Both the front and back of the bodice are too loose, except for the hip area, which, as I've found, is rarely ever too baggy for me ;)
For the back of the bodice, I think a narrow back adjustment is needed. After discovering the extra fabric in the back of the polka dot wrap dress, I've been nagged by the fact that it didn't fit correctly. I didn't actually realize the poor fit until someone took pictures of it on me. It was strange, I thought, because I had tissue fitted the bodice and had foreseen no problems. After leafing through a few fitting books, however, I found the answer: my back is proportionally smaller than the front side of my body, from my shoulders to my waist. Why didn't I discover the problem while fitting the pattern? I had fit it over my dress form, whose back is proportionate to the front of its body! A narrow back can be identified by the vertical folds or wrinkles of fabric from the shoulders to the waist, and it's usually caused by a very erect posture, though some people are simply born with it.
If anyone has any input on how to fit the front of the bodice, it would be really helpful! As the last picture shows, there is a lot of extra room under the arm. The narrow back adjustment will take care of the back half of it, but I'm not sure whether I should just rip open the seam and pin out the extra room, or if I should make some sort of small bust adjustment, which would likely include slashing the front of the bodice pattern and overlapping the pieces to make it smaller.
I'll be sure to post again once the fit is corrected, showing the alterations that I will have made :)
4 comments:
I have a narrow back too and it can be tricky. I've always found it easiest to alter princess seams in the back. I did over fit a jacket once though...you have to be careful about that. You do need some ease over the back.
Thanks for the advice, Dawn :) I was working on fitting this muslin yesterday, and after removing 2 inches of the excess room from the pattern, it was still baggy in the middle of my back. My mom helped me fit it by taking in the top halves of the back darts, making them deeper and longer. It really improved the fit, but she was sure to leave enough room for ease!
I have the front of the bodice nearly fitted, as well, and I've also attached the skirt. My first thought when trying it on was "this thing looks like a lab coat!" Hopefully that look will be cured by the fashion fabric and topstitching!
I love your sewing - and I've reviewed most of your previous posts, and I love the explanations you give for techniques etc. Thanks for your writing and sewing I use it for inspiration!
Regarding the vintage coat-dress you are making right now - have you ever used silk organza for interfacing? I don't know what your final fabric is going to be, but I've used organza on many projects and have never been disappointed.
Thank you, Elaine!
While I've often heard of using silk organza for interfacing, I've never actually tried it. Perhaps I'll give it a go for this project, though. I will be using a rather lightweight linen for the final fabric, so it could definately use a little support in the collar area. Thank you for the suggestion!
Post a Comment