Blouse E1000 – Muslin shell for fit
Posted by: Lyon
June 27th, 2012 >> Blouse E1000, http://vpll1912project.org/
I cut out my basic muslin patterns on Sunday and began basting them together. The back and front on the side seams were the only place I didn’t have to make adjustments. The lower edge of the front fell about two inches lower than the back, so that had to be trimmed. The neckline was off in more ways than one, so I took my trusty marker and just drew where I wanted the neckline to fall on front and back while the blouse was on me. The back shoulder seam needed to be adjusted to match the slope of my back. It was okay at the arm but way too wide at the neck.
The sleeve went in very easily, the seam I thought was on the back turns out to be a front seam. It is the first time in my years of sewing I have seen a sleeve seam in this configuration. Very interesting. I still have to make adjustments to the sleeve pleat. It no longer falls at the shoulder seam since I enlarged the sleeve so much. I also don’t care for the rather large single pleat when the rest of the blouse has smaller pin tucks. So when I move it froward, I will make its sizing match the rest of the pin tucks.
The collar pattern piece was pretty much useless as provided due to all the added width and lowering of the neckline I made to the original pattern pieces for the front and back, so I just draped a new collar on the dress form to match the changed silhouette. The back neckline still stands out a slight bit from my back when I have the muslin on, but I can adjust for that by pulling in the seams at the shoulders slightly when finishing in the cotton print.
I didn’t fit the cuff or the placket and belt on the muslin since those pieces are basically long rectangles and don’t really affect the fit of the rest of the blouse. (The yellow in the photos is my basting threads, the blue is my marking lines.)
Now I have to figure out how to do the scalloped edge embroidery on the new collar since the pattern no longer applies. Wish me luck figuring this one out as I am a complete novice with vintage embellishments!
The photos show the muslin shell on my dress dummy. The dummy was sized to me some 30 odd years ago, so disregard the “extra” bagginess on the front, I fill it quite well even if the dress form doesn’t. LOL
