Vogue 8676 Begins

I am going to call this the MT  Jacket. It is a Marcy Tilton design from Vogue.

Today I cut out the  muslin for Vogue 8676. I did some Flat Pattern Measuring and there seemed to be a fair amount of ease in this pattern which a jacket pattern should have. I need to be able to wear a heavy turtleneck underneath and still be warm and comfortable. I got my muslin nearly complete and will finish that up with pics this weekend. I have discovered a few things about this pattern already.

I did my usual petiting of the pattern. I always follow this with an FBA and enlarging the bicep area. I took a chance and did neither of these adjustments due to the amount of ease in the pattern. Upon nearly completing the muslin I can say so far it looks pretty good. I will do a small FBA as the center front could hang just a tad better than it does and will also add a bit of extra in the biceps as well.

I like this pattern. It has a really nice curve in at the waist that isn't evident in the pattern photos. It also has a killer sleeve. The hem is slightly pegged.  Look closely at this pattern piece. Left is back. Right is front.

It is on straight of grain. The ruler is following a line in the cutting mat. Do you see the difference from left and right? The back is fuller, longer, and convex. The front of the sleeve is shorter and concave.  This is how Kathleen Fasanella says to draft your sleeves and Marcy Tilton has done just that with this pattern. One of the sleeves is installed in the  muslin and it looks great. I am going to do a  bit of addition to the bicep. I may make a hard copy to use with other patterns. Here's a couple other observations:

• The back hangs beautifully and so far no need of a swayback alteration. That's a good thing and doesn't happen often.
• This pattern is meant for stretch knits, boiled wools, or fleeces. There is no lining and just a folded under strip of bodice for a front facing. Seams are meant to be lapped and exposed. 
• I will be making this with a lining quilted to thinsulate for warmth so I will have to draft a lining pattern.
• I will be using facings as well so will need to draft that also. 
• I am using a woven, nothing with stretch so this muslin and it's adjustments are really important.
• I'm using some vintage corduroy for the muslin as the "real" fabric is a cotton velveteen. 
• The shoulders appear to be slightly extended in the technical drawing. They do on me as well. Others who have made this don't have the dropped shoulder. I couldn't discern if they cut the shoulder back and should I or do I leave a slight drop to the shoulder as you see in the tech drawings.I am doing View B but have used the back with the CB SA from A in case I needed an adjustment for swayback. 
• The neckline is tricky. On some photos of this jacket the weight of the collar causes it to hang and it did on me as well. On others the collar overlaps and looks pretty good. 
• I am thinking quilted channels in the neck and cuff areas. I'll do samples first. 
• I still don't have my lining fabric, boo hoo.
• Tilton's instruction's have you install the sleeve "flat" not something I am a fan of. However I did this on the muslin and it seems OK. I haven't firmed up on how I will  handle this yet and need to see the muslin totally done.

 So that's where I am with the muslin. I hope to have these kinks all ironed out  and be wailing away on on the machine really soon. More to come....