OK, so yesterday I swung by the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where I'm taking a patternmaking class, since my Professor holds office hours on Sundays.
I wanted to ask him a few questions about marking notches and also grab an opportunity to try my silk taffeta blouse on the dress form I've been working with all semester.
Long story short, the blouse had shrunk too much when I washed it and it no longer fit the Size 8 dress form. I wasn't at all surprised, as the previous day I'd measured the back pattern piece against the blouse and the blouse was more than 1" narrower. That's a lot of shrinkage.
My professor didn't seem too concerned about it; mine was clearly an innocent mistake, but I didn't want to display my too-tight blouse in class next Wednesday (our final class) so I quickly stitched up another blouse, this time in a cotton-poly blend (up top), a gift from MPB reader, Michael C. The fabric is a graffiti print with the words "punk" and "counter culture" written all over it. Not really me but still nice fabric.
Since cotton is super stable and I skipped the French seams and just serged my seam allowances, the blouse went together fast. This time I just marked the top and bottom and widest center points of my darts with a colored pencil (four dots in all) and called it a day. They came out just fine -- no stains.
Here's the new blouse, which you may recall has four front and two side darts, two shoulder darts, and four back darts. Also a shirt collar and bishop sleeves -- all self-drafted.
It's not as glamorous as the first version for sure, but at least it's the right size.
Three cheers for cotton-poly and thank you again for the fabric, Michael C.
Have a great day, everybody!
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oh peter, didn't you wash the lovely silk before cutting and sewing? :-(
ReplyDeletethough, the new shirt is looking good!
This shirt, with its combination of vintage style and that fabric, is wonderfully subversive.
ReplyDeletePeter, you're drafting skills are moving you into designer territory - bishop sleeves!!
ReplyDeleteThe subversive vibe is there - it's "school marm had a long weekend of intellectual wild abandon - at the very least".
Love the blouse...it has edge and attitude.
ReplyDeleteVery very nice, and the buttons are properly spaced to eliminate the gap across the bust
ReplyDeleteOh! I like the shirt and especially the fabric. Good job.
ReplyDeleteThe new shirt looks fine. And it is interesting to read you changed your method for marking darts to one very similar to mine ;)
ReplyDeleteThat is a pretty neat shirt--I wonder what your classmates shirts will look like--can you take pix of theirs or no?
ReplyDeleteI will have to look up what a bishop sleeve is--is it the gathering at the cuff that makes it that style?
Office hours on Sundays--and during the holiday season too--wow!
In my church tradition, a bishop wears multiple layers of vestments for his or her formal duties. The white layer is known as a rochet, and has wide sleeves and gathered cuffs like Peter's. Here is an example: http://www.almy.com/Product/59002TW/category/EpiscopalBishopCassockWoman/parent/EpiscopalBishopsApparel-Women
ReplyDeleteI'm with Tomasa...very cool print and great sewing! Can you take photos of your classmate's work to share?
ReplyDeleteWow, love the fabric and the finished blouse! (And those sleeves!)
ReplyDeleteLove seeing that fabric made up into something. That shirt is another one of your wonderful creations.
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