…Sadly. I wish I were still living in NYC. If I were I’d sign up for one of Kenneth King’s Moulage class. As it is I have to make do with the Moulage CD book by itself. Don’t get me wrong, the first (actually make that two) muslins are pretty good. But it would have been even better to get that expert tweak and learn to read the wrinkles – what need to go and what can stay. Because for us novice it is so easy to overfit. Or want to overfit. I know they Photoshop skin wrinkles out of fashion photos. Do they do the same with wrinkles in the clothing?
Anyway, I need your help. Especially if you’ve taken the Moulage class with the Master. I don’t have a Fitting Buddy here in London. So I’m trying to fit myself and could do with your second opinions. (On the Birthday Wishlist – a replacement dress form. Big Bertha has become a little bit misshapen. This time I might try Connie Crawford’s paper tape version instead of duct tape double.) I’ve posted on both Artisan Square & Pattern Review boards already. But doesn’t hurt to get the word out again here does it! So the Moulage….
First the back story:
I actually made two muslins. The first one I panicked when my front pattern step 10 came out looking really funny:
I ended up moving width to the front bust from the back bust (instead of using the formula given). While my OH isn’t exactly a perfectionist with measurements, a difference of 5″ between front bust & back bust seems too great to be just inaccuracy.
This first muslin seemed fairly good, but there were still some wrinkles:
In the name of science (yeah right), I decided to start again & try to stick to the instruction more closely. But as the front pattern looked too narrow after step 13, I again deviated. I mixed in the instruction given for D-cup+, but used the standard amounts given for waist dart end point (L’) and the armhole dart (T’).
Standard instruction:
Bastardized D-cup+ instruction:
What’s not shown in the pattern photos above is the lowering the left shoulder & armscye following the instruction in Special Cases section.
So here is muslin 2:
I’m not good at reading muslin wrinkles, and have a tendency to over-fit, so could really do with your second opinions. Keep in mind this is meant to be skin-tight with zero ease.
What looks off to you?
What needs fixing and what needs to be left well alone?
Do you think I need to…
- Do a little bit of sway back adjustment?
- Scoop out back armscye a bit more?
- Lower right shoulder & armscye a little bit?
- Shorten the CF a little – is the looseness under the bust normal?
- Make front lower armscye curve more shallow – is it normal to have such a gap there or should it be closer to the arm crease?
Thanks in advance for your feedback & help! 😀
This is fitted SO WELL! your muslin is really looking awesome! That being said, if you want it to be skin-tight, I’d go for the tiny sway back adjustment, and try to eliminate the extra fabric under the bust 🙂
It looks good from here!
You are just to late to arrange to join us at the monthly Thames Valley Sewing meeting on Saturday afternoon in Bracknell, Berkshire. A number of us get together to sew, cut out (many big tables available), motivate each other and advise and fit. You’d be very welcome and if you don’t drive we could pick up from the station (Bracknell or Reading). We meet on the last Saturday of the month (excluding December) from 1 to 5.30. There is a £5 charge to cover the cost of room hire by the way.
If you do pick this up quickly and are free tomorrow Saturday do reply on your blog & I’ll check this tomorrow morning.You’d need to leave London by 11.30 or so to travel out to Berkshire by train and I noticed Clio of “Clio & Phineas” is in London for Saturday morning so you might have plenty of alternate commitments tomorrow.
By the way muslin 2 looks pretty close!
Juliet
Oh Juliet, I must check it out next month. You’re right and right: I don’t know how to drive, and I am meeting Clio tomorrow. But would be great to meet other London sewers. I missed the last big meet-up. Is the meeting place usually private enough for fitting help? Where can I find more info about the Nov one?
The venue is big (a community centre) with good facilities and a wall of mirrors (think ballerinas!). We all generally chip in with comments re fitting so not really private but the loos are clean and up to date for changing into muslins and other fitting. A couple of attendees were city & guilds sewing lecturers and a rare attendee (she drives over from Essex) was involved in costuming at the BBC and has wonderful stories to tell.
I’ll get our organiser to get in touch as we have our own private blog and also publicise on UKSewing@yahoogroups.co.uk.
Enjoy your weekend.
Juliet