Minimum Ease for pants

Crotch depth sizes 4-10                                              ½” (1.3 cm)

                        Sizes 12-16                                          ¾” (2 cm)

                        Sizes 18 and over                                1” (2.5 cm)

Crotch length                                                               1 to 2” (2.5 to 5 cm)

Waist                                                                           ¾ to 1” (2 to 2.5 cm)

Hips                                                                             2 to 2.5” (t to 6.5 cm)

Thighs                                                                          2” (5 cm)

Sorry the formatting is kind of wonky, but it didn't copy right from my Word document, which was of course perfect! :P}}

Perhaps I didn't need to actually copy every single area, but it is going into the binder where I keep measurements and drafting notes, and such. I think it is a tremendously valuable resource to have this where I can check it whenever I'm doing a pattern. 

So from the top. My first adjustment was to increase the seam allowance at the neck edge by 1" making a total of 1 1/4" seam allowance, curving down in a slight arc to about 9" down from the neck edge. I'll insert pictures as I go so you can see what's what. 

OMG, I FINALLY figured out how to do a self timed photo with my camera. Isn't it amazing that all I had to do was pull out the CD and read the "manual!" LOL

Okay. These pictures are not great, but give us something to work with. WOW... what a difference that made in just taking in the back neckline to fit my actual neck! 

Looking at this, I can see that the armholes at the shoulder are still too high. It also looks like there isn't quite enough room at the bust for me, and the princess seams still run between my boobs and the side seam.

Next back: 

My first observation is that I need to press this really well to see what's from where I was sitting while I was trying to figure out the self timer on the camera and what's an issue. This fabric is really light weight and creases like crazy evidently. 

The shoulder width remains a problem as does the width across my high back above the armpits. I can see lines from my shoulders running down to my waist, and still the huge wads of fabric in the underarm area. 

Next right side view: 

Again, I can see way too much fabric at the rear princess seam from the armhole down to the waist. That interesting fold from the waist area towards the center back is something I don't think I saw before. This armhole doesn't look nearly as bad now that it's been pulled up on my body. There are folds from the bust point towards the waist also, but it appears the pulling up has been eliminated at the center front.

Left side: 

As I anticipated, the armhole on this side is larger than the other and it is more apparent that the shoulder needs to be pulled up a bit. Same folds from bust to waist and armhole princess seam in back to waist. 

Overall, I'm quite pleased that just pulling that back neckline seam in did so much positive work on fitting. 

Next up, I'm going to work on those shoulders and try to get them even, the right depth, and the right width. 

More later! 

Beginning the analysis

For this part of my analysis, I’m going to be using Sarah Veblen’s “The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting.” It gives horizontal and vertical balance lines and has lots of pictures to help explain the problems. I'll be using my gingham as a balance line, and the squares are 1/4" so I'll be able to kind of judge how much I need to adjust with that. 

Per page 22:
Vertical folds of fabric indicate there is too much circumference.

Horizontal fold of fabric indicates there is too much length

The front picture and my thoughts: 

The neckline is too wide.

The shoulders are too wide.

There are drag lines from the bust to the waist.

A classic armhole princess seam should run across the bust point. These seams are out to the side of my bust.

You can’t see it on this photo, but the armholes are way too big for me.

The sides, two pictures & then what I see: 

Side Analysis

The second photo shows how big the gap is between my arm and the armhole. It may be pulled a little bit to one side as it isn't as apparent on one as the other.

The neck is too low on my body.

The armhole seam is huge leaving great gobs of fabric above my waist and around the side and side back of my body.

You can see the wrinkles from the bust to the waist area, and that may be from the too large side back also.

The front is pulling up to suggest there needs to be more length along the front princess seams.

The back photo and my thoughts: 

I never knew I looked like a football player from the back!

Starting at the top, the neck is just wrong. Too wide, too low.

The shoulders are too wide, probably because of the neck width.

The back across the shoulders all the way down to my arm pits is too wide giving giant flaps of fabric that run across the back of my arms and into the armpits and sides. 

I think the folds along the waist line princess seams will be corrected with pulling up the whole top by a couple of inches at the shoulders.

The entire length is too long for my body.

So after this first analysis I will make a change or two. I do know that frequently altering one item will impact multiple others. So I'm going to start at the top. I was going to do the shoulder seams first, but looking at these photos, it is apparent to me that the neckline needs to be adjusted first as it is causing problems all the way down and out from there. So that will be the first thing I do.  I will take about 1/2" out of the center back seam from the neck line tapering down to about where my "dowager's hump" begins or where my shoulder blades end and see what happens from there. 

I will take photos after each adjustment and share them, so hopefully it will be encouraging to see the changes that are wrought and how each one affects the balance of the shirt. This will be a process, and although I don't want it to be a long process, I want it right when I'm finished. 

Once I've adjusted the neckline, I need to shorten the shoulder seams and pull it up and see what that does for the rest of the problems. I know I’m going to have to move the front princess seams in to follow my contours, and cut the upper back smaller to fit my torso and my follow my arm-torso connection. More pictures soon!

Please feel free to share and and all observations and any and all suggestions. 

Thanks for checking in!

New Beginnings.

New Beginnings

 

I realized this morning that I had posted the back picture of the blouse but neglected the front. Here is the correction for that error:

 

 

It’s a pretty basic sleeveless woven blouse with shoulder princess seams both front and back; one view with a Mandarin style collar and another with a wider collar that flares out effectively making a lapel.  

I have realized at my age and size, I find woven cotton and linen to be the only acceptable fabrics to wear during the really hot months. In general, even natural fiber fabrics in knits just aren’t nearly as comfortable for me.

 

I've been wanting a woven pattern that will fit my current shape and size and look decent under a jacket or light weight over-blouse for wearing for work in the warmer months. I believe this is the perfect one. It is similar to a linen blouse I purchased several years ago and have practically worn out despite being "not my" color and not fitting really well.

After measuring myself, and prior to any alterations being made, much to my chagrin, I traced the size 2X. I am just trying to accept that it is what it is. I could make a smaller pattern and just keep increasing everywhere, but in reality it just won’t work.  

First thing I noticed is that typical of most Kwik Sew patterns, the seam allowances are only ¼” wide. I love that width for knits, but for woven fabrics, it may be a bit too narrow for me. I am going for a process here so I have left them this size for now. That may change down the line after everything is put together.

I went ahead and measured all the places I need on the pattern, marking on the tissue what the widths of each piece are and totaling them for the full amount of pattern width at bust, waist, and hip, plus marking bust points, shoulder width, etc. Thank you Jo Ann for that suggestion! It appears at first glance that the pattern will be large enough in circumference with enough ease at all the proper areas despite my measurements not being exactly the same as the pattern.

 

It's a given that I will need to narrow the shoulder width and do a fairly significant sway back adjustment, those were done before anything else. I removed an inch in shoulder width on both the front and the back.

 

I have about a dozen or so fitting books ranging from Sarah Veblen to Judith Rasband to Palmer and Pletsch and an original old Vogue fitting book, as well as Threads CDs and everything in between. My favorite method which works well for me is to cut, pivot and redraw. I'm including a picture of the front and back just in case you're not familiar with this method.

 

 

 Hopefully you can get an idea of my process. I draw a line from the shoulder and the armscye and meet them about mid bodice. Then I slash along the lines, going to BUT NOT THROUGH the center mark. I  pivot the flap up the appropriate amount, adding paper to the wedge created in the armscye, and adding paper to the shoulder seam to true it up to the original seam so it goes straight across.

 

For the sway back adjustment, I do something similar, but not exactly the same. Since this pattern has back princess seams, I drew in the seam allowances, pinned the pieces in place, and at the waistline drew a line from the center front to the side seam.

 

 

I have a significant adjustment to do, so I measured up 11/2" from the original line at the center back, and drew another line meeting the first line at the side back. With the princess seams, you do have to do a little moving back and forth to get the lines across both pieces unless you're more brilliant than I am and folded those seam allowances out of the way and used some way to hold them together. Prior to the next step, use the same measurements across the bottom of both pieces. So you are adding at the hem line what you took out at the waistline.

 

On the center back piece, you will cut across the lines and tape them into place so the lines match up. On the side back, slash across the seam from the joining line at center back piece to but not through the side seam. Pivot the center back up the 11/2" and tape in place. Then you will need to make sure your hem line is correct.

 

Your pattern pieces may appear odd until you get used to this adjustment and see how brilliantly it adjusts for that "wedge" in the center of your back where your RTW blouses always hang up.

 

Depending on your pattern, and the size of your adjustment, you may need to straighten and true the center back seam a bit. You can see a gentle curve from the upper back to the waist and out to the hip again on mine.

After the initial adjustments, I cut out the fronts, side fronts, backs and side backs. I’m not bothering with facings or collars for this initial muslin. I’ll be posting pictures here, so if you’re offended by a lot of skin and flab showing, you may want to avert your eyes. Because I generally don’t get into full makeup and hairdo on the weekends if  I’m sewing I will also try to crop them so that doesn’t scare anyone.

I used the ¼” seam allowances and sewed everything together. One of my processes is to have my wonderful and ever patient husband taking pictures and helping to pin out the areas that are in need of changing.  

First set of photos aka ah, the horror of it all:

 

 

Tomorrow I'll begin the analysis of these photos and what I see needs to be done initially.

 

I know immediately that the right and left armscyes are quite different. But... I also know one shoulder slopes more than the other, and of course one boob is bigger than the other. It will be interesting to see if I can make this work using one front for both, or if I will have to do right and left pattern pieces to get everything nice and even.

 

I'll leave you with your own musings about fit and fashion!

 

More later!