Sewing tasks for the day: Done!

[mala_14]

For reference, this pattern is from Cut of Women's Clothes by Norah Waugh, diagram XXII from 1775-1780. I managed to enlarge the pattern this afternoon and then did the mock-up stage this evening. It took 2 bodice mock-ups and 2 sleeve mock-ups to get to a good enough stage (where everything fits well and just tiny tweaks are needed that don't warrant another mock-up). Somehow my bodice fronts were way to small at the bust and the back didn't curve in enough at the waist and the waist wasn't short enough. But I managed to get that almost all sorted out with mock-up 2. I can also lift my arms in this! Not as high as one might like, but high enough to touch my head. Pictures:

Things that still need fixing in these pictures: making the elbow dart start a little lower down, alter the angle of the side-back piece where it meets the strap, get rid of the wrinkles in the bodice at the back under the arm by scooping the armscye out a little more there, lower the neckline a bit, and alter the back seamlines a little for aesthetic reasons. Also, it would be good if I had a shift that didn't peak out at the neckline.

Thoughts/notes on fitting:

• On sleeves: I shorted the height of the sleeve head by 1 inch because it seemed excessively tall compared to sleeves from the same era in Janet Arnold. I think this helped get a nicer fit over the shoulder. The pleats are pretty small, like 1/4" in depth, which is a look that I like, and they start almost right at the back strap seam. Wrinkles under the arm at the back are needed for movement. The armscye should hit pretty far out at the front and get narrow at the back.
• On the bodice: The front seam really needs to be curved to accommodate the skirts. Same with the back, dramatic curve out from the waist to sit smoothly over the rump. The bottom of the sides needs to hit at the waist to avoid wrinkling (I kept needing to move this up to accommodate my short underarm-to-waist measure), then it curves down at front and back.

Comments

[starlightmasque]

I love it! It looks SO good!

[mala_14]

Thanks! That means a lot coming from you. You make such great 18th century stuff!

[chocolatepot]

You are so good at fitting!

[mala_14]

Aw! Thank you! It's something that I've always tried to focus on. :D

[blackcat452]

It looks lovely, such pretty fabric!

[mala_14]

Thanks! It is pretty fabric, so it's kind of silly that I've been using it for mock-ups. In real life, the polyester nature of it is much more obvious, but it looks good in pictures.

[elizabeth_mn]

Damn girl, looking good!

I'm with you on the sleeve alt; I hate a tall cap!

[mala_14]

Thanks Elizabeth!

Right?! I find it always makes things weird.

[ktlovely]

Oh, that looks SO good; I love everything about it!

[mala_14]

Thank you! :) Today I need to make all the tweaks to the pattern and cut it out in the real fabric.

[ktlovely]

Wait that's not even the real fabric? Ugh if I didn't like you so much I'd maybe have to hate you...whose mockups look THAT GOOD?! ;)

[mala_14]

lol It's this poly stuff I bought a long time ago before I learned more about historical fabrics. I was tired of my cotton mock-ups stretching out and my final products (usually in silk) ending up too small and figured I'd use something not stretchy. The stripes are a bonus for figuring out grainlines.

[ktlovely]

Oh, that's a REALLY good point about mockups stretching. I'm gonna have to remember that for the future! I haven't made much with silk recently but I've got a couple upcoming gowns that will maybe benefit from this info!

[mala_14]

It happened to me really badly with my lavender silk ballgown bodice, because the neckline is so scooped and then weird stuff was going on with the armscye, trying to keep it at the shoulder point. I had used a quilting cotton and then the silk bodice ended up being WAY too small and I had to create princess seams and add new fronts. "Never again!" I said.

[howlgirl]

Damn woman, that bodice! I love the fabric and the fit is the bomb!

[mala_14]

Thanks! This is actually still a mock-up, so the final thing is in different, less exciting fabric. But hoping to have this pattern ready to go for all my 1780s stuff in the future!

[padawansguide]

That fit looks amazing!

[mala_14]

Thanks Maggie!

[theladyrebecca]

Oh my gosh, your fit is sooo good! Also, I don't care that it's poly - you should finish the mockup and have two bodices!

[mala_14]

Thank you! lol I can't. I already cut this apart to make the final paper pattern. :s