Complete Confusion

It's October, so a post about the girls is appropriate. Y'all, I gave myself a four-day weekend for my birthday. One of the things I wanted to tackle was a t-shirt. Well, I woke up Friday with a sore throat. I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday in bed. Looks like I'll be back to 100% just in time for work tomorrow. *Sigh*

Anyhoo, between coughs last night, I looked through t-shirt patterns and read through various online size guides. You know what? I previously cheered Cashmerette and Colette for the expanded sizing. However, upon closer inspection, I'm not sure they're right for me. 

I emailed Cashmerette eons ago about the sizing. I was thankful for the response and filed it away for future reference. I read it again, since I had dreams of tissue fitting today. It seems I am the opposite of the Cashmerette body type. I hope the image posts below. The Blogger app is not really mobile friendly.

(I ended up going to the website  to get this to post.) Now for Colette. So, the rule is to choose your size by your upper bust measurement and work an FBA. That puts me at a 10. I don't get to enjoy the DD cup sizing, which starts at 18. Even if I went with my full bust, that gets me to a 16. Still no DD sizing.

What's a full-busted pear to do?

Go back to my own FBAs and honking darts. Ugh. I was hoping for a shortcut.😔
I'm still going to try on the Cashmerette tissue just to see.

All is not lost. I am looking forward to trying the Colette and Sewaholic expanded sizing on some skirts and eventually pants. The have an 11" and 12" waist-hip difference, respectively. Every little bit helps.

Questions. Questions That Need Answering.

My Blogger app is not very cooperative this morning. Did anybody get my Lord of the Rings reference? Yep. I am a nerd. Anyhoo. I'm temporarily stuck! This FBA puzzles me. Well first, thank God for tracing!

I was getting ready to mark my cutting lines and I got confused when it came to the one through the dart.

So, is the line through the side bust dart supposed to divide the dart evenly? Or, is it ok if the dart isn't divided evenly?

                       

The green lines show me lining up the center of the dart and my bust point. The dart is divided unevenly.

If I divide the dart evenly, I would have to raise the bust point to make the line go through both. That's the pink option.

Which is correct?

I thought that maybe my previous alts had affected the dart and bust point alignment. I went back to the unaltered pattern. See the folded line? The bust point is already lower than the dart in the original pattern.

                           

I need to add 1 1/4" of real estate for the girls. Which is supposed to look like this, right?

                           

This is certainly an unanticipated snag. I thought the FBA was going to be the easiest part of this. I keep hearing the end of It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night. The part where Prince shouts, "Confusion!"

The Surgery Continues

I am so excited about this weekend's progress on my bodice sloper!! Like really excited because I walked away after getting so frustrated with the back alterations.

It's amazing how much time I spent fiddling with the shoulder. My shoulder seams pitch forward about an inch below the top of my shoulder -- the entire seam. I also had a bubble at the back armhole. I wanted to work from the top down. I lost a lot of time fooling with a high round back alt I ended up not using.  I think I may have prominent shoulder blades, but I'm still not sure.

In the month-long hiatus, I toyed with starting another project. I kept reminding myself that I would get stuck at the same place as the sloper. I read. I scoured Craftsy. I revisited Pinterest and YouTube.

Finally, I had the courage to start again on Saturday. Time to tackle the front. At some point, when I taped something wrong three times in a row, I had to laugh. Anyhoo.

Here's what I've done

Back

• Altered shoulder dart
• • Width
  • • Added 1/2" width
    • Dart is now 1 1/8" wide
  • Length
  • • Added 1/2"
    • Dart is now 4 1/8" long -- is a shoulder dart supposed to be this long?
• 1/4" square shoulder adjustment

Front

• 3/4" Narrow shoulder adjustment
• 1/4" square shoulder adjustment 
• Redrew armscye to narrow armhole around bust
• Drew new bust point based on folded armhole dart
• Added 1/2" armhole dart and rotated it to waist dart
• Moved to waist dart to align with new bust point

In the past, I did an FBA only to find I still needed the armhole dart. I was trying to stick with starting at the top and working my way down, so I did the armhole dart first.

But wait there's more -- to do that is. The CF is 2 1/2" away from my center front. I also need more width at the side seams. I know the FBA will help. 

Are waist darts really supposed to be 1" from the bust? If so, mine needs to be lowered 1/4." I think I want it 2 1/4" lower, but we'll see. I'm not sure what's appropriate for a sloper vs a fashion pattern. 

I haven't tried this on with elastic around my waist, but I think it's a bit short. 

I really want this finished by the end of the month!! However, I have some house cleaning out and up to do; none of which happened this weekend!

One at a Time

I am serious about a sloper. I need to figure out why (even in RTW, my shoulder seems are an inch lower than they need to be in the front. I'm intentionally moving at a snail's pace. I am making one alt at a time and then retracing the pattern. Tha way, if something goes really wrong, it's easy to go back.

I have realized (I think) that I don't have a high round back. The CB is sitting where it needs to be. Weird because I always thought I had a high round (hated the thought, but I'd finally accepted it). I guess not having a forward shoulder should have been a bigger clue.

I do have huge bubble at the back armhole, so I think that's a protruding shoulder blade. I've widened the shoulder dart 1/2" and the bubble is gone!  I can't tell yet if the dart needs to be deeper. That's my next task. It's kind of hard to tell because the back waist dart is so tall.  I'm going to fit it without the waist dart and see what happens.

Anyhoo. I might have this done by the summer LOL.  I'm so dreading the work I'll need to do on the armscye -- but there are my square and narrow shoulders first!

                                  


  

A Tale of Two Slopers

Did you know that McCall's and Vogue each have a dress sloper? Butterick too. More strange is that there are differences among them. First is the size. B5628 goes up to a 32. The others go up to 22. M2718 has DD-cup options. V1004 goes up to D. I'll update this when the Butterick one arrives.    

In good faith, I dutifully traced a Vogue 16. At the time, it was the only one I had in a 16. Afterward, I decided to compare the instructions between Vogue and McCall. That's when I discovered McCall had a DD. I need that (maybe that plus some). I ordered the McCall.

Here's a comparison between the Vogue D cup and McCall DD cup.

I was torn. Should I trace the McCall version? (I don't enjoy FBAs.) Anyhoo. I decided to stick with McCall. Here's what made the difference. Not sure if you can see these details clearly above, but, as far as the bodice goes, I like what Vogue has going on.

• Consistent seam allowances:  2" for the side seams and 1" at the shoulder
• Bustline marked all the way across the front

In the bodice, McCall makes allowances for adjustments I don't think I'll need. Things might be different when I get the courage to tackle the skirt. Now, I need the bodice in a way that isn't to daunting. Decision made, I pinned up my Vogue 16.

 

Alas, I need a size 18. CF and CB are not where the need to be. My upper bust measurement is not quite 40" yet. I'd always heard that you should go with the smaller size if you are between sizes. not the case for me.

Yeah, I could be upset about needing a larger size, but that what this process is about. I'm more upset that I have to trace another pattern. Of course, I have a McCall 18, but not a Vogue. It's on order, along with some 1/4" gingham. 

Let the Weekend Sewing Begin!

Thank God for a long weekend. I need to de-stress!  That means that with the exception of church and any errands I run afterward, I plan to be a hermit for three straight days.

So what's on the agenda? As usual, sewing and cleaning. I need to work on the next muslin for HP1133 and I want a quick project. The quick project was going to be a top, but on second thought ...

Anyhoo.  Here's the latest HP1133 muslin.  This is my second-ever neckband and boy, do I need practice. I've been doing some research on Craftsy. I will sew it in flat next time.

Alterations thus far include raising the neckline at CB 5/8" and getting the shoulder seams in the right place. I had to raise the front shoulder seam and lower the back shoulder seam 1"

I guess I need some armhole and sleeve shaping. The great thing about HotPatterns is that Trudy hosts a group on Facebook for pattern help and advice.

This is the right side, where Big Sis lives. Sorry about the blurry image.

From the left, with Little Sis. Am I the only person with different sized girls? I feel like my bras are too small for one and too big for the other. (I'll deal with the pool of fabric over my rear later. I'm working my way down the garment.)

High Hopes

Today would be so awesome if:

• I sew the HP1133 muslin and post it on FB for comments and fitting tips
• I figure out and make some progress on a quick-win project. Kinda thinking about V8723. 

It has been 80+ degrees in Chicago for two days in a row. Maxi dresses appeared like blooming flowers all over downtown. I'm trying to fight the urge to start one because I want something I can wear to client meetings. Just checked the weather and the high is 56 today, so now I'm all confused. 

I'm gonna have another cup of tea and fool around on Craftsy before making any commitments :-)

Pieces and Parts

Slow progress. Everything is cut and staystitched. I just need to assemble ;-) My hope for this muslin is that I finally got the shoulder seams in the right place and neckline in order. Then, I can move on to bust this weekend.

I did put a good tip into practice -- sewing with paper to keep the fabric from shifting. Worked like a dream. I know folks cut bias project out on paper, I wonder if that would help with knits too. My only concern is cutting through paper with my good scissors.

Love and Hate

I am on my fourth round of changes and third muslin for HP1133. As frustrating as it is to go through the fitting process, I enjoy this necessary evil. I like the detective work involved with diagnosing the issue and the finding a solution. I love making alterations to the paper pattern.

What I don't like is layout, cutting and especially marking. If I had a more sophisticated sewing space with a real cutting table, I MIGHT like it more.  I've done the best I can to outfit my dining table, but it still feels makeshift and uninspiring.  So much so that I will always take a nap before I cut fabric!  How sad is that? No matter how good the tea, Netflix or sewing videos, I can't charge right into cutting. If I'm working with a jersey, forget it. I think it's because no matter how hard I try to prevent it, one of the layers shifts during the process.

Once I get into my sewing room, life at the sewing machine is okay. I love choosing the right presser foot, but I'm not as proficient as I'd like to be at running the machine. I know I'll get better with time.

What I love, love, love is pressing! Other than hoarding fabric and patterns, it's the best part of sewing. I am such a geek about all of the tools. I get so excited when I watch the power of steam.

All of of this leads to euphoria until I try the muslin on and realize there's more work to do. Then it's time for a second nap!

Well,  I've procrastinated enough. Time to start cutting.

Late for Saturday Morning Roll Call

Well hello! Long time no blog. This is a quick post 'cause I gotta get to church. On my cutting table right now is HotPatterns 1133.

I'll be praying for divine fitting intervention. Check out the back and shoulders.  I already added 3/8" at the CB to raise the neckline. Do I need more?

Looks like my shoulder seam is at least 1" too far forward. (Are the girls pulling the seam forward or do I have weird shoulders?) Do I raise the entire front seam 1" and lower the back seam 1"?  Do I need a narrow shoulder adjustment?

You Give Me Butterflies -- and Not in a Good Way

Pure adrenaline and novice enthusiasm must have helped me get that first sleeve in. On the second sleeve, I had a lot of trouble just pinning from the underarm to the first notch in the front. I steamed it again. I did some hand gathering stitches. That area is supposed to be 1:1. There was at least an extra 1/2" there now. What happened?

Of course the culprits were the lovely changes I made to the armscye.  The pink line is the original sleeve seam line. The aqua line is the armscye seam line after all my alterations. Aren't these supposed to match from underarm to the notch? Well, they did on the back, so I figured they should do so on the front too. The sleeve from underarm to notch was 3/4" longer than the armscye! So much for 1:1.  

                                        

I had a feeling this would happen. I'd even started a secret board on Pinterest for sleeve alterations. However, my eyes glaze over whenever I read the articles. One day, this will make perfect sense. Right now, it's all Greek to me. I was really hoping that Craftsy would come through and put the sleeve-drafting class on sale, but no luck. I think I'll ask them. Pastor always says that you have not because you ask not :-)

So with great trepidation, I attempted to draw a new curve. Whenever I do this, I always feel like I should have paid more attention in geometry. My pattern alterations make me so nervous because the altered pieces look, at least to me, weird compared to the originals. I guess if they didn't, I wouldn't need the alteration. I'll take some comfort in that thought.

So here's where I ended up.

                                       

I am so nervous that I had to blog before cutting it out of fabric! This dress has to be finished by next Tuesday and I haven't even gotten to the skirt. Butterflies be gone! I've got work to do.

Wish me luck!

Set It Off

Peeps, that's not bad for a rookie :-) That's machine-basted. Yeah, the basting threads are still there. This is on Ruby, who is now a few sizes smaller than me, but you get the point.

The front

The back

A tight shot of the shoulder, where my seam matching is not the greatest. I forgot to check how I did at the underarm.

Much love, again, to Craftsy! Linda Lee's Ultimate Guide to Sewing Knit Fabrics was on constantly. I must have have watch the part about setting in a sleeve a gazillion times. I guess I should write my review of the class soon.

I wish I had time to try it on me, but work got in the way (gotta keep the funding going for fabric). I'll probably wait until I get the other sleeve basted in. I'm still pleased because I set in a sleeve today :-)

Don't Mess with Texas or a Woman Who Gave You Her Hard-Earned Money

Please excuse this departure from sewing. I have not had to lace up my clown shoes in a long time, but Ashley Stewart has me dusting them off. I also hate doing this on my sewing blog, but I am beyond upset right now. I am really sad about this because I just gave Ashley Stewart a shout out on this blog because I liked the Butterfly Bra so much.

I've been trying to return one of my Butterfly Bras since 10/18. After about a month's wear, the wire is poking through. Not cool. In my entire life, I've never had wire poke through on a bra.

You see that fraying on the strap? Never had that happen before either. The lace was poorly stitched on too. I bought five of these bras. I've only had an issue with this one.

After going back and forth with customer service on how long it was taking them to send me a return label, I received an $8.95 credit today. That was the shipping cost for the order. Really???!

When I called customer service, I was told $8.95 was the best they could do because there is a no-return policy on worn items. So you can sell me something that falls apart in an unreasonable amount of time (about a month) and I'm stuck with it? No way. All I wanted was a replacement bra. Now y'all are making me mad.

Credit Where Credit is Due

Y'all know I'm a gadget girl. I realized that I've been keeping some new favorites a secret. (At least I couldn't find any pictures of them on the blog yesterday.) How selfish of me.

I've gathered from the web that most people enjoy time at the machine rather than pressing. I'm the opposite. I LOVE pressing! Sitting in front of my sewing machine makes me anxious. I'm just not comfortable enough actually sewing yet.

Anyhoo. Here are my custom pressing tools in all of their pink glory! The French Poodle is the cotton side and the plaid is wool. 

These were made by Stitch Nerd. In addition to the awesome color combo, I love that the hams and seam roll are so much larger than the versions you see in the store. She makes them in the regular size too.

   

                         

I used the ham today to shape the sleeves for the dress. I didn't get much further than the shaping. Sleeves are scary!

Speaking of which, the sleeves have a pleat (see below) in them. I still needed to baste and gather in order to set them in, correct? I guess I was thinking that the pleat would make that unnecessary. Shows you just how much of a novice I am.

                              

Maybe I will sew one in tomorrow :-)

A Bodice!

                         

People, I have a bodice! It took seven muslins. I am so unbelievably excited. If I hadn't already planned my days off for the rest of the year, I would have stayed home to work on the sleeves. I think that's funny because I didn't do any sewing this weekend. However, I was on it at 4:30 Monday morning.

Check out the back.

                           

The back neckline is a wee bit loose, but I can deal with it. I want to see what the cowl does before I make any more changes to it. I'm hoping the fix will be simple like snugging it up with clear elastic.

Here's the pattern -- a true testament to the number of alts. The aqua line is the final dart. From the previous muslin, it's 1/2 longer and 1/4" shallower.

                                     

                                     

So about darts. I'm so thankful for Craftsy's Couture Dressmaking Techniques. I now start sewing at the point! Takes a lot of the stress out of sewing darts.

Now about that dart. The one on the right came out great. I messed up the left one when I stitched the side seam. It's a basted muslin, so no big deal. However. After extremely careful pressing, the dart only lays flat when I tug on the bodice. Otherwise, it looks like this:

                               

See that weird thing below the pinned dart? That's a stitched and pressed dart. Is it the bulk? Is it the length? Should I slash the dart? I'm working with a Ponteroma Knit from Hancock Fabrics. Do you slash darts in knits?

I'll figure it out eventually. Right now, nothing is bringing down my bodice high!

More Progress

I was so busy sewing and not sewing, I forgot to blog this weekend's progress. To recap, I gotten the shoulder seams closer to where they belong, did the FBA and realized I had a back problem.

Yuck! Here's where I landed. It's not perfect, but I can deal with it for now. There's a seam down the back that will stay for this first dress. 

Next up is the armhole. The girls are wreaking havoc on it.

The fix is to pin an armhole dart and rote it to the side seam.

It looks so funny.

                                         

Transferred it to the pattern.

I don't have a lot of shots of the magic, but the steps are here. The shorter dart in pencil was the final dart.

                                                

  

I made another muslin and I wasn't completely happy with the dart. I'm tweaking it and I think I'll have a finished bodice by the weekend.

Figuring It Out

Not much progress to report. I got a suggestion to do a bigger narrow shoulder adjustment. I suspect a high round back is the culprit too.

Did the back pattern alt this morning. For the sake of time, I'm going to curve the CB seam. Once I figure out how much to add, I will straighten the seam and add a neckline dart. I'm starting with a healthy 1/2."

Used a curve get things nice and proper.

Let's see if I get it cut and stitched up tonight.

Back It Up

Undid the broad back adjustment. I didn't think I needed it. Decided to take a 1/4" inch out of the FBA. Now the garment measures the same as me in the bust. 

I now have a knit bodice that fits snugly like it should. I think :-) I figured I should work with a fresh muslin before I got serious about the armhole dart.

                                      

                                           

What a dart it will be. Check the side out.  Wait is the bodice too tight???

                                           

Okay. So my arm is in the way. And no, my $17 pink phone case was not worth the money. However, I have discovered a big problem. What the heck is this? 

                                           

                                           

Why is the neckline standing so far away? In the two pics above, I did tug a bit to tease out all the excess fabric. The third pic from the top shows a more natural view. Either way, it's just WRONG!  Seriously, is the bodice too tight???

I did lower the neckline when I lowered the shoulder seams. In the front, I raised the neckline and shoulder seams by the same amount.

Looks like I'll be reading sewing books on the train this morning in hopes of figuring this out.