July 10, 2020


So I write lots of times here about fitting is a vital part of our sewing, but it's more than that.  Fitting and flattering and comfort is what I want for you all, and adding those two other components creates a lot more work and detail, but it is worth it.  Sometimes that work is a real pain in the neck, but in the long run is worth it.

I finished this great blouse the other day from one of my fav core pattern variations, and the execution was perfect.  The detail was exemplary.  The garment looks fabulous.......on the hanger.  However it doesn't do a thing for me. 


The bust point is all wrong and it ruins the whole blouse.  And lest we forget, there is this blog to remind us how vital bust placement is.

Here's the big key to how wrong this is. I designed this bib border to go directly over the bust point so that it would fit that perfectly.  I rotated a bunch of darts and created a bunch of seams that looked more like blocking this out, but in the seams are all the fitting darts and mechanisms to make this work.  IOW, I hid the fitting darts in the block seams - on purpose.  I can get very sneaky that way.




ou can see the mess that ensues when the bust point isn't fitted or when it's fitted incorrectly.  Not only does the bust look unnecessarily droopy, but there are these unnecessary wrinkles under the bust adding fabric and bulk exactly where we don't want it - especially now with fashion moving more toward waist accentuation.  This not only isn't fitting and looks sloppy but it also points a mistake arrow directly at the part of the body that is a fashion-forward focal point





Not only that but look at the shoulders.  This is directly related to a flattering fit. 

Even if everything else fit beautifully, the shoulders being so misfit like this wrecks the whole top.  Well, you know how I feel about shoulders.





And yes, this is fitting, but this is also shaping to the body and part of the flattering look that is just as essential as comfort and fit.  So here's the thing.  I probably would have worn this blouse for a while - you know the it's a new thing aspect, but after that, it would be in the back of the closet, and then out of the closet in a year or so.  I like to keep my closet very functional. 

Unless.....
I fixed it. 

So why fix it?

Well, this is some very beautiful fabric.  It's a gorgeous linen and wrinkles like rich wrinkles.  It's fabulously comfy to wear.  And it's simply good fabric and deserves a better ending than the trash heap in a year or so.  And being such good fabric it can withstand the rigors of seam ripping and seam re-sewing. 
 

Lesson 1: 

If the fabric is good, it can withstand re-sewing.  If it's a good design, it's worth the trouble and more importantly your most valuable resource:  your time.  Because I can see this being a go-to shirt for a minimum of 5 years, probably more like 10, spending the time to re-sew this, is going to be totally worth it.

But what to do?

Re-placing that dart point looks like a major tussle.  Except that as I mentioned, this is an older variation of a core pattern, and when I pulled the pattern out to make, to be honest, I wasn't sure what all the markings were.  So I sorta guessed, and my bet is that I added another 1½" to 2" in front (no wonder the bust point was off). 

When I pulled the front together it looked great, the bust point was perfect, the front was perfect, and the shoulders hit perfectly.  So this was the real answer - I added too much to the center front.  Additionally, I probably added too much to the collar as well - wasn't sure whether that was a cut line or a seam line and it was obviously the former, cause an extra big collar looks out of balance. 
 

Lesson 2:

When you make your pattern mark all your key point, center front, center back (on all pieces, yoke, front plackets, collar bands, collar center front piece and center back piece).  These can help clafify all that's going on with the pattern and even better where the placket is, where the collar band lays (it's not to long like I made mine).  If I would have had those points marked clearly, I wouldn't be doing this malarkey of re-resewing right now.  And seriously - how long does it take to mark all this stuff.
 

Lesson 3:

Mark, note, write novels on your pattern.  That's where you will see it, that's where it will count.  Who cares about instructions, when you have a note like, "Match this point with the other two points after you sew the lower and upper bodice together first," means a lot more than illustrations or trying to put assembly instructions into words.  That's one of the hardest things to do - besides moving an armhole!!!

But the Collar isn't so much the problem, it's the bust point that is the real issue, and fixing the bust point and the shoulder location and by pulling in at center front was the solution to the bust point AND the shoulder location. 

So here we go.  Basically I had to cut out a whole new front left placket (where the button holes were and yes I took out the button holes, but since I was cutting off a lot in front, on the shirt, it didn't matter, except in one location (more on that later), but I had extra fabric.
 

Lesson 4:

Always cut as though you are having to save for a few extra pieces.  You can never tell when you will need it and if you don't, do NOT have a neuroses thinking that you have to do something with it or the fabric fairy will turn into the Wicked Witch of the West and haunt you!!!!  That really won't happen.  Now if it's really valuable, you can take the few scraps and fold them neatly and put them in a zip lock bag and hang the on the hanger with the garment you've made.  I've done that too, but it was with 1 yard of couture Valentino (his last collection) and I need to include it on an anatomy of a print, because the print is so spectacular (wouldn't expect anything less from Valentino).  But for this linen, I had about ¾ yard left and enough to cut another placket. 

So I could bore you with all the pics of taking out the top stitching, seam stitching, buttonholes, but let's just say I got some good practice in on the seam ripper and the Exacto knife.  I'll let you use your imagination!. 

Here's the finished result


This is almost illegal.  It makes me look like I've lost 20lbs. and it's all because the fit is good.  NOW this top becomes a go-to top. 

The shoulders work, the bust point hit right where it should, there's a great silhouette showing waist, there's a balance between the shoulders and the hips. 








 









Even the back has completely straightened up and the waist is nipped at the right place while the rest of the top looks great.  Placement on the shoulders is right on.  The whole top works.







Just for review - the two looks together. 


This is why you should spend the time to make the shirt work.  All this was, was simply moving over the placket one placket width and the bust point is fixed, the shoulder line is fixed, the body is fixed, the silhouette is fixed, the waistline position is fixed, all that garbage under the arm is fixed - all because of moving over the placket. 

Yeah, it took me about 4 hours to do it, but daim!  It turned out better than even I thought it would.  I forgot how well this top fits - I need to make another one (with the corrections this time!!!)
 

Lesson 5:

When I make editions, additions, deletions or any alterations, I write them down on the pattern and I date them.  This is so helpful when you have core patterns, because that gives you perfect orientation as to where you are...oh yea, that was the year that I went bike riding a lot....oh yeah, that was the year I moved from my 3-story big mansion to my one-level dream home....oh yeah, that was the year that I sat on my fanny for a whole year....oh yeah, that was the year I started riding the bike around the lake.  All that stuff matters, and simply putting a date on the pattern makes  it relatable and you remember instantly whether it was the full you or the thin you!

 

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July's Feature Resource

Core Patterns are a great way to get to simplifying not only your sewing but also the selection process that you go through in selecting projects. 

I personally keep a list of visual ideas on Pinterest (which is so perfect for this) so that when I'm perusing the net, I simply add photos or pictures to my Pinterest page, and make a little note like "Neckline," "Lapel," "Scarf," and on like that to draw my attention to that part that I like.  Sometimes it's color or color combinations, sometimes it's a simple way that a collar rolls.   Sometimes it's the whole dang thing. 

Then when I get those, "I need a new red top," or "I don't have a good red top to go with all the red bottoms I have," or any other harebrained idea, I can simply check out my Pinterest page of ideas and boom I'm off and running.

Then there's finding the pattern, or even worse having to draft the whole thing up from scratch.  But lately I've been turning more and more to my core patterns and with a little manipulation of those patterns, I have a pattern that fits, that's flattering, that's comfy and that is fairly time-efficient to make up. 
  Now how do you pick out a core pattern?  What makes a good core pattern?  What are some ideas for variations?  How do you avoid pitfalls in fabric selections for blocks or different sections on a core pattern? 

And this resource also includes another bonus - how to better choose fabrics for your patterns and how to better purchase online fabrics that will work with your projects.    


As usual this resource is 15% for the month of July - click here to see more.. 
 

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