PatternReview.com online sewing community
Join our community of 579,271 sewists!
SIGNUP Membership is free and includes 1 free lesson
Login |
Join our community of 579,271 sewists!
Signup | Login
To participate in the PatternReview.com forums please Login or Join PatternReview
12 
Member since 6/23/08
Posts: 13
Send Message
Posted on: 3/2/09 10:51 AM ET
Hi, I hope I'm posting this in the right place! I'm working on a bodice sloper pattern that I drafted using the instructions in Patternmaking for Fashion Design, and I'm having major issues with my sleeves. The first one I did I just couldn't really move my arms, so now I have adapted a pattern I already had from a drafting class I went to, and while it allows for much better movement, I'm still having some issues.

I took photos so I'm hoping someone here can tell me what's wrong! Unfortunately just to confuse things the bodice in the photos has two slightly different sleeves, so the one I have questions about (which is the latest version) is the one on my right arm, i.e. it's on the left in the first photo and on the right in the second one.


Basically it's those diagonal drag lines on the sleeve cap I'm wondering about, the ones coming up from the armpit.
Back view:


Side:


Also, when I try to reach forward, although it allows for much better movement than my previous attempts, it's still catching a bit at the very top of the arm, like so:




So, does anyone have any idea what's wrong? I'd be really grateful for any help. Thanks!
Claire
  
Member since 7/28/03
Posts: 1405
Send Message
Posted on: 3/2/09 12:00 PM ET
In reply to ashrillcaramel
I think you might need more cap height and possibly width too.

Try slashing the cap of the muslin in a cross - parallel and perpendicular to the grain - to see how the muslin relaxes, so to speak. That should give you an idea of how much you need.

Of course, I could be totally wrong. Hopefully some more voices will chime in.
------
Suo ergo maledicto

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. - Steve Jobs
  
Member since 10/16/07
Posts: 613
Send Message
Posted on: 3/2/09 12:24 PM ET
In reply to ashrillcaramel
The first thing that really jumps out at me is that the darts are too high for where your bust is, and that you need more room in the bust.

This may be affecting how the sleeves lay and move. Your bust may be 'borrowing' extra width by pulling on the armsyce, throwing the sleeve out of whack.

Is the bottom of the armscye too far below your underarm? The sleeve looks like it bunches up the arm when you move your arm forward, which leads me to believe the armscye is actually too deep for you.
------
Becca
My blog: rosebee.dreamwidth.org
So much fabric & patterns to fantasize about, so little time to sew!!
  
Member since 4/20/08
Posts: 7015
Body Type:
Send Message
Posted on: 3/2/09 12:51 PM ET
In reply to ashrillcaramel
I have to agree with Rosebeee. First thing I would do is a FBA. Your vertical darts are way to high. Your breast are lower than the Apex of this sloper. You are "long" between the neck and bust apex. Are you wearing a good bra that lifts you up? I do agree that once you get the FBA done and that relieves some of the stress on the front, you might see a difference in how your sleeves are fitting. I also see a rounded upper back and foward shoulders. If you have FFRP(Fit For Real People)they will show you how to allow for that. It might not cure all the ills, but it's a start.
  
Member since 6/23/08
Posts: 13
Send Message
Posted on: 3/2/09 1:17 PM ET
Rosebeee and JTink - I know the bust darts are definitely way too high, I just never knew that could affect the sleeves so I was leaving fixing it till after, but I'll try shortening them now and see if it helps.
I also know it's a little tight in the bust, but I'm unsure why since I drafted this to my own measurements.

JTink - I don't know much about FBA's, assuming I never needed one since my bust is not large. Do you think I definitely do, and not just slightly more room around the bust? I wear a 34C bra if that helps!
  
Member since 8/20/02
Posts: 3338
Body Type:
Send Message
Posted on: 3/2/09 1:32 PM ET
I'd also try adding 0.5" heigth in sleeve cap. I think this should help with diagonal wrinkles.
------
We love our fabrics at www.SawyerBrook.com
  
Member since 6/22/04
Posts: 4602
Send Message
Posted on: 3/2/09 2:00 PM ET
In reply to ashrillcaramel
The neckline looks too small. Do have have seam allowance added there? If so try staystitching around the neck seamline then clipping those curves so the neck can fall where it is supposed to be.

If this is a sloper as drafted from the Patternmaking for Fashion Design book then you will have only minimum wearing ease. If you are used to garments with more ease built in this sloper will feel very tight.
------
Liz

thefittinglife.blogspot.com
  
Member since 10/16/07
Posts: 613
Send Message
Posted on: 3/2/09 2:14 PM ET
In reply to ashrillcaramel
Quote: ashrillcaramel
Rosebeee and JTink - I know the bust darts are definitely way too high, I just never knew that could affect the sleeves so I was leaving fixing it till after, but I'll try shortening them now and see if it helps.

I also know it's a little tight in the bust, but I'm unsure why since I drafted this to my own measurements.



It's not that the dart is too long, it's that it's too high, and you don't have enough fabric. The pictures show you need more width and more length in front for you bust. You can see how the front edge of the bodice is so much higher than the back edge!

You can't get the sleeve to fit right while the bodice front and back still don't fit right. Right now it's impossible to tell which sleeve/armscye wrinkles are problems with the sleeve, and which are from the bust not fitting correctly.

Fit the back first, then your front, and then work on the sleeves.

Just as a note: I imagine the instructions you followed for your sloper in Patternmaking for Fashion Design assume a standard B-cup size. This would be why even though you drafted it to your measurements, your bust doesn't have enough width or length.

Good luck!!
------
Becca
My blog: rosebee.dreamwidth.org
So much fabric & patterns to fantasize about, so little time to sew!!
  
Member since 4/20/08
Posts: 7015
Body Type:
Send Message
Posted on: 3/2/09 6:37 PM ET
In reply to ashrillcaramel
Yep, you need the FBA. Most patterns are drafted for a B cup. Looking at the pictures, it's easy to see how your bodice is "screaming" for more room. To me, it looks like your breast are sitting really low and that's why the vertical darts are so high. You just need to lower them, to match your bust line. If you can get your hands on a copy of Fit for Real People, it's worth it's weight in gold, when it comes to bodice adjustment. There is a tutorial on here somewhere, perhaps one of the other ladies knows how to get to it. Debbie Cook made a little animated illustration of an FBA. It's a little scary to cut in to something like that the first time or two. But after you get the hang of it, a whole new world opens up
  
Member since 7/23/07
Posts: 7276
Send Message
Posted on: 3/2/09 7:19 PM ET
In reply to ashrillcaramel
ashrillcaramel - Yes, I am a 34C and also often need an FBA. A real pain when you feel like a C cup is not really that big. My guess is that some of us at that size won't need one due to the peculiarities of anatomy, but many of us do. I get away without one in some knits.
------
http://bgballroom.wordpress.com to follow the progress on my next ballgown.
  
12 
* Advertising and soliciting is strictly prohibited on PatternReview.com. If you find a post which is not in agreement with our Terms and Conditions, please click on the Report Post button to report it.
Selected Reviews, Classes & Patterns
Fancy Frocks Fabrics
Fine Designer Fabrics
Elliott Berman Textiles
High-end Fashion Fabrics
Specials!
Nature's Fabrics
Natural & Organic Fabrics
Specials!