Mrs Mole's fit-a-long: bodice tweaks, the pictures

Rather belatedly here are the picture taken just after the tweaks in last week's post. (Goodness, it it a week ago already?)

Since these were taken, I've replaced the temporary blue sleeves with gingham (from the beyond-salvage shirt), stitched on the pocket a smidge further to the centre, tidied the hem and darned the tear. I don't think there are enough scraps for a mandarin collar, but I can probably piece a neck facing if I don't worry too much about which is grain and which is cross-grain.

I'm really glad I looked at these pictures on a bigger screen. I think the back will be improved  if I make the darts narrower, say 1/2" intake instead of the current 3/4". That'll probably help the incipient drag lines across the lower tum, too.

Also knitted more than I should have done, had fun with the family, caught up some admin and a tiny software project, and done more nature watching. (It's just past the peak of  pink foot goose season here, but there are still plenty on their daily commute from saltmarsh to stubble). A good week.

Mrs Mole's Fit-a-long: bodice tweaks

Some minor tweaks. Could have been tracing or marking errors, but all small changes.

At the shoulders, instead of letting out the 2" nearest the neck by 1/8", I increased the seam on the outer two thirds. That's much smoother (from the front at least) .

Undid the change to the bust darts, raising the point 1/8" back to the original. That helps. As a bonus, the top leg now runs along the cross grain, much nicer in this fabric.

The side seams kick to the back below the bust. I took out a 1/2“ wedge from the front on one side, 3/4" the other side (at the piecing seam). I prefer the hang of the larger amount. Of course, ages ago I'd added two wedges at different heights to the centre front, so it makes sense that there'd be a second adjustment at the side seam.

Saturday: put the size 14 sleeves in, trying the three row ease stitching. That is so much smoother at machine time! First attempt I could raise arms without discomfort to just above horizontal - but my kitchen cupboards are slightly higher than that. So used the seam allowance to make the armpit 1/4" higher. Now that's good enough for my regular activities. Cleaning high surfaces, raising both arms, will be slightly uncomfy, but I'm not likely to split any seams.

So cheer! And think about next steps:

From the dark green gingham, it's worth seeing if I can get an off-duty shirt, comfy and breathable but not elegant. Stitch the pocket back on to cover the inkstain (it's only tacked on so far) Darn the small tear on the back tails. Cut the original sleeves down using the size 14 cap - the cuffs are fine. Add a mandarin collar from what's left of the yokes. Wear it on a couple of days I'm mostly at home (hence the housework activities). It wouldn't take long to do any of these things, and would give me a really good wear test.

Trace the back and front, with the changes above, onto more permanent paper. Decide whether to risk the new fabric - I've chosen a fun mustard-coloured chicken-print poplin which has just arrived. Or to unpick a man's large gingham shirt, which was bought (during the bus strike/train strike/school holidays) precisely as a trial fabric. Hmmm, I know which I'd rather do, and which I ought to do.

Mrs Mole's Fit-a-long: Recut and starting to reassemble

Cut the back out as hoped, and got the bodice together.

A couple of things. 

The gingham helped me correct the grain line in the back darts as I pinned (not sure yet whether it was a pattern error or a marking error).

My notes said lower the bust dart 1/8“. D'oh, it needed raising that much. Or three white stripes on the gingham, which is nearer 3/8".  (EDIT - wonder if I happened to be wearing the summer bra instead of the winter one when I took the last round of pictures.)

And a thinking error. Although I marked the back darts on whichever side  happened to face me, whilst the gingham is reversible, the tail hem isn't. Doesn't matter unless I can hide the inkstains and the tear well enough to wear this in public. Unlikely! 

So what next? Stay stitch the neckline and clip the seam allowance (or at least release the shoulder seam stitching) That might show whether the slope still needs work, either at the side of my neck or around that confounded padded strap. 

Raise that bust dart. D'oh. 

Put the sleeves in temporarily. I've found a garment can suddenly look much better - or more usually much worse - when combined with the weight of sleeves. I'm still wary of the armscye depth, although it's now reduced back to the original pattern's depth. 

Mrs Mole's Fit-a-long: updating the flat pattern

Except for the armscyes, I traced the seam lines onto the existing pattern pieces. That was OK except for a 1/8“difference around high hip between front and back. Pasted the extra onto the front (it's easier to remove if not needed than to add it later). Folded in the excess. Most of those extra 3/8" allowances have been eaten into, but not entirely used up. 

Remembered the clever stuff to move that long thin dart to the sides, too. 

I took the chance to lower the bust point 1/8“. Happily it makes the dart legs more even, too. 

Then added a tracing of the original armscyes. Moved the shoulder point in 1/2“, front yoke 1/4“, no change to back yoke. After pivoting to my intended 5/8" higher than the last armscye depth, my front scye length was unchanged, and the back was only 1/8“ shorter. I can live with easing in that little extra. 

The green lines are my measurements, the red my latest stitching lines. Don't worry about the lapels overhanging the table. 

What we've got are additions to the shoulders to drop the neckline. A much bigger bust dart, and more width at that height. Wedges back and front to straighten grain lines. And a slight dome to the outer part of the shoulder seam to cope with padded bra straps. 

These pattern pieces are going to need retracing, but let's do one cut-and-check first.

Dug out a dead gingham shirt of DH's. It has a tear on one of the tails and a leaky pen stain, but that's ok for a test. 

But bother! While it buttons round me, I found (when I'd unpicked sleeves and side seams) that the fronts aren't quite wide enough at bust or hip. What a pain! The best I could do is unpick the yokes (and all that top stitching) and I'll join them to the sides tomorrow. No chance of turning upside down to get the buttons to be women's side, but again that's ok for a test garment. 

All the bits have been separated and seams pressed open to give me the best chance of cutting out.

EDIT Monday: of course piecing always takes me longer than estimated. (Why don't my estimates get better then?) And two nice and unexpected opportunities for company were grabbed with both hands. But I have got the yokes pieced to the fronts of the worn out shirts. Not thread-perfect, but within a couple of mill. And got my fronts cut out. About 1/2" shorter than my preferred length, but good enough for an evening wear test. (Buttoned the fronts right sides together, and placed the cf line down the buttonhole line) 

Something I know but somehow always surprises me. If you want to use a men's shirt hem, the armscye can eat your shoulder seam. I had not even a thread of wiggle room. 

BTW, the knitting needle runs along a stripe to connect the waist notches. And there is a lot of shirt tail underneath the pattern pieces. 

Something I wouldn't have noticed if not using woven squares. After I dropped the bust point by 1/8“, the top leg of the dart  points very slightly down Should have dropped the whole dart, and need to fix on the next tracing. 

I didn't get the back cut out tonight. I planned the layout and chalked the shoulder and waist points. There's barely enough width wise, but it'll just squeak out. There isn't enough fabric for the planned curved back seam, but I can use a dart above the yoke line, where the seam would have been. Again, good enough for a  test. 

Mrs Mole's Fit-a-long: a quick test wear

Yesterday I marked a possible new armscye. 1/2" narrower at the shoulders, 1/4“ narrower at front yoke, no change at back yoke, and 5/8" higher at the pit.

 Today I put the sleeves back in along the new line. That is nearly workable now.

I also pressed the seam lines on lapels and collar to see the proportions - that'll be fine. 

There are no particular pressure points. Would still need to do the shoulder shuffle manoeuvre to clean a high cupboard. On the other hand, I wore it over my tee shirt while making and drinking a cuppa. 

It was constraining at the shoulders and back but not sore when filling the kettle, drawing the curtains, getting mugs from a head-height cupboard, and reaching forward to the coffee table. I'd want side seam vents (which are on the pattern) for prolonged sitting, but will probably shorten to my usual length of 1 1/2" above the low hip line instead. Tum width is enough.

Next steps. 

Further changes to the bodice are going to be in the region of 1/4“, So it's worth transferring all changes to the flat pattern now. Then recut to test it. 

Additionally:

The left shoulder seam is pretty good, the right (more sloping one) could be a little steeper and shorter.

Drop the bust darts 1/8" or so. 

Lift the armscyes and shorten sleeve caps by 1/8" or even 1/4". They are now a generous three fingers below the pit.

No more changes to the yokes. 

By coincidence, the button spacings for  waist, high hip and low hip will transfer upwards to bust height. The lapel fold button is a little less, but it doesn't look ugly there.

Sounds like a plan. 

EDIT: Friday, marked all stitching lines (it happened to be right back and left front) on the right side with a scarlet pencil. Then unpicked the temporary collar and sleeves, undid shoulder seam, side seam and back darts. It's ready to trace another day.

Mrs Mole's Fit-a-long: testing those armscyes

Yesterday I tacked (basted) in a copy of the original armscyes, size 14. 

Today I smoothed out the shoulders (much better) and cut out the original size 14 sleeves-well, cut to their hem line to be a smidgeon shorter, because this era's sleeve lengths irritate the inside of my elbows.

I also measured the revised neck, and cut a size 24 (!) collar which was close to the total. I was a little short of fabric at the collar points, so there is hardly anything to fold in there. But itt's ok for this purpose, which is to check the seam shape and the proportions. 

More importantly, I need to check the seam allowances at the neck, since a standard 5/8" was klunky at the collarbone - or maybe I just need more practice.

The sleeves went into the scyes ok. Looked fine on the hanger. Looked not too bad when my arms are by my sides. But oh dear, it'd be a disaster for a zombie. (photos to edit and insert here)

The cocktail party stance is OK, but reaching forward to type, wash up, or any of those daily activities is awkward. Reaching high with both arms to work a whiteboard or hang a curtain is impractical - you could just do it, but not for long.

So I'll need to revisit those armscyes and/or the sleeves. Options include :

Widening the sleeves to reduce the pressure - though they are not tight at the biceps. 

Narrowing the shoulder seam by about 1/2“ back to my preferred width. Which would steal a little depth when armscye is rotated to reach the overbust line. (And a little more because the shoulders won't drop.)

Shorten scye and sleeve for more movement ease. But not so much it compromises the semi-fitted feel. Could I use the size 12 or even size 10 outlines?

The smallest test I can do is use a tiny seam allowance, 1/4" say, at the armpit. See whether that improves things, and if so, how much. 

EDIT: I tried shaving the seam allowance. The extra 3/8" does make a difference. There's a sense of pressure but not discomfort now when in typing or washing up posture. Zombie is just about possible, though pretty uncomfy, However cleaning high cupboards would be out of the question. I need to lose at least 5/8" in depth.

Next sewing session, I'll shorten the shoulder seam, Then patch in extra fabric and use the size 12 or size 10 scye.

EDIT: Tuesday evening, patched in some extra fabric. Oh dear, this area is looking like cardboard. Then marked out a possible new cutting line, 1/2" narrower at the shoulders, 1/4“ narrower at front yoke, no change at back yoke, and 5/8" higher at the pit. 

2022 August and September roundup

 Goodness me, is it really two months since the last round up?

You can see from recent posts that I've been concentrating on the fit-a-long while I have the rare chance of feedback. Though as you might guess I like to try to work things out myself, or at least understand as much as possible before asking. 

There's also been a request from an amazing young woman for newborn hats - she's trying to keep lots of small people warm. I've promised a dozen, and have completed eight, and there's one on the needles in my handbag and one on different sized needles by the side of my bed.

Looking back through the diary

A secret cardigan, can't finish until the new person arrives and I know which side to sew the buttons on. It was knit almost in one, so I have made buttonholes in both bands, and will sew buttons over whichever is not needed. I hope this gift will make the parents smile.

Prototype for the secret cardigan - testing the pattern before I adapted it reminded me how important to swatch. This will be donated to the local baby equipment bank. Along with a failed newborn hat, that despite reducing stitch count, still came out toddler size in this yarn. Loved the effect I eventually got with the long colour runs and mixing strands from each end of the ball. Shame I don't know anyone the right age whose parents would appreciate the knitting. (The small person who gets it will be warmer this winter, and that's good enough)

Another prototype - a preemie hat to test a new-to-me cast on (the Latvian one) which is soft and stretchy. And to use up some ends of balls that didn't go with anything else. To be donated.

Before I started the fit-a-long, I spent some time trying to alter DH's worn-out blue/black cotton shirt to women's overshirt. It was an interesting exercise as a can't-spoil-it project, however in the end it looked too weird at with all the extra darts and seams for even me to wear. So, unusually, it went in the bin rather than the chest-of-drawers.

Repairs:

The carp poplin bra had been stitched too near the fabric edge, and was coming apart. A bit of handstitching fixed that.

The bias cut sleeveless dress was insecure at one side seam.  I've zigzagged to strengthen holes at pressure points inside the seam.

Paisley Freya hadn't been trimmed after hemming. I'm not sure whether to keep it.  It's too fitted to my unusual measurements to donate. Put it in the too small bag,  and review next year. 

And some bits of decorating, fixing up damaged spots on gloss and emulsion before the winter arrives.

What hasn't moved on?

The Finchdale aran jumper is patiently waiting for me to work out scye and shoulder shaping. What I learned in the fit-a-long will inform it - the yoke widths and how many short rows for a rounded back adjustment. I also have an unexpected (by me) need for short rows at front yoke height. Two more hats and two part-hats to finish before I attempt this. Though to be honest, having thrown out one favourite but unredeemable ancient jumper, and with my summer jumpers not quite warm enough in the evenings, I'll be glad to get this complete and wrapped around me.

Have dug out the yarn remnants of last year's Talvi knit sweater. I may make unravel the top few bodice inches and make the same changes to the upper sections.