Tuesday 10 June 2008

Vogue 7903 blouse, fitting issues

 
I wore the first attempt at Vogue 7903 blouse to work today. It was comfortable, and did not pull across the back or terribly much at the arms whilst I was working, nor did it suffer button strain, but I it still needs some fitting tweaking before I attempt my beaded June Capsule Contest version. I am not sure where the wrinkles above the bust have come from. I did not do a FBA as the garment had plenty of ease at the bust (I thought), but maybe this was a mistake and I need to revisit a FBA. I have put the blouse up on the critique board at pattern review, so hopefully someone kind who knows how to improve these wrinkles will tell me.
 
These are the front and back pattern pieces with my scribbles on them. After measuring the tissue, I trimmed down the armscye to allow for the huge increase I needed to make in the sleeve diametre, shown below. I do not think my arms are terribly fat, maybe I should be a weight lifter, as my biceps are apparently enormous in comparison to my other measurements! After constructing the blouse, the shoulder seam was well past my shoulder, so the second, black pen set of scribbles is the amount I took off the shoulder in construction.
 

I am not completely happy with the back of the blouse. I have pinned out a horizontal dart in a "sway back" adjustment. I do not entirely approve of this term, as in my case the problem is not a sway back, but a horizontally protuding backside of generous dimensions, I guess "sway back" sounds better than "big booty"! Whilst I have no wish for it to head south, patterns seem to assume that well south of the current location is where all this part of me should be. I may add a centre back seam, or possibly an "action back" pleat to the next blouse and see how this improves the situation. I am definitely getting fussy. All my RTW blouses (I have one left)catch in the small of my back like this.
 
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2 comments:

Jafael said...

Your comments about fitting had me giggling! I can totally relate!

I'm not at all good or knowledgeable about how to adjust patterns. It's on my list of things to learn.

Tropical Threads said...

Hi, this is probably totally random to get this so long after your post, but... Thanks. I had in my stash Wogue 7903, and was finally going to use it. I did a quick check on Sewing Pattern Review to see what others have found, and I found your review, complete with photos of all your fitting issues.

The photos showed me I have a very similar figure to yours, and after reading all the trouble you had - and what people said about the "Today's Fit" sloper the pattern is drafted from, I figured I was better off not having to do the million changes needed to get it to fit. Sadly (coz I just LOVE that 3-dart front) I don't think it is worth the effort. I think you saved me heaps of trouble!
For the record, my take on your fitting issue (since I have the exact same problem) is that you have a straight back (did you do ballet? I did, but it is genetic too. If I stand in what is for me a terrible slump this whole fitting issue disappears. Go figure huh? But then I look terrible and get a tension headache :-P) and the fabric needed to cover me from the top of the shoulder to waist is a LOT more for the front than the back. As I am only 158cm tall I need to shorten any pattern. But I have learnt to shortening on the front on its own, measuring from shoulder to waist, make sure it the pattern matches my measurements, then to do the standard shortening based on neck -waist length at the back. There is usually about 2 inches discrepancy - back shorter than front. I just stick the excess front fabric into a side-seam dart. This works a whole heap better for me than a full bust adjustment. Go figure huh?

The best fitting description I have found is here.
btw, that regency dress is lovely. Ask me how I know :-D
http://sensibility.com/tips/why-doesnt-this-look-like-the-pattern-cover/

Anyway, as I said, thanks heaps!!!

Imoh