So, I have dryer-steamed my “muslin” fabric. I attempted a tissue-fit of the pattern, with limited success, but I did decide to shorten the waist slightly and do a small swayback adjustment before I begin. Probably I should’ve done an SBA to start, too, but we’ll see. May I just say that swayback adjustments do scary thing to pattern pieces?
Anyway, yesterday I managed to cut out the pieces for the muslin and get the bodice, at least, sewn together.
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- Side—holy swayback adjustment, Batman! But, the bust curve actually looks good
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- Pinching in rear seam for swayback
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- Front: slightly gapy across the lapel
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- Back—not puddling, just loose as hell
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- front—looking halfway decent.
I won’t post them up to the group until I get the sleeves and collar sewn on, but I couldn’t resist a quick preview for you guys (and myself).
The biggest issue I see is need for further swayback work. There’s also a slight gaping/sagging of the lapels at the front, but the princess-seam curve works surprisingly well (the whole time I was cutting it out, I was thinking “this is a really intense princess curve. It’s totally not going to fit me.” Once I get done butchering the swayback, I think I will need to lengthen the back hem by a couple of inches.
Now, my bust and hip measurements correspond to a Colette size 0. My waist, by contrast, is a size 6. So I was really worried about this coat wrapping around enough to sit properly. Also, since my shoulders are fairly broad (or at least, since I definitely do not have a C cup), I decided to cut the size 2. I thought this *might* give me a better fit than the 0 which is presumably designed for someone with a larger bust hung on a smaller frame. Additionally, when I shortened the waist, I did my best to remove/widen the smallest part of the waist, although it didn’t amount to more than a few milimetres at any given seam, so I’m not sure if it’s noticeably affecting the fit. It seems like there might be a little too much width across the back now, but I don’t really want to mess with that until after I’ve got the sleeves attached.
Anyway, please share any thoughts you have. Hopefully I’ll have the sleeves attached, hems pressed up, etc. by the end of the day to post to the flickr group 🙂
Tanit-Isis Sews 
It’s fascinating to me how utterly different this coat looks on everyone. I’m surprised by how relatively well-fitting it was on me to begin with (I mean, needed work but the sloper is cut to my general body type – which, as you called it,is somewhat fuller in bust and narrow framed.
I’m also surprised by how many people are challenged by the swayback or short waist with this design (including me!), and how overwhelming the lapels seem to be…
Yeah, it’s really neat to see it on so many different bodies—the differences and the recurring issues. I wonder why the lapels often (but not always) droop—I’ve seen it in both small and large-busted versions.
I think yours def. looks too big in the back – when you pinched for the sway back alteration, it looked much better! Of course, you come from a cold place (like me) and I’m personally struggling because I want the coat to be FITTED to take advantage of the princess seams, waist dip and peplum (general girly shape), but I also want to interline (so it should be more roomy) but then it’s just ginormous looking!
Could the general lapel droopiness be just from the way the pattern is drafted, with the lapel being a folded part of a larger piece? I think it would fit better (on me, at least) if I had a separately drafted front piece that’s fitted, then the lapel sewed on? Of course, that would be a different coat, and I really like the way this one looks!
Your muslin fabric cracked me up – is it printed on one side? Could be a cool idea for mixing prints/making the facing from a different fabric!
And I agree on waiting ’till you add the sleeves – I think the weight of the sleeves TOTALLY changes how the garment fits!
Yeah, I totally feel you on the “balancing fit vs. stuffing layers underneath” factor. Although, I’m not expecting this to be a real cold-weather coat, more of an evening/between season coat, so I’m more concerned with fit. It is a hard call in a coat 😛
Certainly not an expert as I’m going through some of these same issues, albeit on different projects, BUT… I’m thinking the back is so roomy because you cut a 2 when you measured a 0 at the bust. I’ve cut up a size before, thinking it would help my broadness through back and shoulders but it just created other problems.
Pinching in at your back looks good but just be careful not to overfit! Or, what do I know?! Just thinking you may be wanting room for some layers given the apparent chilly climate where you are.
Right on for you for tackling the project. Someday I will try something trenchy. Someday.
Well, I cut a 2 because this pattern company, in particular, apparently uses a C-cup block for the pattern drafts. I didn’t want the same thing that happens when I borrow my sister-in-law’s tops… we have a similar bust measurement, but I’m a 34B whereas she’s a 30D. 😛
I know, fit vs. overfit.
Lady, I cannot keep up with all of your sewing jaunts! 🙂 Thought I’m mightily impressed.
I’m also supposedly doing the Lady Grey sew-along, but I think I’ve been avoiding it because I know how much work it is and I’ve never done a muslin, ever, though for this project it’s worth it. I know we’ve got similar body-issues (rectangle! short waist!) so it’s so helpful to read about your process. Did you cut a 2 and then grade out to a 6?
And THANK YOU for your tips on my capris — I just finished them and though the waistband doesn’t look pretty, I think they’re finally keepers. I never, never would have thought about the hip curve. 🙂
I’m so glad the capris are working (or at least improved)! It’s funny (depressing) how many pairs of marginal RTW jeans I could have turned into AWESOME ones if I’d had the guts to start doing that kind of alteration on my RTW ten years ago…
I didn’t grade out the waist at all, other than the small amount of extra width gained by taking out the narrowest 1.5 cm of each piece when I shortened the bodice—and as I said, I can’t imagine that added up to more than a couple of cm around the whole coat. So there is a fair bit of ease in the waist. Oddly, the front seems about the right width, while the back is very lose (Go Team Swayback!) It is nice to find others with similar fit issues, isn’t it?
Kudos to you for making a muslin – I just made a coat with no muslin – eek! I agree that the upper back may look too wide, but once you put the sleeves on, you’ll know whether you want that space for moving your arms.
I’m doing the Grey coat too. Yours looks amazing to me – doesn’t seem that it will take much to tweek the fit at all. It is amazing to see that this coat is suited to so many different figure types. I’m following right along (although kicking and screaming at times) with the suggestions made for the coat. I never knew that I had a sway back.
Yours looks pretty good! I think the white muslin fabric just accentuates every little wrinkle, too. A lot of people have had to shorten the waist/do swaybacks on this coat—I think it’s partly just the fit of coat itself. 🙂
I thought I left a comment yesterday— but I guess I didn’t hit “submit.” I do that quite often, actually.
Your muslin looks great! How did you fix the lapels? Do you take a dart out like some did? I’m thinking about trying to fix some of the gappiness (not a word, I know) on mine but I’m wondering if it will be very noticeable with my wool. My wool fabric is a little bit stiffer than my muslin fabric.
You did leave it, just on one of the pictures in the gallery. ;). I haven’t fixed the gappiness (I think it’s a word 😉 ) yet. I keep going back and forth on whether to bother, but I probably should.