Sunday, June 13, 2010

Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle

OK, I successfully made it almost to the end of the smock making instructions. I didn't do the hand basting of the yoke facings or do the hemming because this is just a rough version for fit.



This first version was indeed too small, as I was half expecting it to be. The yoke was very high up on my chest compared to the photo of the completed garment in the Seams to Me book, where it comes down much lower, almost around and under the armpits. The width was also a little small making it tight across my upper chest, the arm holes were too high and the length was shorter than expected.


I decided to make a second yoke by adding 5cm in lenth at the horizontal adjustment line given on the pattern. I didn't increase the width because I wanted to just unpick the first yoke and then attach the new one to the existing body pieces. I like this much better, and it also increases the length of the smock to something more like the photo in the book. However, there is a lot of gape at the yoke front which is just ridiculous.





My bloke came up with the suggestion of putting a slight curve to the lower edge of the yoke to bring in the gape. Lets see how it goes...

2 comments:

Tania said...

I so admire your tenacity. Everything would have flown out the window along with the cursing at the lazy pattern. Lady, this is going to be a FABULOUS smock.

Mary said...

You are so right to try this in trail form first, to check the fit and style before you cut out your good fabric.

Just from the pictures, I would suggest making the following corrections, since this is a practice garment:

1.pin out the extra fabric at the center front of the yoke (see the pulls in the fabric?) by pinning a "dart" from neck edge down CF till it lays smooth.

2. pin out the extra yoke fabric at the armhole by pinning "darts" to reduce the yoke fabric at the armhole (which will shape the yoke as you said). This will stop the gaping fabric at the front of the armhole.

3.redistributing the gathers so that they are over each side of the bust independently would probably be more flattering than having it all pulled to the center. You can see it pulling in the photo like it wants to go back toward the armhole.

Once you pin the areas where you want to remove fabric, just mark the fabric before you pull out the pins, then transfer the "dart" marks the pattern (the areas of fabric to be removed), and mark the places where you want to move the gathers. Adjust the pattern (for "darts", cut through the center to the point of the dart, or cut along one leg to the point, overlap the dart lines and tape it down. This removes that area of fabric you don't want.)

The next trial should come out fabulously, then you can go straight to fabric.

By the way, the alphabet is coming along great! Love it!

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