Staying the Course

I just couldn't seem to shake whatever bug I caught Christmas Day, so there has been a little progress on the dress.

Here's the current state of the front bodice pattern piece with a Y-dart FBA. The Y-dart FBA is for those of us who need to add a significant amount to the pattern piece. You divide the amount you need to add to the pattern in half and add it in two places. Here's a better view of one.

                               

As I'm writing this, I realize I didn't tissue-fit the alt. Oh well, I've cut the muslin. That brings me to the point of this post:  the work needed to keep things from stretching out of shape. I did directional staystitching on the seamlines.

Questions for you on staystitching: where do you staystitch -- on the seam line or 1/8" from the seam line? When do you staystitch? I staystitch each piece after cutting. I noticed some pattern instructions have you staystich after you've started constructing. Lastly, do you do directional staystitching or, for example, do you staystitch the whole neckline in one pass?

Don't get tripped up by the white thread; this is a muslin.

                         

Next, there's stay tape. I love fusible stay tapes. My only problem is, I can't see the stitching line after fusing it to the garment. You can feel the stitching line if you've staystitched it. So, do you have to both staystitch and use a stay tape?

                         

I redrew part of the darts and the armhole dots onto the stay tape.

                         

Last question:  which seams do you tape? I did the whole bodice. I might do the skirt's waist.

                                     

Here's the bodice with the darts in place. I stitched the shoulder darts with a longer stitch length, just in case they needed tweaking. I am determined to get better at sewing darts this year! I had to try the one on the left three times before I actually got the point right. I kept stopping short of the point for some reason.The one on the right is a little crooked.

                             

I pinned the bust darts because I'm sure they will need adjusting. Last question: I am asymmetrical and I want to fit my right side.  How exactly do I try on the muslin for fitting, right side out or wrong side out (darts pinned on outside either way)? 

Let's see what happens this weekend :-)

Sew Much To Do

I am the type of person that can read more than one book at a time. I pick them up and put them down based on my mood. I kinda think I'm that way with sewing; we'll see. In the very near future, I need three things: a top, another skirt and a maxi dress. These are all currently in various stages of pattern alterations. I actually have a skirt muslin. I realized a couple of nights ago that I forgot to divide the amount I needed for the maxi dress FBA in half, so that will have to be redone.

I am one pattern alt away from getting to the muslin for the Colette Patterns Taffy Blouse. It's one of the patterns in The Colette Patterns Sewing Handbook. I've done a square shoulder alt and added room for the girls, using a Y-dart FBA from Fit for Real People. I just need to finish the hip.

Whenever I do square shoulder alts and FBAs, the armhole looks so wrong! I use the pivot and slide method for the square shoulder. Here are better shots of the before and after the FBA. I had real trouble squaring up the dart legs. So much so that I scrapped the first attempt, retraced the pattern and started over.

Closeup of how the armhole hinge moved.

The only thing that is kinda scaring me about the construction is the bias tape. Not sewing it, but making it. The blouse fabric is from the stash (woohooo!) It's a silky from Jo-Ann. I just can't see using good ol' Wright's bias tape on this.  

I have a bias tape maker. I'm just praying that I can cut and sew the 5.5 yards correctly! I've never made bias tape before. I'm also wondering if I have enough fabric to make that much bias tape. How much fabric do you think I need? Y'all, I'm scared of this like I am of hand sewing. I wish there was another way, but I think I need to use the same fabric for the bias tape in order to get the look I want.