I know, I said I'd never speak of this jacket muslin again but wonderful commenter Phyllis has alerted me to a potentially huge issue with muslin 5. Remember overfit territory? Well, all of those drag lines I worked for an hour to remove on the jacket back were probably a sign of necessary ease - for when the shoulders are inserted.
Thanks to her advice, I inserted one shoulder (I used the bias strip easing method which worked beautifully) and everything fit was once again wonky. Now I've got to start all over and figure out how the pieces need to go together - AGAIN. All of this (and late-stage insertion of shoulder pad - thanks for the reminder Taran!) has fucked with the bust height. And, I think, obviated the need to cut off the tapered inch on the side front armscye. You did read this correctly. I suspect my 6 hours of work yesterday was for naught.
Honestly, I'm in a vortex of "I have no freakin' idea of what to do next." I have to assume though, if I just keep doing things, something will work. At times like this I think of my great aunt Jean who was a fancy seamstress and house designer for Saks (I believe that's where she worked) in NYC in the heyday of the mid century era. She learned her craft in Italy, where she was born in the early 1900s. (She used to make me the most perfect doll clothes when I was a young girl.) Jean would window shop at all of the chicest shops (so the stories go) and sometimes go into those shops to try on insanely expensive dresses (New Look, anyone?) and then go home and impeccably recreate those garments. She wore them well as she was beyond slender. Sadly, in later years she could barely eat because of a myriad of stomach problems and surgeries, likely foreshadowed by her youthful, stylish slimness.
I only knew her in those later years when the ravages of time and life circumstance had taken over. I wish I'd been able to have some meaningful discussions about sewing and tailoring with her. Sometimes, now, I have imaginary conversations with the only pedigreed sewist (to my knowledge) to whom I am related.
Though I didn't know her well, she has given me a great deal: confidence, ephemeral support and an awareness that I am part of a continuum, that this is something I can do because it's in my blood. The people who come before us show us what we're made of. And given that we all go back more than a thousand generations, imagine what is in all of us to be accomplished.
Onward.
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A lovely story - it's great that her memory is driving you forward on this project. I think even I would have given up by now (who has only abandoned one project) but I know you can do it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Katy - I keep telling myself this :-)
DeleteAnd also a desire to sew as well I think! Don't give up on this jacket it will all be worth it in the end. I've done 4-5 muslins myself many times. One thing I suggest for getting back on track is picking apart muslin 5 and compare it to the orginal pattern pieces. Just lay each muslin piece on top of the paper pattern piece and see where you can trace off a new pattern based on the measurements you know you have right at this stage (such as your waist size, back waist length and bust point, all of which look to me as being pretty close to being ideal) and then don't do any adjusments in the upper back trace of the pattern as is. Make up another muslin and attach the sleeves. Then take a deep breath and see how the fit works. I bet you will see that you are 70% there. It's not easy to make so many adjusments all at once, I think you're doing great job.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate your feedback Phyllis - I have been pulling apart the muslin to track the alterations onto the pattern pieces. One of the challenges is that the markings seem a bit off in some instances - all the more so now that I've made substantive adjustments in, say, the bust. So I'm now creating my own markings - harder to do than it sounds :-)
DeleteWhat you described with your jacket so reminds me of my Lady Grey experience. I know I over thought and over everything else with that jacket. Stressed me out real bad. I've often wished that I had just gone ahead and made that thing up right out of the package, or at lease after my fist muslin. Nice story about your Aunt. She left a positive and lasting impression on you.
ReplyDeleteFaye: I made only one adjustment on the muslin of the Lady Grey and I have to say it was a much more fun experience than this one has been :-) Mind you, that coat fit me better out of the box than this jacket does. Don't think I haven't considered just finding another jacket pattern to work with...
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