Here are some shots of Muslin #2. I've made several small changes, and I think things are looking good so far.
I lowered the buttons by 1.5 inches which allowed me to adjust / lengthen the lapel roll line. The Cabrera book makes these kinds of adjustments very clear. It helps me to have some "rules" to follow. In this case the rule is that the roll line begins 5/8" above the top button. Nice and clear (complete with illustration). In addition to rules, however, he also encourages the tailor to make changes to the pattern. "None of this is gospel. Use your eye and trust your judgment. If necessary, lengthen or shorten the jacket according to your pattern instructions, and then make what ever style adjustments you think best."
Encouraged thusly, I widened the lapels by 1/4", added an extra inch around the chest from the waist to the underarm and shortened the neck opening by 1/2". The sleeves, I think, are still a touch too long. I'm also concerned about the bunching on the back from below the armscye. I haven't trimmed the bottom of that seam, which may or may not be contributing to the problem.
I'm actually deviating from Cabrera here because he doesn't include sleeves in the muslin fitting. The body of the muslin jacket is adjusted, if necessary, and the shoulder width is checked. Then he moves directly to the fashion fabric. The jacket, complete with its interfacings, pockets, shoulder pads etc., is basted together for its first fitting and additional adjustments. Once everything looks right, the sleeves are drafted to fit the jacket. All of this seems a bit overwhelming right now. It may be WAY beyond my ability. For now, I'm just planning on extra wide seam allowances and hoping that the linen's weight will hang better than the cheap muslin.
I'm actually deviating from Cabrera here because he doesn't include sleeves in the muslin fitting. The body of the muslin jacket is adjusted, if necessary, and the shoulder width is checked. Then he moves directly to the fashion fabric. The jacket, complete with its interfacings, pockets, shoulder pads etc., is basted together for its first fitting and additional adjustments. Once everything looks right, the sleeves are drafted to fit the jacket. All of this seems a bit overwhelming right now. It may be WAY beyond my ability. For now, I'm just planning on extra wide seam allowances and hoping that the linen's weight will hang better than the cheap muslin.
It looks really good! I would try clipping the underarm seam allowances, and then sew that seam a little deeper if it's still a problem. I'm with you on fitting the sleeves on the muslin... I think adjusting sleeves when sewing for others is a lot easier than for yourself, which might explain the book's approach.
ReplyDeleteGlad to discover you're blogging again! :)
Duane, it's looking great. If you put a shoulder pad in, do you still see the same kind of bunching under the armscye? I would also clip those seam allowances and see what happens. Very exciting!
ReplyDeleteThe lapels look very good, and yes, the sleeves could be a tiny little bit shorter. Do you like the very loose fit in the back at waist height? A very interesting project!
ReplyDelete@ Matthias, I'm not sure how to fix that. The pattern is quite boxy with no center back vent. I'm open to suggestions on how to improve the fit.
ReplyDeleteYour muslin looks great, and i think the lapels look perfect for you. The idea of not muslin-ing the sleeves sounds nuts to me - what if they turn out too narrow, completely unrelated to fitting the armscye? But what do I know? :-) I'm enjoying watching your progress!
ReplyDelete