An Engineer's Guide to Handwork

 This is really more of a test garment than a muslin - I made a fully interfaced and lined jacket, with pockets, shoulder pads, and sleeve heads. I also put in a bound button hole for practice. It's actually reasonably wearable, except for the fact that it's white and all my winter clothes are dark. But I could see wearing it over a summer dress. I got through cutting everything out and fusing the interfacing bay in May, and then stalled out until practically Thanksgiving.  And then when I went to put everything together my sewing machine needed work - apparently all the internal grease had seized and needed to be cleaned out. I ended up taking it to my local sewing shop (Pintuck and Purl in North Hampton NH) and they were able to service it. And they sold me a Bernette - the 35, which is the more advanced mechanical version. I was able to put everything together with it, and pick up my Pfaff a few weeks later as good as new.  All of the changes from my original muslin ca...

 I went through and sewed the seams I had previously pinned, and it became clear that the original 1" swayback was not enough. The center back vent was still swinging open, which is pretty typical of too much length there. So I sewed out about a 1/2" seam across the center waist line, tapering to nothing on each end. Honestly I'm not sure why I ever though 1" was going to be enough - I almost always need a 2" swayback adjustment, but live and learn.  Back view of the blazer muslin, with wrinkles at the back and the vent opening After finalizing the changes, I went through and traced them all onto the pattern pieces and traced them out. I then went through and cut some cheap fabric for muslin #2, my test garment. This version will be pretty close to complete, basically everything I want to do to the final version I'll do with it, including pockets and lining. The construction is different enough from the Jasika that I want a full test before cutting into the ...

 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...