Sewing Vloggers

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Give up or shut up?


OK, what's wrong with this picture? I am not taking my own advice. I have blindly fallen in love with this design, bought the pattern and cut and sewed away on my muslin, all  ignoring the aadvice I gave a couple of Mondays ago to look VERY closely at the pattern photo. I am sure you can see the issues with the Vogue picture? Now look at my horror show.


I did put in temporary raglan shoulder pads and while I don't recall it happening, maybe the one on the right slipped? Doesn't matter anyway. This is just not working. I cut a center back seam, sewed it in a curve at the waist as well as increased it. I made the underarm/side seam a quarter inch deeper. Did a sway back adjustment which you can see in the horizontal seam below the waist. And I swear I smoothed it out and was standing straight. Hubby says it looks like I was wearing a parachute. He said he didn't have the heart to tell me how bad it looked.


The side view is not any better. How can something look like it might need an FBA (see the raised front hem and diagonals pointing at the bust?) and have all that hugeness under the armpits? I have to really think about this and I don't know whether  to spit our cry. Here are my options being considered:

* Chuck the whole project and use the Anne Klein pattern I just ordered or a wrap style high necked jacket pattern I really like. 

* Chuck this muslin and start all over following my gut. That means I cut the smallest size and "petite" it and do an FBA. The problem with this option is the shirt on the model in the Vogue photo has the same issues I do, just not so much. 

* Do some funny business with the raglan sleeve at the side seam. If I "petite" the pattern which would take out upper back and front length and then open the sleeve and side seam and see where it falls maybe that will work. I just can't get excited about that at this point. 

I just took a look at Sham's fabulous version of this top and it fits her PERFECTLY. There's not a wrinkle anywhere. She and I are probably body opposites so maybe this just isn't meant for my shape? 

I am hoping a good nights sleep will provide some answers. I'll read a few fitting books before I fall asleep and see how my unconscious has dealt with it all in the morning. Do I want to be a glutton for punishment or someone who just gives up? I hate giving up, but sometimes..............Bunny

25 comments:

  1. I don't have anything constructive to say at this second - but oh my! I'm not the only one to have such an experience...... :)

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  2. I recently made a muslin of a top that didn't work out for me either. Don't look at it as giving up. Not every design works for every body. The way I see it, one of the purposes of a muslin is to experiment and see whether a design works or not. If the results are bad, then you have your answer and have spared your fabric. On the other hand, if you want to give this another try, I say go with your gut - cut the smaller size, petite it and do the FBA.

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  3. I have to agree with Tomasa! There are too many "patterns in the sea" :) I think you chuck it and move on to something awesome.

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  4. I too agree with Tomasa's comments.

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  5. The raglan has too much arm depth for you.
    Fold some out on your muslin and see if that helps.

    I suspect that the raglan sleeve was drafted for
    someone with squarer shoulders than yours.
    You and this particular pattern may just never
    be compatible.

    In that case, just pass the pattern along.

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  6. I think a great deal of it is the square vs. sloped shoulders. But, girl, it just doesn't work for you!. Char's version makes me want to go try it! Love those neckline tucks!

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  7. I presume it was the unusual neckline you were drawn to. Can you just morph that on to a pattern that fits you well?
    FYI I have very square shoulders and the Today's Fit sloper works quite well for me. I agree, it's primarily a shoulder issue.

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  8. I too have a very similar muslin hanging in my sewing room, inspired by Margy and Sham's versions. But It will require work also and I may tackle moving the neckline tucks onto a well fitting raglan jacket pattern that I love. I find SB's patterns consistently large in the upper chest and underarm areas. That frustrates me to no end because it's a hard place to alter easily. I may be the fluffy body type that she designs for but I have a narrow bone structure in my high bust and upper torso so her designs can overwhelm me there. Good luck with it. I'll be watching to see how you decide to proceed.

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  9. I wonder if you'd do better starting your adjustments at the top? I used to do a swayback adjustment by pinching out at the waist, now I start at the shoulder seam, taking 5/8s off the back shoulder. It's a much easier fix, I believe I read it in a Kenneth King article.

    I'm in the middle of making a shirt for Ruggy-- he has forward sloping shoulders, and the back of his shirt looked just like this (tho of course his had a yoke). I had to pinch out the fullness in the back, changing the back armsyce, and added what I took away to the sleeve pattern.

    OR chalk it up to experience and mooooove on :))!!

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  10. 1) Get a professional to work on it (probably very expensive);

    2) Try to draft it yourself (which does not look easy);

    3) Move on -- there's no shame in that. I've had to discard simple patterns that supposedly worked on everyone.

    Thanks for sharing your experience. :-)

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  11. I bought this pattern for the neckline. Sandra's instructions are sometimes worth the (cheap) price I pay for the printed pattern. You are so accomplished, Bunny, that if I were you I would email Sandra with pictures and your blog link. I thinks she's really accessible. I love the neckline. With your skills and talents, it's worth the challenge. ;)
    PS I think Marcy Tilton also details this pattern somewhere. If you're interested, I will look that up.

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    Replies
    1. We're the same height/proportions. I would petite it and do an FBA. Her "today's fit" slopers are not for me.

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    2. Same here, Robyn. This is my second project of hers and at least I know a bit more about fitting myself than I did with the first one. It just fit so strangely.

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  12. "How can something look like it might need an FBA (see the raised front hem and diagonals pointing at the bust?) and have all that hugeness under the armpits?"

    Because your bust isn't under your arms?? :-)

    If you decide you want to forge on (and there's no shame in moving on instead), follow your instincts. You are much smaller than the pattern standard so petiting the pattern will have to happen. And adjusting for your bust and sloping shoulders. But if you're not in a rush and just work through the adjustments top down and methodically, I think you'll end up with a lovely and well-fitting garment instead of frustration at the muslin stage. And be glad it WAS the muslin and not the good stuff. ;-) (And even Shams mentions adding a bust dart so it didn't fit her out of the envelope either ... she just didn't show her muslin.)

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    Replies
    1. I added a dart too and show that in the next post. Thanks for your encouragement, Debbie.

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  13. Go with your gut. I'm finding out that the gut is a marvelous thing- learned that after the fact though.

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  14. Wow- what a disappointment! Do you have a raglan pattern that fits? If so why not morph the collar details from Today's Fit to the pattern that fits? The collar and sleeve treatment are what makes this pattern so attractive.

    I ordered the pattern after reading your post, reminding me how much I liked Shams. I love interesting necklines. Wonder how it's going to work out on me...... smaller bust, forward shoulders. I've not tried a Today's Fit pattern yet.

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  15. I'm a novice sewer and can I just say thank you for posting this. You are clearly very accomplished and it really gives me encouragement when once in a while things just don't work for you. It lets me say to the pattern, "hey, maybe its not me, maybe its you". I wish more bloggers would post their wadders and misfits, and if they do end up fixing it, giving the update how they fixed it.

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    Replies
    1. If nothing else I am into real sewing on this blog, not the final misleading pics. It's how we learn, and should be what we share. I can tell you I woke up this morning with a new attitude and decided to give it one more try. I should have that posted tonight. Thanks for your encouragement too.

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  16. Sometimes Billy Joel is right: "She never gives up, she just changes her mind."

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  17. I just always assumed patterns were made correctly. Thanks for sharing this info.

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  18. I just discovered someone on PatternReview who posted a review saying she had problems with the upper back area as well with this pattern. In my comment to her, I suggested she visit your blog for ideas.

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  19. How disappointing that the pattern isn't working out! It's such an interesting design and I love the neck detail. There's nothing more frustrating than a defective pattern. I look forward to following your future posts!

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