Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Spring Sewing: Rosie Top - All the Other Muslins to Come

Do not think I've lost my interest in fitting the Rosie top, though truly I am coming to hate the process (as I always do). This is fitting a woven bodice, after all.

Fact is, I ran out of the burgundy fabric. Instead I used some butterfly charmeuse, alotted for lining. It has about the same stretch and it's drapey - but in every other way it's all wrong. It was a bitch to sew, it's shiny and slippery. Ugh. Really, 90 per cent of the time, one should use stash fabric for the purpose intended.

Needless to say that the butterfly fabric version is yet another muslin. Which it would have to be, even if I liked the fabric, because the fit is nightmarish in a whole new series of ways.

Seriously, when I read posts about pants-fitting, and the fitee in question is losing her mind because the scenario (given her proportions) is so challenging, I feel nothing but empathy. That sewist's developed upper legs or wide derriere or shelf-hips or sloped waist or thick calves are analagous to my boobs (which seem to pop off the front of my chest like alien creatures as soon as a woven fabric is involved) and my super short/high armscye.

People, this is painful and I don't know how it's going to end. I can simply say that I'll keep going...

So, what happens next?

Well, I just spent 45 minutes on the phone with Fabrications (best customer service ever, not joking) ordering 5 yards of silk crepe and rayon challis (both of which have the same amount of stretch as the burgundy fabric that is, so sadly, gone). That's enough to make 3 more Rosies. Theoretically, two will be muslins and one will be a beautifully-fitted, finished garment. But I'm prepared to accept that they may all be muslins. I have to wait for my fabric to arrive before I can make another of these - a week I suspect.

(Side Note: My sister is in the wedding party of a mega bridezilla who made her buy a dress on Etsy that is a) hideous and b) horrendously fitted. My sister's hysteria, bolstered by photos that show the truth of things, has inspired me to refit the dress in advance of the upcoming wedding. Point is, as soon as that dress, and a bit of extra fabric, arrive in the post, it's going to be all sewing for others, all the time - if with short turn-around.)

What I've Learned from Muslin 4:
  • I had to lower the bust apex by another inch. Ahem. Let's not discuss this.
  • I had to do my ever-present "small bust adjustment" above my "large bust adustment". That means that, given my full bust is 38" and my upper bust is 33.5", I get a lot of fabric pooling above the full bust to the neckline. I've had to take 0.5 inches off of each princess seam above the full bust. Don't know if this will be enough but it's a start.
  • I had to adjust some seam lines - I forgot that darting the side front would shorten the armscye. Given that there's a kimono sleeve, I've just opted to shorten the back sleeve at the underarm. Of course, this might not be optimal, but we'll have to wait and see.
Potential Alterations that I won't be able to confirm till I make the next muslin (you can't do too much at one time or you can't keep everything straight):
  • I also might have a big problem - but I'm not going to know until I make this round of revisions: I might need to pull out more fabric from the armscye in a dart that, currently, goes to the bust apex - effectively spanning 2 pieces. I don't know how I'll do this on the front piece in such a way that I can actually close the dart. This would be less concerning on a garment that doesn't already have a (conflicting) princess seam joining two pieces together.  
  • I suspect I'm going to need to make the waist smaller again.
  • I might need to make the peplum longer.
  • And finally, those princess seams really are trickily positioned. I might have to realign them (closer together - by removing width from the front piece, Lord help me).
So you can see, I'm basically making my own top, with some nice bits of pattern paper from StyleArc. You can take comfort knowing that this will certainly be easier for anybody else than it has been for me.

I should disclose that I'm not looking at fitting books during this process. I find them confusing. I've come to realize that I need to make things and fit them on my body, as many times as it takes. Flat pattern alterations are meaningless to me if I can't see how they come about by draping the fabric over my own body. I'm pleased to say, though, that I've picked up a lot by reading when I'm not in the sewing fray: lowering the bust apex, for example. (Well, I'll disclose that I didn't look it up but I remembered how to cut the too-high apex out of the pattern piece (in a little box) and lower it to the desired height.)

If I choose to view this process as a weird experiment that takes a bunch of fabric, lots of time and the creative impulse, well, then I cannot lose. I promise I'll keep you posted.

Till then, I've got a knit to sew up.

16 comments:

  1. Well, you've pretty much summarized why I've given up on woven tops.
    And because some combination of the perversity of the universe and my stupid body have caused me to lose enough weight that I'm going to have to redo all my fitted or semifitted TNT knit patterns. Honestly, who loses weight along their centre back? My CB length is shorter now, and my swayback and curved upper back adjustments are out of whack. I know, nobody is going to be RSVPing for my pity party - I just wanted to have a little whine! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, right?? Look, I understand that it's miserable to have to redo one's slopers (really, I do), but at least you've lost, rather than gained, weight! If you're shaped like me, that's a good trend!

      Delete
  2. Your perseverance is inspiring! I have no idea how you find the patience!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have no patience which is why I'm half inclined to burn things down. Tenacity I have in spades :-)

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. I'm aiming to make this my woven, princess seam sloper...

      Delete
  4. I usually make muslins for silk items out of cheap acetate lining. It is easier to sew than silk (and far less expensive) but still gives you an idea of how it will make up in a lightweight fabric.

    Have you worked with Lekala patterns? I wonder if they would give you a closer starting point to work with. I love Style Arc but the bust on my size 8 patterns is sometimes on the snug side. Lekala takes in account the underbust as well as the full bust, and you also have the option of customizing a bunch of other things, like whether you are short or long waisted, have a broad back, etc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a good idea and I'm not opposed to that, but with a fitted bodice, for me every mm is so relevant. I don't want to find my fit, only to need to use a new fabric, with new properties, after the fact. I'm just trying to take one variable out of the equation. Alas, it's painful frying beautiful and pricey fabric.

      Delete
  5. Wow, fitting hell. I can definitely sympathize. It might actually be easier to draft your own bodice pattern that fits and then add whatever design details you like. I've had a lot of success using "Patternmaking for Fashion Design" to make my own patterns. You may also want to check out "The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting". I found I really had a breakthrough in my own fitting thanks to this book. It's heavily focused on using horizontal balance lines to get the right fit. I found it so helpful to have something concrete in the garment to hang the rest of the fitting on.

    Both are available through the Toronto Public Library.

    Also, I'd love to see photos of your progress! I know it's sometimes hard to post photos of stuff you're not happy with, but I'm having a hard time following your progress without them. I'm pretty visual.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fitting hell is such an accurate descriptor! I do have the Sarah Veblen book (with the HBLs etc.) and it's great. I'm just trying to get this to the point that it is my princess seam, woven sloper. I totally hear you on wanting to see photos of the process and I'm sorry that my words are not as clear as pics. Truth is DanaRose, it ain't going to happen right now. It's too hard on the ego at this stage of my life.

      Delete
  6. You should win an award for services to pattern fitting. I swear I don't have an ounce of the patience you have.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think I'd get the award is success were a criterion :-)

      Delete
  7. I really want to see the bridesmaids' dress.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Interestingly, I'm not looking forward to it :-)

      Delete
  8. me and fitting books don't get along well, either. I learned so much more from draping on my body too. Have you ever tried drafting a fitted bodice? It's not that hard (seriously!). And a good way to visualize fitting future tops.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have - and for me it is hard!!! :-) But I'm getting closer. Once I crack this, I'll have a lot of new intell to take to the next project.

      Delete