An Engineer's Guide to Handwork

 I have started the fitting process for the Auburn Blazer - it's looking pretty good! I fit my paper pattern and made a 1" swayback adjustment (at the back neck per the Nancy Zieman method), but otherwise cut it as drafted. It looks pretty good!  Original muslin front and back views I pinned out about 1/4" at the shoulders to adjust the slope, which does seem to help the diagonal wrinkles under the armscyes. But there's still a bit of extra fullness across the center back.  Front and back views of the muslin with the shoulders pinned up Finally I pinned out the center back and princess seams just a bit, to take care of the extra fullness below the shoulders. the center back seam at the armhole level, and the princess seams at the waist. I'll have to sew those seams and see if I still have adequate range of motion.  Back view of final altered muslin

 Cashmerette recently released the Auburn Blazer, a tailored jacket with princess seams and welt pockets, and clearly I needed to make one. I adjusted everything to fit on three sheets of Arch E paper (36x48) and swung by the office to plot it out. Then I traced the body pieces onto medical paper and pinned it to my dress form Hazel.  Pattern pieces pinned together on my dressform Back view with 1/2" horizontal tuck at center back Side view with no tuck - back hem is lower than front The front princess seams is a little wonky, but I think part of that is trying to pin two opposing curves in paper. Also Hazel doesn't have exactly the same bust shape that I do. I'll have to review that area in the actual muslin.  The back is a little bit long right off the bat - I took a 1/2" fold at center back and it lies much better. This is not surprising - Cashmerette patterns have some swayback built in, but my body has a lot, so having to make a 1" swayback adjustment doesn...