An Engineer's Guide to Handwork

 I made another tank! This one a straight size 16 C/D I like it a lot, though I think I should definitely do a swayback before I make another one. It's more noticeable that the back is longer than it should be here. I tried to use wondertape for the neckline with this version, with mixed success. It's supposed to wash out, but the edge is still a little funky. Maybe after a few washes it will be better. Other than that it's a pretty successful project.  Front view, black saybrook tank I did muck about with the cashmerette size selector, and it looks like it's suggesting a 14 G/H graded out to an 18 waist and 16 hip. Which is interesting - I would not have thought that the 14 would be the correct size, especially at the G/H bust. I might give it a try next time (with the sway back adjustment!) Back view of saybrook tank, with fabric pooling at the small of the back

 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 ...

 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...

 I've got a new knitting project! It's a Hue Shift Afghan from a kit from Knit Picks, in the Deco colorway which is a neutral color pallet. I'm pretty excited about it - this is a pattern I've been eyeing for literal years and I'm finally excited to take it on.  Pattern: Hue Shift Afghan Yarn:  Brava Sport Needle: Size 5 addi turbo I'm following the pattern pretty much as written, though I did switch the center stitch to purl on the wrong side so there's a little knit stitch column on the centered double decrease. I'm also slipping the first stitch of every row to make picking up easier. On the left side that's a simple slip one with yarn in front and then knit, on the right I settled on purling the last stitch and then slipping the first knitwise with the yarn in back, and then starting the second color. That keeps the end with the color change neat.  There are reports that the kits don't really have quite enough yarn to actually complete the pr...

It's done!  Final completed blazer I spent most of the month of January working on this, cutting and interfacing and sewing. I did the cutting out in sections, starting with the interfacing and then the main fabric. I waited to cut the lining until I was ready to sew it, following the advice of another sewer who suggested that since there is so much cutting for this project it's helpful to not do it all at the same time. That did work well for me - there is a huge number of pieces to cut out and keep track of. I traced the pieces onto the fabric, pinning the layers together inside the lines to ensure the two sides were the same. Pattern weights were a combination of mason jar pickling weights and a couple of cans.  Cutting out the interfacing with pattern weights and red chalk Cutting out the main fabric - pinning the fabric layers together and more tracing Jacket torso put together on the dress form, with the lapels clipped open to help shape the roll line The sewing process ...

 Having achieved a successful muslin, the next step is tracing off all of the pattern pieces and making sure that the alterations I made to the main pieces are transferred to the lining and interfacing pieces as well. This is a bit tricky, since there are a lot of pieces and they don't always follow the exterior pieces completely. Particularly since I did the swayback adjustment up at the top of the pattern not at the center back there will be some intersection between back lining and back facing to contend with.  Helpfully, the blazer fitting book Closet Core has available lists all the pieces, and suggests that you mark up what will need to be changed. This is what mine looks like, with the approximate line of the changes. I'll check each piece off as I trace it, so I know I have all the required pieces traced. Pattern pieces showing red marks for required adjustments The one thing that I have changed from the last muslin is the shoulder slope/forward shoulder adjustment. I ...