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Member since 7/7/07
Posts: 761
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Posted on: 7/1/11 10:48 PM ET
I've been taking a simple pattern drafting class the last 4 weeks. It's been good, but the last 3 have been focused on the bodice block, as we just cant quite seem to get them to fit right.

We wrote down our changes to make to the current toile and started on the sleeve drafting at least, so thats a bonus.

But I'm having serious trouble with how to make said changes.
The dart to take in the armhole was easy enough.
The back however is causing so many problems!

The neckline is up well into my hairline.
The waistline is too high - about 10cm or so.
I redrafted it, again to my measurements (checked and dobule checked)and it's come out exactly the same.
How on earth do I add the 10cm or so needed to the back? I don't quite understand why it's so high above my waist. It's easy enough to add 10cm, but 10cm is a large amount, and how do I do it without having to make usch a huge adjustment. Maybe I add 10cm onto the waist length all the way around, and then can just chop it off to the right height LOL

The neckline is easy to adjust, it's only at the CB it's too high, so I am just able to slice it down a bit. But this back waist length is seriously tripping me up.
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Juki Exceed F600, Babylock Imagine, Janome 300E.
  
Member since 6/23/04
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Posted on: 7/1/11 11:56 PM ET
In reply to snuzal
Quote:
The neckline is up well into my hairline. The waistline is too high - about 10cm or so.

Without photos this is mostly a guess, but the two things you mnetioned to me indicate an issue with the shoulders. In particular the angle, as in sloping shoulders. Do you have sloping shoulders and/or carry weight on your back neck which mimics sloping shoulders?
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Belinda. Melbourne, Australia
http://sew-4-fun.blogspot.com/
  
Member since 6/24/07
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Posted on: 7/2/11 1:55 AM ET
I have the same thoughts as Sew4fun about the fact that the neckline is coming high and the back waist.
Any chance of photos? If the back waist line is too high, I'd definitely add on, and then fit it to the right level.
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Posted on: 7/2/11 3:18 AM ET
Hmmm, not really sure about sloping shoulders? I don't THINK so?
There are (bad) pics on my blog (its the second latest post - the pics in the polka dot fabric are the one I'm currently having issues with)Snuzal Sews
-- Edited on 7/2/11 3:18 AM --
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Juki Exceed F600, Babylock Imagine, Janome 300E.
  
Member since 9/18/02
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Posted on: 7/2/11 3:03 PM ET
SnuzalSews blog

Your block doesn't seem to fit too badly around the bust, but the neckline and shoulders are way too big. You really should start with a smaller size at the shoulders and armscye, then grade up from the bottom of the armholes and down. The back waist length needs to be shorter, but you won't know how it all goes together until you get the shoulders and neckline right.
-- Edited on 7/2/11 3:09 PM --
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Debbie
Viking Sapphire 930, Babylock Evolution
  
Member since 7/7/07
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Posted on: 7/2/11 3:58 PM ET
In reply to Debbie Lancaster
It's not a matter of starting with a smaller size though - we are drafting fully by hand, with our measurements. There's no pattern/guide blocks we are going off. Doing it all on a blank piece of paper. I'm just finding it quite disheartening I can't seem to get this bit right.
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Juki Exceed F600, Babylock Imagine, Janome 300E.
  
Member since 5/9/09
Posts: 2413
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Posted on: 7/2/11 5:18 PM ET
It looks as if the block's back shoulder is too highly sloped.

How exactly is the shoulder point determined? It may need to be raised, though I can't tell if it's because your back width line is in the wrong place or something else.

What measurements did you take? I'm not interested in the numbers, so much as the names (e.g "length from nape to back waist", "half width of back", etc, etc.). Sometimes these drafts make unwarranted assumptions about human proportions.)


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Bernina B330
Feet: 1,2,3,3A,4,5,7,8,10,13,16,18,20, 29,32,35,37,50,64,70,71,82,85,86, 92

  
Member since 9/18/02
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Posted on: 7/2/11 7:37 PM ET
Are you certain that the marker line for your waist is parallel with the floor? If you're tying a string around your waist and measuring from there, make sure it is parallel to the floor, because it looks as if you've made your back pattern piece considerably shorter than it should be.

Looking at the side view, all the polka dots more or less line up horizontally around your body, which is as it should be, until you get to the bottom, when there just doesn't seem to be enough fabric.

As for the neckline, just cut down the back neckline until it's where you want it to be. For the front gapping at the neckline, fold over about the right amount at the pattern center front, tapering to nothing at about the level of the middle of the armholes. It looks like you could scoop out the front neckline a little so it's not choking you.

ETA: Trace the pattern and make the adjustments to the copy so you don't mess up the fit of what you've already done!
-- Edited on 7/2/11 7:38 PM --
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Debbie
Viking Sapphire 930, Babylock Evolution
  
Member since 6/23/04
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Posted on: 7/2/11 8:14 PM ET
Ah pictures. It's so much easier with pictures. I agree with Andye. I think the back shoulder is too sloped compared with your body shape. You said on your blog you feel like you need to remove the fabric at the neck and put it at the waist, and I agree.

Imagine drawing a vertical line from mid shoulder point to the waist. Cut along the line separating the back pattern piece into two pieces. Now move the middle section down. Redraw your shoulder and waist lines. The shoulder seam will now be less sloped. I can't guarantee this will work but it's worth a try.

Something to remember about flat pattern drafting. It was developed for the manufacturing industry to draft patterns to produce RTW clothes for a standard body shape. Therefore the formulas they use are based on an "average" body. These formulas don't always work for a non-average body. They will only get you part of the way, so most people will need to make manual alterations after drafting. There are no rules for these manual alterations either, just what works for your body. If you think something needs to be done to the pattern follow your instincts because they are probably right. The pattern pieces may look "odd" but it's what works and fits that matters. HTH

Edit: typos

-- Edited on 7/2/11 10:05 PM --
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Belinda. Melbourne, Australia
http://sew-4-fun.blogspot.com/
  
Member since 7/7/07
Posts: 761
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Posted on: 7/2/11 10:14 PM ET
Thanks guys,

Hope I manage to get everyones answers in one. The measurements were like "back waist length (eg from the nape of the neck to the back waist - where we had a piece of elastic tied around our waists for the whole time)
The back width measurement is like 1/2 of the back width + x amount for ease (I'm not looking at instructions here, just trying to remember off the top of my head, which isn't going to well I dont think, a lot has happened in past 24hrs!)
I've been remeasured, remeasured and it all comes up the same.

the way to get the shoulder was um, *tries to remember* something like 1/2 of the depth between neck line and underarm width up from X to then join to neckline to create the shoulders.

I think sew4fun has hit the nail on the head though, a lot of the flat pattern drafting was not designed for plus sized people. There are obvious alterations needed for those of a plus size nature, and I think I might be one of them.

While writing this out though, you've all reminded me how much I am actually enjoying this (as I was feeling really quite blase about it all earlier on). This is all a learning curve, and I'm loving it. While it is tripping me up at some stages, I enjoy it.

Oh and thanks Debbie Lancaster for the advice about the neckline, that was my next pondering moment, but one that I don't imagine will trip me up greatly.

I'm seriously considering lengthening both the front and back pieces, sewing them together, marking where my waist is, and then cutting and transferring these new lengths to a new pattern piece.
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Check my blog :)
http://snuzalsews.blogspot.com/

Juki Exceed F600, Babylock Imagine, Janome 300E.
  
12 
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