Apr 23, 2012 Fitting and Pattern Adjustment - Back Bodice We're almost done fitting the bodice of Vogue 8664, we just have a few slight adjustments to make to improve the back pattern. If you missed any of the progress, catch up by reading the previous posts, I'll wait... 1. Garment Ease 2. Fitting - Bust, Waist, Hip Position 3. Pattern Correction - Bust, Waist, Hip Position 4. Fitting and Pattern Correction - Back Neckline Gaping 5. Fitting - Shoulders 6. Fitting and Pattern Correction - Armhole Great! Now that you are all caught up. Let's take a look at the back bodice fitting. You will remember from last time that we made pattern corrections to the shoulder and armhole area, keep in mind that those corrections have not yet been applied to the muslin in the photo below. I will be cutting a 2nd muslin after making the three back corrections indicated below. What's Wrong You Ask? 1. The back vertical waist dart is too short. Although difficult to see from the photo, the dart is poking out so it needs to be longer to address the more prominent shoulder blade bone. 2. The CB seam is tapering in toward the waist too drastically. Do you see those subtle diagonal drag lines radiating from the CB waist? 3. The back band is drooping. Do you see the diagonal drag lines at the sides of the waistband? How Do We Correct it? 1. Determine the amount you need to lengthen the dart by pinning out the fullness. You don't want this dart to be too long, just long enough to eliminate some of the excess fullness and address the shoulder blade. 2. Determine the amount you will need to add to the CB seam by releasing the CB opening until the fabric relaxes and the drag lines disappear. 3. Determine the amount you need to shave off the back bodice length by pinning up the bodice until the waist band seam is level and the drag lines have disappeared. Here is what the pattern corrections look like: It is important to note that there must be a 90 degree angle at the seam line intersections as I have indicated in the photos above. If you don't have an exact 90 degree angle in these areas, the fitting of the waistband and the skirt will be distorted. Also, since I have added to the CB waist seam, I will need to add the same amount to the CB of the waistband. I will show you that next time when we take a closer look at the waistband fitting. And now for the mini reveal of the bodice muslin after all of our hard work: As you can see the bodice fitting has been immensely improved. We've eliminated almost all of those unpleasant wrinkles and drag lines. I can see that we will need to double check the bodice waistline seam and the side seams where the waist band and bodice meet, we've still got a little problem there, but we'll work that out next time! I don't know if you've noticed, but many of the pattern corrections I've made to this pattern were caused by poor pattern drafting-too many pointy intersections and wonky lines. One of the most basic principles of pattern drafting is maintaining a 90 degree angle at strategic seam line intersections. I would have thought that anyone who considers him/herself a pattern maker would have this knowledge ingrained in their soul! I find it discouraging and a tell tale sign that pattern making skills have definitely declined. In any case, it is a reminder of why I make my own patterns-I can control these things from the outset and hopefully make your sewing experience a very positive one in the process.
