Having a Fit

Nothing ever fits me correctly which is why I’m interested in garment construction. I want my Coco couture jacket to fit like it was made for me, but better. In other words, I am hoping it will make me look better than I do in the mirror.

The first step was to pin the pattern pieces to my petite dress form. No surprise, I had to shorten the waist by a good inch. There will certainly be many other reductions taken, but that is the safest place to start.   

Next, I pinned the pattern pieces to some fabric I obtained from a friend who inherited it from another friend who died leaving a treasure trove of fabrics. It’s a polyester ribbed knit with a certain weight to it and a bit of stretch. It is also a fabric that I would never wear in public, so it is perfect for experimentation.

Rather than go the Full Monty and cut linings and pockets with this first experiment, I decided to construct the bodice first, check the fit, and then do the same for the sleeves.

I used a laundry marker to note the notches, quilting lines, intersection points, etc., on my polyester-muslin test jacket. When it comes time to sew the real jacket, I will hand stitch tailors’ tacks in contrasting thread.

I sewed the two front pieces together, then the back and side panels for both halves. My first mistake was cutting the back an inch too short. If I had been using my couture fabric, this would have been a fatal mistake.  After seaming fronts and backs together, it was time for the shoulder seams. That is where I found a second cutting mistake: I had cut the shoulder of the center front too narrow. Another easy fix with a bit of tape and pattern paper.

The bodice shell is way too big for my dress form and for my real form as well, so I will spend a good bit of tomorrow removing volume where bosoms are supposed to be to achieve a more accurate contour.