A Fitting Outcome

Today I spent the afternoon reviewing a couple of things I made last fall and evaluating the fit (and patterns) and deciding what I would change in the future.  I need small changes in the PMK arena…but LARGE changes in the PMB one! 

In September I sewed a sheath (partially sewn, anyway!) and I had basted the waist line on it to evaluate the fit.  That was a good idea!  I had the waist too low by 1.5”!  I knew I had gradually lengthened my CBL/CFL, etc, but I really overdid it! 

In this picture, I have a narrow elastic band around my waist, too.  It *is* level...too bad the camera angle is not!  Look at the walls/corners... But you can see the basted wasitline below the elastic band.

I also had gobs too much waist ease in this sheath!  I had used 5"...what?  Who knows...  But I had to redo that, too.

 

But back to that waist level...

The interesting thing to me was that although the back waist was 1.5” too low, it was only 1” too low in the front.  This tells me I also need to increase the CUP SIZE that I draft with.  That way, when I raise the waist by 1.5” (and the front waist level becomes too high) the increased bust cup will lower the front waist to make it level with the back. 

This dress was drafted with a D cup.  In my new/subsequent measurement chart, to correct for this I had actually gone up to an F cup, but I think that might be a bit excessive…an E is probably close enough.  See, in order to 'level' the waist, I need an additional .5” of bodice length in front….an E cup will add .375” (which is just a tiny bit less than needed) but an F cup adds .75” (which is a little more than needed!).

I could go either way...

And really, I guess this cup thing can be variable, according to how I want the garment to fit…depending on whether I want the front to be 'contoured' under the bust or not!  For an 'easier' fit, an E cup is fine…but for a closer, contoured fit, the F is what I should use! 

 

Just fyi, I had to rip and redo the shoulders on this sheath to take up  0.5" at the back SHP.  This meant I needed to reduce the BSS in my chart by 0.5"...which is a lot to be 'off'.  Again, tinkering over time was involved...forgetting to check what was done last time before proceeding this time!  That is what happens when one only works at this in spurts!   I had corrected the shoulders in my PMK chart, but forgot to do it in PMB.

 

In PMK, I learned (or re-learned!) a few things that I will document here so I can hopefully remember them!  These findings apply to the KNITS program.

 

1. Cup size does NOT affect the size of the front armhole.  If you need to affect the balance of the front and back armhole sizes, you must use the Dart Override tool.  (This differs from the way it works in PMB, where larger cup sizes produce smaller front armholes.)
2. Increasing the cup size lowers the bust point.  If you KNOW the bust point should be at a certain level and the increased cup size lowers it, then you should CHANGE the number in the BUST POINT/VERTICAL setting to raise it up to the correct distance from the NP/shoulder.  For example, if your BP measurement is 10.75" and increasing from a D to an E cup puts it lower on the pattern, then you should use 10.5 or even 10.25 as your BP/Vertical setting so that the BP on the pattern will be 10.75" from the np/shoulder on the pattern.  Measure!!!
3. Raising the BP/Vertical setting also raises the underarm level!
4. When lowering the armhole depth, remember to raise the underarm of the sleeve!  (lower cap height)
5. Sleeve underarm length is based on a 'zero' cap height.  If you RAISE the cap height, the sleeve will be too long!  ...so remember to also adjust the sleeve length...

Ok, now that I have written this here, I wonder if it is safe to throw away the scraps and notes cluttering my desk...?

PMK, darts vs no darts

Before, I mentioned that I generally choose the DARTED silhouette instead of using the NO DART choice, even when I plan to sew no darts. Here, I hope to show you why.

Below, I have superimposed two patterns...each using the identical measurements and settings EXCEPT, the RED one chose a SIDE DART and the blue/green one used NO DART.

With both pattern sets aligned at the shoulders, you can see that the front pattern is almost the same, with or without the dart.

But look at the back patterns. The no-dart pattern (in green) has a shorter back armhole depth than the darted one (in red).

But that isn't all...look at the overall length of the back patterns.

When I align the pattern sets, matching at the waist and hem, you can easily see that the back pattern of the NO DART set (green) is actually LONGER than the one that uses a dart (red), even though BOTH pattern sets were made using identical measurements!
PMK shortens the back length when a 'dart' is chosen.

I have adjusted my BACK length measurement to be longer than 'real' so that when it is shortened to use with the darted pattern, it will still be adequate.

Of course, this was NOT discovered before I sewed that last 'dud' I mentioned before...

I had assumed the overall back length of my newly-sewn top would be just the same length as the back of the previously sewn knit tops if I used the same measurement!

But no, that isn't the case when darts are chosen for one pattern but not the other.

But as I said, this is a recent discovery... sigh.

But to me, the real issue with the no-dart choice *is* the change to the upper back...that raised back armhole level. The upper back is now shorter from the underarm level up to neck.

My no-dart garments will pull to the back, trying to borrow fabric from the front. This happens because the back armhole height is too short...the distance from underarm level to the back neck on the pattern was reduced.

Also look at the sleeve. The shortened back armhole creates a sleeve with a smaller back half. This contributes to the "pulling-to-the-back" and a general feeling of tightness. When the back armhole is smaller, the back of the sleeve is smaller...there is less fabric there.

Also, this narrower sleeve's cap height would need to be made shorter to maintain the same bicep measurement across the sleeve as on the darted one...and that lowered cap height can introduce pulls that might not be there if the darted bodice were chosen. In the example above, I did NOT change the cap height on the sleeve...and you can see that the two sleeves are NOT the same width.

But here, below, you can see what happens when I change the cap height on the DARTLESS top...reducing the cap height by 0.25" so that the bicep width on the sleeve is nearly the same as before. The patterns are aligned at the front underarm point (because the front armhole on both patterns is nearly the same, I choose that as my point of alignment for comparison).

Anyway, THAT is why I choose to use the DARTED silhouette, even when I plan to sew NO darts! YMMV.

Red and Wrong

The sky was looking a bit ominous, so I went outside and picked a small bouquet of daffodils from my yard. I wish your monitor was scratch and sniff...they smell so good! They smell like Spring...especially when you consider that I can also smell rain through the open window beside me.

Rain? Yep. We just had a short rainshower that followed the brief HAIL STORM that just suddenly occurred!!! And this was less than 20 minutes after I picked these flowers!!! I hope it didn't harm the ones I left behind.

Strong wind and hail?
Good grief...in like a lamb, out like a lion?

I gave a bit more thought to HOW to eliminate the excess width that is created when one rotates part of the bust dart to the CF area to create gathers. This is kinda what I was thinking: Using my previous pattern, what if I just 'shifted' the width of the above-bust area medially, until the excess is gone? Here's a picture to show what I mean.

On the left is my pattern with the excess width (little triangle pointing downward at CF/neck). The next image with green lines indicates the original width of that area, before the excess was added. Third, those green lines are 'shifted' to the right until they touch the CF line. Lastly, the pink line indicates the NEW sewing line, which is basically removing the excess at the side of that section...the yoke seam.

I decided I would try this on the next pattern. But I also decided to do a few other things differently, too! I would make an awful scientist, because I introduce too many variables in my experiments!

Ok, on this knock-off of the Jalie 2794 (take three), I again drew guidelines:

• blue = grainline.
• green = future locations of dart rotation (directly opposite BP and toward lower ah).

Plus, I located a point on the side seam...this time, it was 1.5" below the underarm (before it was 2.5"). I also drew an ARC (orange) to connect the new point on the sideseam with the neckline to create the yoke shape.

Then I removed the yoke area.

I selected everything above the bust level (green) and rotated counter-clockwise to close ONE FOURTH of the bust dart (before, I put HALF of the dart into CF). This put less dart into the CF area and created less excess width to remove. Remember, before, I was not thrilled with the amount of gathering at the center front, so I was hoping this would be just right.

Next I selected the area in bold black and rotated CCW to close the remaining bust dart, which opened a dart in the yoke seam. THis one is larger than on the previous one because it is 3/4 of the dart (as opposed to being only half before).


Now it was time to 'shift' the upper section medially to eliminate that excess width at the front. I selected the neck and upper section of the yoke seam (light blue) and moved it toward the middle, such that the length of the seams did not change. Then I redrew the ARC that is the yoke seam, and Voila! a new pattern to try.

Now here is where I messed up. Remember that top I made last fall? The NO DART one from the red textured knit? Well, I hate that top and never wear it. I decided to rip it apart and recut it from this pattern. I dug until I found the remnants of that piece...not much, but enough to cut out the two new yoke pieces and a band for the neckline.

The new pieces were easily cut from the scraps of the first top.

Oh! This time (after this photo was taken) I re-cut the band to be only 1.5" wide, whereas before, it was cut 2" wide. I think I like the narrower band on the top...but wider was ok, too.

Either way, when the top is finished, I have to miter the band at the center of the V...i.e., sew across the folded band at a 45 degree angle to create a 'v'.

I left the very bottom of the sideseams unripped, to leave the hem as is...hoping to avoid one step in completion of the new top.

Then I layed the patterns onto the old top. Below, you can see the relationship of the YOKE pattern to the FRONT pattern...although the yoke WILL NOT be cut from this piece (it was cut from the scraps, remember?). But this clearly shows where the bust dart went.

When I carefully positioned the new patterns onto the previously cut top, I coud see that the old FRONT pieces were a little bit too narrow right where the yoke seam meets the side seam. I decided that I would go ahead and cut it anyway...I had ruined the old top by ripping it apart anyway, so if it turned out too tight, I would just give it away. And FYI, I had drafted this NEW pattern with only ONE inch bust ease this time; the leopard top had 2" bust ease. THis pattern had only 1" bust ease, and the fabric STILL was not wide enough...so I would actually end up with even less! But I proceeded.

Here, you can see the front pattern piece overlayed onto the now-finished top. The end of the ruler is aligned with the side seam of the top...it is a good 1" smaller than the pattern. This means the front of this top is 2" narrower than the pattern calls for! I spread out some of the gathers that should have been the bust dart to make the yoke seam longer to help make up for the lack...that enabled me to sew on the yoke, which was the correct width, but it didn't add any front width BELOW the yoke seam, and THAT is where it was needed!

The old sleeves were used as-is, because I couldn't make them any larger! ("what?" you say!)
I know...I thought the sleeves would be wide enough to reuse, but it turns out the back was at least 3/4" too small...so I just sewed them in as is. This means there was NO ease in the cap seam...and possibly, the cap seam was smaller than the armhole.

Oh! The back neck on the old top was wider than the back neck on the new pattern...one of the very areas I wanted to change! I could narrow it some, but not enough without making the top too short in length...so I decided to use the band to pull it in (by stretching the band in that area when sewing it on). But I probably stretched the band too much in the front neck area, too...the neck is sort of being pulled upward.

So, between the neck pulling the front up, and the sleeves pulling in the bodice, and the front width being inadequate, this thing didn't have a chance!

Lemonade.

Overall, the fit is not as bad as it ought to be, but it is tighter than I desire. The pattern, though, is probably good...if only it had been actually USED correctly!!!

Although the front neck depth was increased this time, it is hard to tell it, because the band is pulling up the front (didn't I learn not to do that on the FIRST top?).

Also, I like that the amount of front gathers is less than before. THIS TIME, I only gathered from bust level UPWARD...but not below the bust (so I didn't use that point that was located on the CF that was below the bust level). I actually think I could have put a full HALF of the bust dart into the CF after all, since I removed the excess width AND since I only gathered ABOVE the bust level.

The back isn't awful...it would be fine if the skimpy front wasn't pulling it out of place! But because the front was too narrow (and I used it anyway!), it pulls the back tighter and shows 'bra bulges' (what? Surely *you* don't have those!? Sigh. Yes I do.).

The shoulders are MUCH better this time. I used the NO BACK DART setting and used the ARMHOLE SHAPE TOOLS to reshape the armhole to be much more of a slant. I have found that drafting WITH a shoulder dart produces a smaller back half of the sleeve than drafting WITHOUT a shoulder dart. I have been trying FOR YEARS to get adequate back width (driving room) in my garments, and the advice given was always 'increase the BACK SHOULDER WIDTH", which increases the size of the bk shoulder dart. My friend, Heidi Jung, assures me that I only need a 3/8" width shoulder dart...and to get that, I just have to use a BSW measurement that is .75" larger than the FRONT SHOULDER WIDTH measurement. It is the ARMHOLE SHAPE TOOLS that enable me to increase the width at the lower back armhole without using a large back shoulder dart. The AH shape tool seems to work better now than when it was first introduced (ten years ago?)...when it created large circles and jinks with only a few clicks.

Oh, I reduced my NECK CIRCUMFERENCE MEASUREMENT to 13", even though it measures more than that. I don't need to make it larger (to control the size of the back shoulder dart) if I am not using a large BSW and NOT getting a large shoulder dart!

I know this works in a knit now...I just have to prove it in a woven!

Here is my STYLE SHEET info:

Garment Type: Blouse
Style: Blouse
Closure: No Closure
Front Neckline: Square
Back Neckline: Jewel
Hemline Sweep: Straight
Hemline Shape: Straight
Front Darts: Side
Back Darts: No Darts
Sideseam Shape: Fitted

Front Waist Darts: 1 ...didnt' sew these!
Back Waist Darts: 1

Front Neckline Depth: 6
Back Neckline Depth: 0.75
Neckline Width: 0.5 ***WIDER than last time...better.
Neckline Point: 0
Front Neckline Shape Up: 2.7 clicks
Front Neckline Shape Right: -2.2 clicks

Armhole Depth: -0.75
Dart Override: 0

Side/Arm Point: -1
Side/Waist Point: 0.75
Side/Hip Point: 0

Cf/Extension: 0
Cb/Extension: 0

Shoulder Pad: 0
Shoulder Point: 0

Finished Cb/Hem Length: 24
Hip Depth: 8

Bust Pt Vertical: 10.5
Bust Pt Horizontal: 5
Upper Front Dart Length: 1.25
Upper Back Dart Length: 0
Lower Front Dart Length: 8
Lower Back Dart Length: 6.5
Back Shoulder Dart Length: 3.5 ***used NO DART option


Sleeve Style: Set In
Sleeve Underarm Seam: Tapered
Sleeve Hemline Shape: Straight
Sleeve Length: Wrist
Sleeve Cap Ease: 0.35**********
Sleeve Underarm Length: 20 ***used sleeves from original top, so these don't apply
Sleeve Overarm Length: 24.755 *****
Sleeve Hem Circumference: 9.5
Sleeve Elbow Depth: 8
Sleeve Elbow Circum.: 13
Sleeve Cap Height Adj: -0.75

Front Armhole Shape Down: -1 clicks
Back Armhole Shape Up: 1 clicks ***this is TEN clicks...and is the key to using NO BACK DART.
Back Armhole Shape Right: 0.2 clicks ***this is outward.

Chest Ease: 1
Waist Ease: 3
Hip Ease: 3.5

Chest Circumference: 41.5
Back Shoulder Width: 17.5 ***used NO DART...This # will be reduced to 15.75" next time.
Neck Circumference: 13
Natural Waist: 34
Hip Circumference: 42
Crotch Length: 29
Height: 66
Weight: 161
Bra Cup Size: D
Center Front Length: 14.875
Front Shoulder Width: 15
Front Shoulder Slope: 18.125
Shoulder Length: 5
Center Back Length: 16.5
Back Shoulder Slope: 18.125
Bicep Circumference: 12

Jalie 2794 via PMB, take two!

Here is my second attempt at creating this style using PMB. This one is better, but still not great. Style-wise, I think I have most of the 'moves' down pat...but the basic block I started with is still not perfect.

Remember how, on that last one, the armhole seams hung WAY off my shoulders? Well, even after scaling, they still do. My Front Shoulder Width measurement in my chart is 15.5" I don't know why. Here, I determined that using a FSW of 15" gives me the needed width across my upper chest. I don't remember when or why I increased that, but for the next one, it will be changed back to 15", and I'll reduce the SHOULDER LENGTH measurement by .25", too, to keep the front neck opening as-is.

Speaking of neck openings, what is up with my back neck size? At some point I must have decided to increase my NECK CIRCUMFERENCE measurement to give me a wider neck opening on the back pattern...it is much wider than the front pattern's neck width. They should be fairly close to equal, although the back CAN be wider to reduce the size of the back shoulder dart. I am sure this was my intent, because those back shoulder darts have been the bane of my existence since I began using PMB! I don't want huge back shoulder darts...they don't look right when I sew them, but my upper back is much wider than my upper chest, so they are necessary for controlling the length of the back shoulder seam.




Well, when the back neck is too wide, it allows the front shoulders to 'spread'...making the front neck opening as wide as the back neck opening...which then pushes the armholes out that much farther! So, in addition to a FSW that is a little too wide to start with, the neck is also contributing to this problem. You can bet I will change that for the next one!

For this top, I used the setting called NO BACK SHOULDER DART. It drafts no back shoulder dart (duh) and reduces the width of the upper back so that the back shoulders are the same width as the front shoulders. As you can see, the armholes in back are still WAY out on my arms. In experimenting with numbers (after sewing this) I found that reducing the Neck Circumference Measurement will cause these seams to move inward...next time.





As I mentioned before, I still think I need to increase the size of the bust dart by increasing the cup size I am using. I have gone back and forth with this...but after reading the book mentioned here, I am pretty sure the size and balance of the armholes is critical. I must get those right and use whatever dart size follows.





Here you can see the little fold that forms on the sides of my bust at the bottom of the front armhole. There is no corresponding fold in back...just in front. This leads me to believe that back armhole is too short for the front armhole (or the front armhole is too long for the back).

I also think I could have used less bust ease. I used 2" bust, 3" waist and 3" hip ease...then scaled the pattern 96%. I think once the armhole seams are up on the body where they belong, using a little less bust ease will be needed to pull the side at underarm inward, too.

I feel like this style is making me look VERY large and top-heavy! I am hoping it is just the too-wide shoulders and excess fullness at bust, but it could be that the horizontal gathers between the bust is just not my look.



To create this style, I started with the BLOUSE with the side dart.



I used a SQUARE neck,
Front Neck Depth =5.5", and
I reshaped it using the neck shape tools...
27 clicks up and 21 clicks left.
This gave me a sweetheart shape.


First, I extended the bust dart all the way to the bust point.

I located a point on the sideseam that was 2.5" below underarm level, and drew an arc from that point to corner of neck.

I located a point on the CF seam that was 5" below the neckline, then another point at its midpoint.

I also drew some GUIDELINES:

• a vertical grainline in the shoulder area;
• a horizontal line from BustPoint to CF;
• and another front BP to lower armhole.

Then I removed the yoke area from the front pattern.



On the front pattern, I selected everything above the bust dart (blue) and rotated CCW, using BP as pivot point, to close HALF of the bust dart.

Then I selected only the side area of the upper front (green) and rotated again, using BP as pivot point, to close remainder of bust dart. This put HALF the bust dart into the Center Front and HALF into the seam that would join the yoke...to be eased.
*
*
*
*




I redrew the arc just to smooth it out a bit, then I measured and added notches to both the yoke and lower front.

The one thing I wasn't sure what to do with was that tiny vertical dart at the front neck. I planned to gather the upper center front, which would take care of the vertical excess created by the bust dart, but what about the horizontal excess? I didn't want to sew a dart or create a seam there.

Remember, I had located a point on the CF that was 5" below the neck. The bust dart added another inch. so rather than gather this 6" down to the original 5", I decided I would gather it to 4", and that would probably use up the horizontal excess, too.

Well, maybe it did and maybe it didn't.


Anyway, this is how I did it. I'll probably try this one more time, but I am not sure I love the horizontal gathers in the center front. Perhaps FEWER gathers? Perhaps keep them higher (not go all the way to the 5" point but stop at 4, maybe?


Although the waist darts are on the pattern, I didn't sew them.

Here are my drafting choices:

Garment Type: Blouse
Style: Blouse
Closure: No Closure
Front Neckline: Square
Back Neckline: Jewel
Hemline Sweep: Straight
Hemline Shape: Straight
Front Darts: Side
Back Darts: No Darts
Sideseam Shape: Fitted

Front Neckline Depth: 5.5
Back Neckline Depth: 0.75
Neckline Width: 0.25 ***(look how much wider the neck looks...even the added band width has plenyt of room. This is because of that back neck being too wide.)
Neckline Point: 0
Front Neckline Shape Up: 2.7 clicks
Front Neckline Shape Right: -2.1 clicks (I guess a 'negative' right click equals a left click?)

Armhole Depth: -1
Sleeve Style: Set In
Sleeve Underarm Seam: Tapered --(I might try the curved next time, but I was chicken.)
Sleeve Hemline Shape: Straight
Sleeve Length: Wrist
Sleeve Cap Ease: 0.32 ***(notice, hardly ANY cap ease!)
Sleeve Underarm Length: 20
Sleeve Overarm Length: 24.65 ***(yeah, I have gorilla arms.)
Sleeve Hem Circumference: 9.5
Sleeve Elbow Depth: 8
Sleeve Elbow Circum.: 13
Sleeve Cap Height Adj: -0.75*** (This will probably change when I get those armhole seams up ON my body!)

The Sleeve Series--boring!

I am kinda hesitant to post this, as it is just one more in a series of excrutiatingly boring blog posts! Who wants to read about this kind of stuff? No one! Even *I* would prefer to see what works and what is lovely to sew and wear! But I must document this, for my own sake (and reference) so bear with me yet again. I’ll try to keep it brief…


According to the company, there are guidelines that your patterns (and measurements) should reflect. Some of these include:

• The Center Front Measurement should be 1.5” less than the Center Back Measurement.
• Your WAIST should be located where your body indents the most between bust and hips, and this location will not feel ’natural’, but high.
• Your BUST CUP size should be chosen based on your RTW bra size.
• The WAISTLINE on the front DRESS pattern (and sloper) should be fairly straight across, rather than curve upward near the sideseam.
• The SHOULDER ANGLE on the FRONT pattern should be about the same as that on the BACK pattern.

Many of the measurement and setting changes I have tried/tested were attempts to follow these rules, hoping that might give me a better fit in garments with sleeves. I figured that if I was having less than satisfactory results, perhaps it was because I wasn’t following the ‘rules’. Perhaps my waist was too low? Perhaps my CFL was too long as compared to my CBL? That sort of thing.

Based on the fit of that last blue cotton/Lycra blouse, I worked out some measurement and setting changes that I hoped would improve the fit of my PMB blouse/sleeves and cut a basic bodice from this ‘loverly’ blue floral decorator fabric in my muslin stash (it was a gift!). I put sleeve after sleeve into this bodice…evaluating, making changes, redrafting, then putting it the next sleeve! I exhausted the supply of that fabric, and began cutting the sleeves from a second ‘luvly’ fabric (also a gift!). After trying 4 sleeves in this same bodice without relieving the binding, I began to again change the measurement chart to change the armholes…because, apparently, the AHs weren’t ‘just right’ after all. With each change to the armhole, I would try another sleeve.

The PMB sleeve is now more level at the hem (cross-grain)…which hopefully means I am getting my pattern’s F and B armhole depths closer to being correct for my body. But there is STILL that pulling at the front armhole…the feeling of constriction…of not being able to stand to wear this to do anything.

I tried lowering the cap height by .5” and by 1.25” and everything in between! I tried a cap height lowered 1.25” with only .66 cap ease. I tried a cap height lowered 1” with 1.38” cap ease. I’ve used a minus .5 cap height with 1.5” cap ease. And I’ve used a minus .5 cap height with .78” ease….a cap height of -.75” with .8” cap ease…etc. My conclusion? The problem is NOT the sleeves! It is the armhole…and the bodice!!!

I got poufiness in the back, so I reduce the BSW (to reduce the size of the bk sh dart)…then the back was too tight, so I had to increase the BSW!
I go round and round with this! I needed a wider shoulder area…but couldn’t figure out exactly what combination of numbers to use. I just COULD NOT get a comfortable blouse with sleeves!

Notice I am now using a wider neck circumference. That is one of the chart changes I decided to make since the last blue cotton/Lycra. For over a year now, I have been using a 13” neck circumference (although my neck actually measures 14.25”), but with these wider shoulders, I need a wider back neck opening, to control the size of the back shoulder dart. The front neck width remains as it was…so the neck on the back pattern is much wider than the neck on the front pattern.

Oh, and I am again testing with the NECK POINT tool to move the neck point on the pattern backwards. I can use a longer CBL, which produces a longer B-ah and smaller bust dart, then use the NP tool to move the neck end of the shoulder seam backwards where it looks better.

Anyway, I will report my conclusions and solutions later…for now, here is the sleeve series.

Some of the sleeve numbers will not coincide with the number of fingers I am holding up. Ignore the fingers….the sleeves are matched up with the correct patterns and statistics.
__________________________________________________________________

Sleeve 1--- low cap height, low cap ease. Binding at front arm.
No, Marilyn, I am NOT sniffing! :-)






Armhole Depth: 0.25
Dart Override: -0.25
Sleeve Cap Ease: 0.66
Sleeve Cap Height Adj: -1.25
Back Armhole Shape Right: 0.3 clicks

Chest Circumference: 41.5
Back Shoulder Width: 16.25
Neck Circumference: 14.25
Natural Waist: 34
Hip Circumference: 42
Crotch Length: 29
Height: 66
Weight:
Bra Cup Size: B
Center Front Length: 15.5
Front Shoulder Width: 14.5
Front Shoulder Slope: 18.25
Shoulder Length: 5.125
Center Back Length: 15.75
Back Shoulder Slope: 17.75
Bicep Circumference: 12

___________________________________________________________________



Sleeve 2 (3 fingers, don’t ask)…best so far…. The PMB sleeves are now more level at the hem…which hopefully means I am getting my pattern’s F and B armhole depths closer to being correct for my body. But there is STILL that pulling at the front armhole…the feeling of constriction…of not being able to stand to wear this to do anything. Also, it has a poufy cap but is better looking than any of the previous others. Plus, did I mention that the hem (cross-grain) is now fairly level?!



Chart: Shrtr_CBL_SHP_frward 8-31_Trish_
_0_0831_wdnk_shrtCBL_NEW_SLV
Armhole Depth: 0.25
Dart Override: -0.25
Sleeve Cap Ease: 1.44
Sleeve Cap Height Adj: -0.75
Back Armhole Shape Right: 0.3 clicks

Chest Circumference: 41.5
Back Shoulder Width: 16.25 Neck Circumference: 14.25
Natural Waist: 34
Hip Circumference: 42
Crotch Length: 29
Height: 66
Weight:
Bra Cup Size: B
Center Front Length: 15.5
Front Shoulder Width: 14.5
Front Shoulder Slope: 18.25
Shoulder Length: 5.125
Center Back Length: 15.75
Back Shoulder Slope: 17.75
Bicep Circumference: 12
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________





Sleeve 3— Same Chart: Shrtr_CBL_SHP_frward 8-31_Trish_



This is a self-drafted pattern…the Aldrich sleeve. This one has a low cap height, comparable to PMB’s (-.75) cap height. Not pretty. And not really any better for comfort.












________________________________________________________________





Sleeve 4-- again, same chart
Chart: Shrtr_CBL_SHP_frward 8-31_Trish_
…upper cap was shifted forward 0.25”, then mid and lower front moved outward 0.5”. This was done in an effort to provide the front of the sleeve with more ease. Didn’t work. It MUST be the armholes!

_0_0831_wdnk_shrtCBL_NEW_SLV
Armhole Depth: 0.25
Dart Override: -0.25
Sleeve Cap Ease: 1.44
Sleeve Cap Height Adj: -0.75
Back Armhole Shape Right: 0.3 clicks

Chest Circumference: 41.5
Back Shoulder Width: 16.25**
Neck Circumference: 14.25
Natural Waist: 34
Hip Circumference: 42
Crotch Length: 29
Height: 66
Weight:
Bra Cup Size: B
Center Front Length: 15.5
Front Shoulder Width: 14.5
Front Shoulder Slope: 18.25
Shoulder Length: 5.125
Center Back Length: 15.75
Back Shoulder Slope: 17.75
Bicep Circumference: 12
________________________________________________________________


Sleeve 5—In an effort to change the armholes, I changed chart this time--- to widen the BSW, with NO RESHAPING of ah. I used a lower cap height again…-1...with a ‘normal-high’ amount of cap ease…but still, no cigar. It’s got to be the armholes!

0_0901_wdnk_shrtCBL_shp_forw_1cp_ht
Armhole Depth: 0.25
Dart Override: -0.25
Sleeve Cap Ease: 1.37
Sleeve Cap Height Adj: -1

Chest Circumference: 41.5
Back Shoulder Width: 16.5**
Neck Circumference: 14.25
Natural Waist: 34
Hip Circumference: 42
Crotch Length: 29
Height: 66
Weight:
Bra Cup Size: B
Center Front Length: 15.5
Front Shoulder Width: 14.5
Front Shoulder Slope: 18.25
Shoulder Length: 5.125
Center Back Length: 15.75
Back Shoulder Slope: 17.75
Bicep Circumference: 12







In order to test a wider shoulder without starting over with a new bodice, I would scab on pieces of fabric to the bodice. I would superimpose the NEW pattern over the old one and PRINT…then align the old pattern to the existing bodice and cut the new pattern based on the additional lines. I can make multiple changes this way, widening the shoulders, raising the armholes, etc.

___________________________________________________________________


Sleeve 6—…BSW widened even more (another .25” ) to 16.75 (remember, that is what I measure across the blades at mid back, even though the shoulders measure less).
---front of sleeve was altered manually to move seam outward 0.5”…to widen mid part of front cap where pulling is. But still not great.


0_0901_wdnk_shrtCBL_CpHt_5
Armhole Depth: 0.25
Dart Override: -0.25
Sleeve Cap Ease: 1.5
Sleeve Cap Height Adj: -0.5

Chest Circumference: 41.5
Back Shoulder Width: 16.75***
Neck Circumference: 14.25
Natural Waist: 34
Hip Circumference: 42
Crotch Length: 29
Height: 66
Weight:
Bra Cup Size: B
Center Front Length: 15.5
Front Shoulder Width: 14.5
Front Shoulder Slope: 18.25
Shoulder Length: 5.125
Center Back Length: 15.75
Back Shoulder Slope: 17.75
Bicep Circumference: 12
____________________________________________________________________


Sleeve 7--- I lowered the cap height to .75 and cap ease to .8”…and used the same BSW (16.75). Still, not right…and this sleeve wings out (as if it needs a higher cap height!). There seems to be excess fullness at the back of the sleeve and armhole.


Armhole Depth: 0.25
Dart Override: -0.25
Sleeve Cap Ease: 0.8
Sleeve Cap Height Adj: -0.75
Back Armhole Shape Right: 0.2 clicks

Chest Circumference: 41.5
Back Shoulder Width: 16.75
Neck Circumference: 14.25
Natural Waist: 34
Hip Circumference: 42
Crotch Length: 29
Height: 66
Weight:
Bra Cup Size: B
Center Front Length: 15.5
Front Shoulder Width: 14.5
Front Shoulder Slope: 18.25
Shoulder Length: 5.125
Center Back Length: 15.75
Back Shoulder Slope: 17.875
Bicep Circumference: 12
____________________________________________________________________


Sleeve 8--- The BSW was narrowed again by .5” because of the fullness in #7. It looks ok-ish, although there isn’t much cap ease. The bust dart is too large, resulting in ss pulls. And still, there is the sleeve binding.


Armhole Depth: -0.25
Dart Override: 0
Sleeve Cap Ease: 0.74
Sleeve Cap Height Adj: -0.75
Front Armhole Shape Down: -0.7 clicks
Back Armhole Shape Down: -0.5 clicks

Chest Circumference: 41.5
Back Shoulder Width: 16.25
Neck Circumference: 14.25
Natural Waist: 34
Hip Circumference: 42
Crotch Length: 29
Height: 66
Weight:
Bra Cup Size: B
Center Front Length: 15.5
Front Shoulder Width: 14
Front Shoulder Slope: 18.25
Shoulder Length: 4.75
Center Back Length: 15.75
Back Shoulder Slope: 17.75
Bicep Circumference: 12

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Sleeve 9 is actually LESS comfortable than 8, and provides LESS mobility! The Ah depth was raised .25”. Making the FSW narrower just caused the front to pull with arm movement. I should have known better than to try this again…been there, done that! But hope dies hard…but wait…#8 had this same reduced FSW…it is the BSW that is different! The one with the wider BSW is less comfortable? Hmmm…that makes no sense! Also, again, this sleeve ‘wings out”due to inadequate cap height (-.75).

Neckline Point: -0.25***
Armhole Depth: -0.25
Dart Override: 0

Sleeve Cap Ease: 0.72
Sleeve Cap Height Adj: -0.75

Front Armhole Shape Down: -0.7 clicks

Back Armhole Shape Down: -0.5 clicks


Chest Circumference: 41.5
Back Shoulder Width: 17
Neck Circumference: 14.25
Natural Waist: 34
Hip Circumference: 42
Crotch Length: 29
Height: 66
Weight:
Bra Cup Size: B
Center Front Length: 15.25
Front Shoulder Width: 14
Front Shoulder Slope: 18.25
Shoulder Length: 4.75
Center Back Length: 16.25
Back Shoulder Slope: 18.125
Bicep Circumference: 12

Also, this one (#9) creates a larger bust dart than #2 did, and #2 hung much nicer at the sideseams. These darts are just too large…so I guess D.O. is the way to go for me!
Notice that on THIS one (9) I used the neck point tool. By making the CBL longer and making the CFL shorter, then moving the neck point backwards (.25) using the tool, I get a smaller, more-level bust dart, plus, the front ah is a little lower. However, if I am gonna have to use the D.O. tool anyway, this might not be necessary after all!

It seems that the most comfortable sleeves are the ones with the most cap ease (duh). I am not a fan of gathers in my sleeve heads, but perhaps if I wasn’t using decorator fabrics, they could be better eased and pressed out.
____________________________________________________________________

This next one (#10) isn’t too bad. The bust dart is smaller again, so the sideseam hangs better. The sleeve looks like it needs more cap height, though. The sleeve's cross-grain at hem is *almost* level…slightly higher in front. I only used -.125 D.O. this time…using -.25 would increase the front sleeve a bit more and perhaps level that hem. But I hesitate to make the F-ah too large, because I don’t want to cause the garment to ride to the back with wear.


The armhole depth seems high, though. I know, others keep telling me to raise my armhole depth, but it seems high.

Chart: longerCBL_wdr_FSW 9-03_Trish_
_0_0903b_reg_FSW_NP_DO25

Armhole Depth: 0
Dart Override: -0.125

Sleeve Cap Ease: 1.4
Sleeve Cap Height Adj: -0.75
Front Armhole Shape Down: -0.7 clicks
Back Armhole Shape Down: -0.5 clicks

Chest Circumference: 41.5
Back Shoulder Width: 17
Neck Circumference: 14.25
Natural Waist: 34
Hip Circumference: 42
Crotch Length: 29
Height: 66
Weight:
Bra Cup Size: B
Center Front Length: 15.25
Front Shoulder Width: 14.5
Front Shoulder Slope: 18.25
Shoulder Length: 5
Center Back Length: 16.25
Back Shoulder Slope: 18.125
Bicep Circumference: 12


I think I will alter the opposite side of the garment, too. I have been adjusting one side and comparing that to the opposite, best-so-far side, but I think it is time to make both sides the same.

****

Ok, now BOTH sides of this garment are cut from the same pattern! And it feels better…pretty good! There is still some binding at the front armholes, but not nearly as bad as before. I wonder if this is ‘as good as it gets’? The back seems to be fairly smooth, and so far, I don’t think it is slipping to the back with wear…we’ll see! Oh, and the armhole depth doesn’t seem so high anymore, now that BOTH sides of the garment are the same.

I am up to a 17” BSW…I wonder if I could go wider? :) I am really ready to make some WEARABLE clothes! But I can sort of imagine this one being better with even WIDER shoulders!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fast forward a week. In an attempt to eliminate the remaining wrinkles in back, I decided to try lengthening the CBL…but NOT the BSS. This should give me more length over the blades. I decided to go big…adding 0.5” to the CBL. This puts .25” above the armhole depth and .25” below it. To continue using the same muslin, I had to scab on another piece at the neck and shoulder, plus, I needed to slash the back horizontally (at bust level) and insert a .25 piece….which meant a .25” reduction in the size of the bust dart, too. No changes to the sleeve.



Style Name: _0_0909_noNP_DO25
Chart: longerCFL_no_NP 9-09_Trish_

Neckline Point: 0
Armhole Depth: 0
Dart Override: -0.125

Sleeve Cap Height Adj: -0.75
Front Armhole Shape Down: -0.7 clicks (USED SAME SLEEVE AS #10)
Back Armhole Shape Down: -0.5 clicks

Chest Circumference: 41.5
Back Shoulder Width: 17
Neck Circumference: 14.25
Natural Waist: 34
Hip Circumference: 42
Crotch Length: 29
Height: 66
Weight:
Bra Cup Size: B
Center Front Length: 15.5
Front Shoulder Width: 14.5
Front Shoulder Slope: 18.25
Shoulder Length: 5
Center Back Length: 16.25
Back Shoulder Slope: 18.125
Bicep Circumference: 12



After making these changes (called 11), I could see that I had mixed results…I am STILL getting those wrinkles (side view) that remind me of a hammock (this hammock is hung on the blades and boobs!). More length was good, but I needed it ALL to be above ah level. The smaller dart was not good. So I ripped and restored the length of the back between ah and waist, and restored the size of the bust dart. I scabbed on even MORE fabric at the neck and shoulders to raise them further. But this time, I also decided to widen the BSW again….this time, to 17.5”. With the increased back length, the now-wider shoulder width did NOT steal from the sleeve…the sleeve remained the same.

To increase back length, I add fabric at the top of the neck and shoulders, then recut.

_________________________________________________________________

Style Name: _0_0909_wider_BSW
Chart: wider_BSW_ 9-09_Trish_
Neckline Point: -0.25
Armhole Depth: 0.25
Dart Override: 0
AGAIN, SAME SLEEVE as #10
Chest Circumference: 41.5
Back Shoulder Width: 17.5
Neck Circumference: 14.25
Natural Waist: 34
Hip Circumference: 42
Crotch Length: 29
Height: 66
Weight:
Bra Cup Size: B
Center Front Length: 15.25
Front Shoulder Width: 14.5
Front Shoulder Slope: 18.25
Shoulder Length: 5
Center Back Length: 16.75
Back Shoulder Slope: 18.25
Bicep Circumference: 12

This one (#12) was much better! I still have the slightest feeling of binding at the front sleeve, but it is getting so much better! The wider shoulders are a good thing, as is the longer center back length. There is still a bit of pouf at the release of the bk sh dart, though.

However, I can now see that the front length also needs to be increased, to help eliminate the ‘hammock effect’ in front. I want ALL the extra length to be ABOVE ah depth, though, so I’ll have to use negative Dart Override with this longer CFL/FSS.

Plus, I think the shoulders should be even wider, although I wish to maintain the width across the mid-back at 16.75”, which is what I measured there. I will use a few inward clicks on the AH shape tool after widening the BSW to 18!!!

This next pattern looks good enough to try in REAL fabric, so I am going to use the remainder of the blue floral cotton/Lycra to test this out! Wish me luck!

I have been doing a series of sleeves, trying to eliminate that binding I get with forward arm movement.

But let me back up a bit.

First I did this blue floral blouse of cotton/lycra.

I know that it isn’t smart to use lycra when you’re still working out the fit, but I was ready to end up with a wearable garment!
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* But right away, I had problems.
*
*
*
*
*
Look at the poufiness at the release of the back shoulder dart. Even before I put the sleeves in, I could see that that would NOT do! So I redrafted and reduced the BACK SHOULDER WIDTH by .5” to reduce the width of that bk. sh. dart by .25”, also reducing the BSS slightly to maintain the height of the shoulder point at this narrower width. BETTER.











Eventually, I eliminated the shoulder dart entirely…I cannot remember exactly what I did, but there is no dart sewn now. I should take immediate notes, as I forget too easily! Anyway, the blouse has no bk sh dart at all and is smoother across the upper back.

Armhole Depth: 0.25
Dart Override: 0

Sleeve Cap Ease: 1.38
Sleeve Cap Height Adj: -0.75
Back Armhole Shape Down: -0.1 clicks
Back Armhole Shape Right: 0.3 clicks**then was changed to--
Back Armhole Shape Right: 0.5 clicks after making the shoulder narrower

Chest Circumference: 41.5
Back Shoulder Width: 16.25**this was changed from 16.75
Neck Circumference: 13
Natural Waist: 34
Hip Circumference: 40.5
Crotch Length: 29
Height: 66
Weight:
Bra Cup Size: B
Center Front Length: 15.5
Front Shoulder Width: 15
Front Shoulder Slope: 19
Shoulder Length: 5.125
Center Back Length: 16.25
Back Shoulder Slope: 17.25**changed from 17.375
Bicep Circumference: 12


Ok, so, I cut and inserted the sleeves. Hmmm. Not perfect…there were still some odd folds…still poufy back there. And the SHOULDER POINT is way too far toward the back! Like, by nearly an inch! Oh dear. Plus, the armholes are not just right. I couldn’t put my finger on it exactly, but there was something ‘off’. The balance between front and back AHs is off…look at how the garment raises up with arm movement!

Plus, the blouse was too tight in the hips! This caused pulls toward the sideseam...like I need a few MORE pulls! Somewhere along the way I had reduced my hip size...trying to use REAL numbers as opposed to using what had worked in the past. Dummy me. I have increased the number for the future.

I only had a little more of this fabric so I needed to make sure I was comfortable with the pattern before I cut the rest of it!

That is when I decided to put this fabric aside, and pull out the throw-away stuff! I will come back and make something from this stuff once I know what it is that I want to do.

I have been sewing every day this week...muslin after muslin (test blouses). I am currently going back to a previous one which seems better than the most recent ones! Well, *almost*...that previous one DID need a few changes, but after doing subsequent blouses, I have discovered which changes are good and which are not! I can rip the most recent one and modify it to have the desired changes, although I'll have to cut a new sleeve.

The problem is...I am STILL getting binding in that front armhole!

So, tonight, I persuaded DH to measure me again...the F and B armhole depths, plus CB-to-floor, and SHP to floor....and sure enough, there was a mistake in his previous numbers!

Last time, he had said my BACK armhole depth was 6.25" (when the front measured 7.375")...and I had been totally shocked that the back ah was so much shorter than the front.

Well, turns out-- it isn't!

The back AH depth actually measures 7". That makes SO MUCH more sense! Having the F-ah be 1cm larger than the back seems acceptable...whereas having it 3cm longer just seems *wrong*, especially given that my shoulders roll forward, so the place that we are measuring TO is a bit forward (which should make the front shorter and the back longer!).

So, it looks like I will be using the DART OVERRIDE TOOL after all!

Anyway, another day, another muslin!

Helping Measurements

As you know, I have struggled with getting the right fit in a sleeved garment. I struggle with getting a balance between adequate back width to enable comfort and movement and excessive width causing unsightly folds and wrinkles. I decided to use Minott’s book to assist me in evaluating my PMB blouse pattern.
.
.
She takes a few different measurements than PMB, including the chest and blade width… so I had to mark my body and take those measurements. Using an eyeliner pencil, I marked the placement of a shoulder seam on top of my bare shoulder so that, when seen from the side, it is dividing my upper arm into front and back halves.
.
.
Then I located the end of the shoulder bone, so that I had a + marked on the shoulder skin. With a necklace on, I could measure from neck to one line of the + mark to verify my shoulder length measurement, and use the other line to divide front and back.
.
.
With arms to my side, I put a small ‘V’ on my skin at the top of the crease that forms between body and arm. I did this on both sides of my body, left and right, front and back.
.
.
Then, with my hands clasped and lowered in front, DH measured across the back of my body BETWEEN the points of these ‘V’ marks to give me my BLADE measurement (16.75”). Then I clasped and lowered my hands in back and he measured across my chest, again between these ‘V’ marks (14.5”). [Interesting note: Clasping the hands (as opposed to allowing them to hang at the sides) increases these measurements (on me) by 1”.]
.
.
Then we measured from the SHOULDER POINT line down in back to the point of the V (5”), and from SHP down in front to the point of the V (4.25”). This gave me the distance DOWN from the pattern’s shoulder to which I would apply the chest and blade measurements. In front, using a 15” FRONT SHOULDER WIDTH measurement gives me the needed 14.5” chest width across the pattern at the 4.25” level. This is without changing the ah notch placement up or down. I have decided that leaving the AH notch at the ZERO height position might be best for me.
.
.
In back, I increased my measured BSW to 16.75” which gives me *almost* enough blade width at the correct level (5” down). This pattern is actually about 1/8” short of being wide enough there…even though I did 2 clicks outward on the AH SHAPE TOOL. I am considering changing that BSW measurement to 17 so that I will have the full 16.75 inches at the 5” level. I fear that doing to many outward clicks will give me an ah shape that is too odd. PLUS, Minott recommends a back shoulder dart of .75” wide for the average body….my own bk sh dart is slightly less than that now, but would grow to .75” wide if I increased the BSW to 17. PLUS-PLUS, I do have one prominent shoulder blade that would probably benefit from this larger bk sh dart, I suspect.
.
.

.
.
In back, I increased my measured BSW to 16.75” which gives me *almost* enough blade width at the correct level (5” down). This pattern is actually about 1/8” short of being wide enough there…even though I did 2 clicks outward on the AH SHAPE TOOL. I am considering changing that BSW measurement to 17 so that I will have the full 16.75 inches at the 5” level. I fear that doing to many outward clicks will give me an ah shape that is too odd. But who can believe I would need to use a 17” back shoulder width? That is just so large for my height! I mean, I know I have wide shoulders…but that seems insane! That is an inch longer than my CENTER BACK LENGTH…and ‘average’ is to have these measurements be very similar. Also, my front shoulder width is not nearly that wide! This just seems so ‘off’…but I must keep an open mind! However, for now, I think just doing ONE MORE CLICK outward on the B-Armhole Shape tool will be enough.
.
.

.
.
But here’s the rub: I have decided to lower my SLEEVE CAP HEIGHT again! I have been using (-.5) but I have decided to use (-.75) to get a wider sleeve. This will also provide more room for movement, so I am unsure if I actually need BOTH of these adjustments!
.
.
Another measurement Minott takes is the BACK SHOULDER HEIGHT. Basically, she has you measure from the CB neck to floor, and from the back shoulder to floor and find the difference between these heights. This determines the difference between the CB/neck (before lowering) and the back SHP on the back pattern. PMB does take a BACK SHOULDER SLOPE measurement, which is diagonal from CB waist to shoulder…but measuring straight up from floor leaves no doubt where the starting and ending points are! My own back shoulder height is only 5/8” shorter than my Center Back height…because my shoulders are ‘square’.
.
.
Minott measures Front and Back ARMHOLE DEPTHS separately by placing a plastic ruler under the arm, holding it perfectly level, and measuring from the + mark at the shoulder down the front of the upper arm and down the back…just like I did when I measured to the ‘V’ marks at the top of the armhole creases…but she is going all the way to the ruler in both front and back. This is an eye-opening measurement for me!!! My FRONT AH measured taller than my back! F=7.375, B=6.25 I am now wondering what I have that is ‘wrong’…or maybe, that is OK? Hmmm….
.
.
.
.
.

.

.
.
.
.
.
.
ETA: Back AH actually measured 7" when remeasured the next day!
.
.
From the SHP on the pattern, depth of the back AH DEPTH should be 1.25” more than measured. For me, 6.25 + 1.25 = 7.5…but my B armhole depth measures 7.99”. This ah depth doesn’t feel too low so I think I will try this, assuming the extra is ease for a blouse, as opposed to a sloper ah.
.
.
Minott’s front ah depth is adjusted for cup size…but I am going to use the B-cup instructions, because that uses the AH measurement ‘as is’. My body’s F-AH measured 7.375”…but my pattern’s F-ah only measures 6.5”! Oh dear…I need it to be even taller! Well, this certainly explains the binding I sometimes feel in the F-ah! I can use the DART OVERRIDE TOOL, which will lower the F armhole and decrease the size of the bust dart (using a negative tool setting). I have tried to avoid using that tool if possible, but maybe it’s *necessary* for me. Hmmm. I have been getting too much fullness at the tip of the bust darts on many of these latest tops…indicating too large a dart. I guess I will have to explore the D.O. tool a bit more!
.
.
Now that I think about this a bit...I might ought to consider that I am larger than a B cup. Minott subtracts from the measured F-AH height to adjust for cup sizes...1/4" for C-cup, 3/8" for D-cup, and 1/2" for DD-cup. Since I am in the C-D range, I will set 7" as my 'goal' for F-ah height and see what the D.O. tool gives me.

White roses

Stubbornly determined to get a decent sleeve from PMB, I have continued working on getting the armholes ‘right’. I am still *trying* to believe that if the sleeves are bad, that means the bodice/armholes are still wrong, too.

After several aborted attempts, sewing only darts, shoulders and sideseams, I was beginning to run out of this white fabric. I decided to take apart two of the aborted attempts to reuse the front of one with the back of another…recutting them both according to the newest pattern, of course!

But when I got them both ripped apart, I found that my back pattern would NOT fit on the fabric back…the fabric wasn’t long enough for the new pattern! So I had to use the last of the remaining uncut fabric to cut the back…which meant that if I wanted sleeves (which I did) I would have to cut them from the two fabric backs of the previous attempts…so I ripped apart two other previous attempts also, to salvage the backs to use for sleeves!

Well, these backs had had the waist darts marked…twice, actually, in two different colors! So the new sleeves have waist darts marked on the insides…and it shows through this white fabric!

I have enhanced this image so you can see the marks better, as they are much easier to see ‘in person’ than in a picture.






I mark my darts in the traditional way…using a tracing wheel and marking paper. This paper is very old…I don’t like the new stuff I can find. But these marks don’t wash out very easily!

This is how I mark my buttonholes. When I am drafting my PMB pattern, for the number of buttons I choose TWICE PLUS ONE…that way, I can use every other button and omit the bottom TWO button marks…getting a larger space between the last button and the hem than I have between the buttons. For example, I wanted 6 buttons, so I choose 13…twice plus one…then only use 6 of the marks. ALSO, I find that the first mark is slightly lower than I really want it…I don’t know why…so I mark my buttons about ¼” above each mark. I use a hole punch and punch a hole on the center line just above the button marking. Then I use a washaway marker to place a dot in the center of each hole. If it soaks through, I can mark both the buttonholes and the buttons at one time!


As soon as I put this blouse on to check the fit…before putting in sleeves…I could immediately feel the difference! This one felt good! I had made the back longer this time, and it helped a lot. So I decided I would finish this one, complete with collar and sleeves, even if it wasn’t “perfect’.

Since I had decided to put sleeves in this top, I wanted a collar, too…the Italian collar.

But I’ve used this one before, and am not crazy about the way it fits into the CURVED V neckline.

So I altered the pattern, slashing in two places forward of the shoulder mark.

I pivoted the slashes open and inserted paper, so that the slash width at outer edge was .25” at each slash…lengthening the outer edge of the collar by .5”.

*
This made the collar’s neck edge better match the shape of the bodice’s front neck edge.

*

*
*
*But then I decided that the point area was a bit wide, so I used my curved ruler to reshape it some…trimming away about .375” width at the front edge.

*

*

*

After completing the collar, it was time to tackle the sleeves. The first sleeve I set was drafted with a (-.5) cap height. It had obvious pulls, so I ripped and removed to recut with a .25” cap height. There really wasn’t much change.

I released the sleeve cap and immediately, the cross grain hung much more level. Suddenly it occurred to me that what I REALLY needed to do was EXTEND THE SHOULDER of the bodice, as opposed to making the sleeve cap taller! Of course, I have only .375” seam allowance at the armhole, so that isn’t possible on this one…there isn’t much fabric there to steal! But just to see, I pinned the sleeve using only 1/8” seam allowance…as seen on the right…and it was much better! Of course, I couldn’t sew it that way…I needed to use .25” minimum, so I knew it wasn’t gonna end up as nice as it looked at pinning. Oh well! Next time…

The finished blouse *looks* nice enough!

*

I am very pleased with the collar changes.

*

But the sleeves are binding.

As usual.

*
I am wondering if I should increase my Bust to Bust setting...to move the front waist darts outward slightly? Not to affect the sleeves, but just to make it look/fit better!

*

*

*

The back still needs some more length over those protruding shoulder blades, especially that left one!

Hopefully, a bit more Center Back Length will help eliminate those diagonal wrinkles, too, by effectively giving the back pattern more shoulder angle.

I will also raise the back neck depth next time, as I lowered it too much…0.75”…on this one.
*

*

*

*
*

The back REALLY strains with forward arm movement.

To try to figure this out, I turned to the wrinkle charts in Total Pattern Fit, Minott Method.

I have already raised the armhole depth, so that isn’t it. The cap is definitely NOT too long, so that isn’t it. I could use more width across the blades, although with the arms at my sides it looks ok. The sleeve IS too narrow. I am thinking that fixing the back width will also fix the sleeve.

See how she moves OUT the back underarm? That is NOT just moving the sideseam forward…that is a NET GAIN. To accomplish that with my PMB pattern, I must do two things…reduce the Bust Cup Size (again?) and increase the Bust Measurement.

Neither change alone will do it---

• Increasing the Bust Measurement will add to both front and back at underarm points…not just to the back.
• And reducing the Cup size will add to the back underarm point but will take from the front.

No, it will take BOTH of these changes to increase the width of the back pattern without changing the width of the front.

And once the back pattern has been increased at underarm point, I can use the ARMHOLE SHAPE TOOL to increase the width at the blade level…halfway height of the armhole.

And the sleeves should take care of themselves, once the armhole changes are in place!

Here is the pattern for this white blouse (pink) superimposed on the NEXT ONE.
For the next one, I increased the BUST CIRCUMFERENCE measurement by one inch, and reduced the Bust Cup Size by one letter (C to B, which meant I also had to INCREASE the Center Front Length and Front Shoulder Slope to compensate for the lost front length the larger cup size provides). I also had to increase the Bust Point Vertical setting, lowering it 0.25” (again, because the larger cup size would have done that for me).

On the front pattern, the next one will be wider through the shoulders (longer shoulder length). Notice the odd shape of the new upper front armhole…almost like that ‘arc’ is backwards. Actually, it is…I will redraw it to scoop inward instead of outward. I don’t know why PMB draws the upper armholes whacky sometimes. Trying to do a complex shape with too few components, I suspect.

The front armhole is lower and the bust dart is smaller…because of the reduced cup size (B for next one, this one was C). I have been getting fullness at the tip/release of the bust darts on many of these last few tops…indicating that perhaps the bust darts were actually too large. Also notice that the front shoulder is higher on the new one…since I extended it outward, I think it will also need a bit more height to go over the ‘roundness’ of the shoulder joint!

Also, since the upper sideseam was moved forward as a result of the cup change, I used the SS placement tool to move the lower sideseam forward also, to get mirrored sideseams.

The back is a little longer/taller through the center, but the back shoulders are not taller. The back neck depth has been raised .25” (although it looks like it is much higher when the patterns are aligned at the waist, instead of at the Neck Point!) The back shoulder dart will be slightly smaller next time, because I increased the Front Shoulder With MORE than I increased the Back Shoulder Width.

I am hopeful that these changes will produce a comfortable sleeve. I am hoping that adding that extra inch of BUST Circumference will not make the blouse fit too loosely.
People ask me why I need for the back pattern to be so wide. Since I have a full bust, they expect me to need a wider front pattern. But perhaps it is those protruding shoulder blades…perhaps the wide shoulders…perhaps the forwardly rolled shoulders? All I know is: there has GOT to be a way to get a well-fitting pattern with comfortable sleeves!

And I think this next one might be ‘it’!!!