Wedding Dress Post-Mortem

Well, the wedding is over!  Now it is time to look at the game films and determine what can be improved for next time!    :-)

 

First, let me say, this dress performed brilliantly!  It made a great impression, was comfortable to wear, and allowed freedom of motion.  Plus, it looked cool when I twirled!

But the fit wasn't perfect.  I knew as soon as I put the sleeves in that I had made the shoulders too wide.  Rats!

I didn't put sleeves into the trial muslin...and in the back of my mind, I could hear that little voice telling me to do so.  But I was in a rush (as always) to get this done.  So I confidently skipped that step.  After all, these are tiny little cap sleeves.  I knew that *if* they weren't 'right' they would still be 'good enough'...as in, they wouldn't restrict arm movement because they were so short...so I proceeded with abandon! 

Well, not quite 'abandon'...I did have to rip out the first sleeve I set in, as I mentioned in my last post.

As soon as I got these sleeves in and tried the dress on, I could feel them.  Not painful...just an awareness.  I could feel the tightness of the sleeve's hem...it needed to be a wider sleeve.  The armhole was VERY close to my body!

If you look at the BACK armhole and sleeve, you can kinda see a fold of excess fabric at the ah seam.

And if you look at the FRONT armhole, you can imagine that that ah seam is right up next to my arm in front...no room for moving the arm forward.

Don't get me wrong...I COULD move my arm forward (and did...I danced all night!)...but I could feel the armhole at first.  After a while, I noticed nothing...it was comfortable.  But it wasn't 'right'.

I know from these pictures it would appear that I carried a glass of wine the entire time, but, truely, that was NOT the case!

I put it down every now and then...

While it looks like I am scolding someone, in reality I was not.  I was challenging my SIL to dance!  ...silly...

But see how the back of the sleeve has that fold?  If that armhole seam was just a little farther up on the body, the sleeve would have been wider (so, the hem wider = less constricting) and the fold would disappear (I think).

I used a Back Shoulder Width of 17"...my body actually measures 16.75" between the arm creases WHEN MY HANDS ARE CLASPED IN FRONT...see Helping Measurements if you don't remember.

But if I measure across the TOP of the shoulders, it is not that wide.  I have always struggled with getting the shoulder widths (and thus, the armholes) 'just right'.

I DID use the ARMHOLE SHAPE TOOL to lower the placement of the notch on the back armhole so that the segment ABOVE the notch matched my body's armhole measurement...that is, from my Shoulder Point to the top of the crease where arm meets body.  My body measures 5"...so I lower the ah notch until that upper segment also measures 5". This way, the armhole begins to curve where it should for MY body. That was explained in the last post.

As I said, I DID not lower the FRONT ah notch to force the upper segment of the front ah to match my body's measurements...I felt like that made the armhole much too scooped.  I am now rethinking that choice. 

Next time, I WILL lower the front armhole notch until the upper segment is 4.25"...just like my body.  I think this matters!

As you can see here, there are lots of wrinkles intoduced when the arms are extended. The bodice is forced to move up off the arms and onto the body...so the arm can move.

Of course, no one but ME noticed these things...everyone kept telling me how good it looked and how perfectly it fit.  I just kept my mouth shut and DID NOT point out every little flaw!
(Can you believe that, Marilyn?)    :-)

Guess what?  Those dreaded diagonal wrinkles that I ALWAYS have in back are there again!  Sigh!  I must reduce that Back Shoulder Slope measurement AGAIN!!! 

For next time, in addition to making the shoulders (front and back) more narrow, I will reduce the BSS by .25" *AND* I will also lower the armhole by an additional 0.25".  Hopefully, that will pull those wrinkles up and out.

I know this is a dark picture...I take what I am given! 
I am just thankful to HAVE some images where I CAN do this post-mortem!

I am dancing in this image, so my body is twisted...but you CAN see the wrinkles a little.  You can also see how the armhole seam is right there ON the back arm crease...although the reason I wanted sleeves in my dress in the first place is to HIDE that back arm crease, which I find is one of my less-attractive body parts!

Ok, now that we have established that the shoulders, front and back, are too wide (and the back shoulder slope too long), there is one more thing to notice:  the neck width.  You might need to scroll back up to that first image to see this.

I used a NECK WIDTH setting of 0.5"...which means this neckline should be .5" away from my neck.  Since I am wearing a necklace, you can see that the dress neckline is WAY farther away from my necklace chain than 0.5"! 

That is a BIG DEAL.

And it explains alot.

The length of the shoulder seam on this dress is 'right' for me. 
The problem is, this shoulder starts too far from center!

PMB version 5 removed the Shoulder Length measurement, which, in earlier versions, could be used (in combination with the Front Shoulder Width measurement) to determine the width of the neck opening on the front pattern. 

In earlier versions, the front neck opening could be a different width than the back neck opening (which was determined by the NECK CIRCUMFERENCE measurement). 

But in V5, front and back neck openings draft equally...and the NECK CIRCUMFERENCE measurement controls this width.

I pulled out an old pattern...actually, it was the pattern for the wrap-top I wore to the rehearsal dinner!

I'll show you: 



This top was made back in 2008...using Version 3.  The neck width used on this one was also 0.5"...but as you can see, it is much closer to MY neck!

Ok, yes, there is wine in this picture also...but REALLY, I don't have a problem!   :-)

But back to the clothing...

This top isn't perfect...the bust darts are too low for one thing!...but like most of the things I make, it is wearable and looks pretty good.  So, when I compared the pattern for this top with the one used to make the wedding dress, I kept that in mind.

Ok, here is the basic torso pattern I used to create the MOG dress...highlighted in RED.   The yellow/greenish pattern is the one used to create the Teal Satin Wrap top (in 2008).

If you look at the NECK WIDTHS, you will see they are pretty much the same.

But look at the difference in SHOULDER WIDTHS on these two patterns! 


....and the TEAL one fits just fine across the back...

Just look!

While I am not 'posing' for the picture, you can see that I have plenty of mobility...there is no stress across the back. 

This Teal Top was drafted with a Back Shoulder Width of 15.5"...not the 17" that I used on the MOG.

There was no back shoulder dart to sew...a tiny bit of ease only.

BUT...at that time, so that I would NOT have a big dart, I manually rotated this pattern's back armhole outward (pivot point = SHOULDER POINT)...to give more ease at the level of the lower armhole area. 

OK, so now...look at the comparison of the FRONT patterns. 

The RED is the block I used to create the MOG dress.

The BLUE is the 2008 Teal Wrap top pattern.

Compare the front neck widths.

With center fronts aligned, the MOG pattern has a wider neck opening than the Teal Wrap pattern....measure straight across from neck point to CF (if it were extended upward).

Now, this front neckline on the Teal top drafted narrower than the back neckline on the Teal top...because I could draft that way using V3.


I used a NECK CIRCUMFERENCE measurement of 14" for the Teal Top...in V3.

For the MOG dress, I used a NECK CIRCUMFERENCE measurement of 13.5"...in V5.

Even with the smaller NECK measurement, the FRONT neck in V5 drafts wider than the neck of the V3 one!

But remember, in my last post, I said I had to WIDEN the back neck so that it would be wider than the front neck?  I can now see that the back neck was the one that was the right width!  It was the FRONT NECK that was too wide...the back wasn't too narrow!

But since I was using that very wide BACK SHOULDER WIDTH measurement (17") and getting a large back shoulder dart, I saw widening the back neck as an opportunity to reduce that dart...it didn't even occur to me that the front neck width was actually the problem!

So, FOR NEXT TIME...I will reduce the NECK MEASUREMENT from 13.5 to 12".
This will draft a neck that matches the FRONT of my old patterns.

I will use a FRONT SHOULDER WIDTH of 15 (instead of the 15.5" used this time).
I will use a BACK SHOULDER WIDTH of 16 (instead of the 17" used this time).
This is a 0.5" reduction in FRONT shoulder width, but a 1" reduction in BACK shoulder width.  This will result in a smaller back shoulder dart.

At right, you can see the original MOG pattern in RED.  The Blue/green patterns are the 'NEXT TIME' choices.

The front neck opening is narrower...but the length of the shoulder seam is the same as before...as if the shoulder was just 'shifted' medially. 

The front armhole is moved inward .25" and allowed to scoop lower (this is the questionable part!).  But the upper ah segment matches my body's 4.25" measurement!

I lowered the overall armhole DEPTH another 0.25"...for an ah depth setting of 0.5".

ON THE BACK, you see that the new back neck (green) is narrower than before.  But, remember? I said it was the back neck width that was actually correct before I widened it!  So, again, I will manually widen it to eliminate some of the back shoulder dart width...I will restore the back neck to the width it was before...on the original MOG! 

So, basically, I am using a smaller-than-real neck circumference measurement to draft the desired width of the FRONT NECK, then I will widen the back neck using some of the shoulder dart.

The back shoulders will be narrower across the top of the pattern.
The lower armhole will move inward 0.25", as well as downward 0.25".
The back shoulder is more sloped on this new one...as if the back armhole was 'shifted' downward on the pattern by 0.25".  I am hoping this is enough to eliminate those diagonal pulls!

Ok, so here is how the NEW (next time) pattern...in RED...compares with the pattern for the TEAL top.  With center fronts aligned, the new neck width is almost the same as on the old one...close enough.

The Front armhole is very different...we'll see how this works out.  Might be wonderful!

Note--The waist is higher on ALL these newer patterns (including the original MOG) than it was on the TEAL top.

On the BACK, the NEW (next time) RED pattern has a narrower neck width...but this is ok, because there is still a back shoulder dart to steal from!  I will manually widen this neck.

The new pattern has a slightly more sloped back shoulder than the TEAL one...this is desireable.

Since the TEAL one's back armhole was manually rotated outward, this new back armhole compares favorably, with no rotation needed.


And on both front and back, you may notice the difference in width at sideseams...
...the TEAL top used a 41.5" bust measurement with 3" of ease. 
...the MOG (and this new version) used a 42" bust with ZERO ease!


Gosh, I was gonna show how I widen the neck, but perhaps that needs to be a separate post! 
Thanks for reading!

Making progress...

Yes, I am sewing. 

A dress. 

But not just any dress...no, this is a Mother of the Groom dress! 

Yikes! 

What possessed me to do this? 

...especially when the wedding is less than 3 weeks away! 

 

Well, I really didn't want to make my dress

I wanted to buy one.

Already ready already.

I put off shopping, because I didn't want to find out that I couldn't buy a dress.

If I didn't shop, I could continue to delude myself that I would be able to buy off the rack.

But the time came.

I had to shop.

I tried on a gazillion RTW dresses, and although many of them were nice, there was always something I wanted to change about each one.  MANY (most...no, ALL!) needed alterations to make them fit me. 

I was seeing a trend.

Apparently, I am short-waisted for my circumference.

A size 10 is the right length through the body, but MAN is it tight!

By the time I get into the 12s and 14s, the waist is way too low.

 I figured, why buy an ill-fitting dress and alter it when I can just make a dress from scratch for about the same amount of effort?

 

Yeah...right.  The same amount of effort?  Pfff.....

 

But I am plugging away, and, happily, I am nearly finished. 

 

 But not so fast!

 

This afternoon, I put in the sleeves...little cap sleeves.  So very confident that this was going to work, I didn't baste them...I sewed with a 'regular' stitch length. 

 

And now I must rip them out.

 

I am using PMB5 for my pattern, and things have gone remarkably well, fit-wise.  My construction, though, leaves something to be desired. 

 

But that is neither here nor there...right now, I am talking about the sleeves.

 

I drafted the PMB cap sleeve.  I wanted it to be about 3.5" tall at the mid-cap, so I (stupidly) lowered the cap height until it was the desired size.

 

I cut these sleeves, both layers...a lace and the gold mesh that goes under it. 

 I stitched the layers together along the hem, then understitched, turned, sewed the underarm seam, then aligned the layers to be sewn as one. 

I inserted the sleeves...both of them!...into the dress using a 2.5mm stitch length. 

 

Luckily, before I trimmed the seam allowances, I decided to try this on to be sure these sleeves were good.

They were not good.

Not good at all!

 

What was I thinking...lowering the sleeve cap?  Yes, I wanted the sleeve to be 'shorter' but that was NOT the way to do it!  That was a rookie mistake!  I know better.

 

So now I am printing a new pattern for my sleeve.

 

This time, I started with the basic SET IN sleeve (above), then drew a shaped hem (below)
...maintaining the original cap shape as drafted, and manually changing only the hem shape. 
 

I am not sure that I have the hem shape just right...I had to wing it!
But I will certainly BASTE this time!

 Cross your fingers!

Frustration with sleeves in PMB

I have been drafting for two days, trying to finalize my settings for a jacket, and getting quite frustrated! It’s those little things that drive me crazy. I determined the appropriate underarm depth (ah depth) and sleeve cap height. Then, I decided to make the sleeve hem wider than the 7” it started with. Well, making the sleeve hem 10” makes the sleeve 1” narrower across the top of the sleeve! A full inch!!! That is just ridiculous! I’ve known it was like that, but it just made me mad! There is no reason that widening the sleeve hem should narrow the top. The underarm seams SHOULD pivot at the underarm point, not several inches lower. PERIOD.

So I messed around with the cap height setting until I returned the top portion of the sleeve to its previous shape and size (as it had been with the 7” hem width). Good. Now I know I can use an ah depth of -.75 and a cap height of -.5 as my 'basic draft (with a 10" wide sleeve).

Then I considered using the SHOULDER PRINCESS style line. Well, that raised the underarm depth .25”!
And--- it changed the sleeve’s cap height, too!
So, once again, I had to mess with armhole depth and cap height settings, just to duplicate the sleeve that drafts with my basic side-darted bodice…the sleeve with a 7” hem!

So basically, I cannot say what underarm depth is good for me, nor what cap height, because that varies with every little setting I choose! And that is just ridiculous!!!

It just shouldn’t be this hard!
Rotating a bust dart should NOT change the armhole or sleeve!
Widening the sleeve hem should NOT change the top of the sleeve!

(Can you tell I am frustrated?)




Sorry.

Ok, so then, I get everything finally decided on and saved. But the jacket design calls for a 2pc sleeve. My PMB 2pc sleeve is awful….the under-sleeve actually curves the wrong way! As if my elbow bends forward…I am not double jointed! :)

So I have spent HOURS trying to figure out how to make a 2pc sleeve for this jacket.

I have an old McCall’s jacket pattern with a 2pc sleeve, so I pulled it out. I figured I would compare the armholes of the Mc jacket pattern to my PMB pattern and if they were similar, I would use that McCall’s sleeve. Well, the armholes were NOT even close!

So I cut out the Mc pattern and pinned the tissue together to try on, thinking maybe I would just try to use that whole pattern instead of my PMB pattern.

What a laugh!

No, I am better off using my PMB pattern, for sure! I would have to severely alter every piece of that McCall’s pattern…and truly, I don’t even know what size to start with! I haven’t used commercial patterns in years, because I have used PMB. The reason I bought PMB in the first place was because the commercial patterns didn’t fit me and I didn’t know what to do to make them fit me…this was 10 years ago, before the internet brought sewists together for sharing such skills! I have never really learned what to do to alter a commercial pattern *for me*. I have depended on PMB. And most of the time, I get a decent fit.

But sleeves continue to be my Achilles heel! I can make sleeveless things in PMB all day, but when it comes to garments with sleeves, I get so frustrated!!! It takes twice as long to create the pattern, because every little variable changes the sleeve…when it just SHOULDN’T be that way!!!

The next version of PMB is in the works…ready for an October release. I hope the sleeves have been stabilized; hope it includes a decent 2pc sleeve!!!

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

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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.
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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.

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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!

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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.

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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!