This is third in a series of post in which I attempt to make myself I blazer. You can read previous posts here.
Thank you, everyone, for your comments on my last post. Your suggestions and tips about what to my blazer muslin was crazy helpful. I’ve made some adjustments on that muslin and in the process I’ve learned the following…
- Yes, you DO need shoulder pads. Attempting to fit without shoulder pads is newb mistake. The pattern is designed for them and it won’t hang right of the shoulders without them.
- It is also more helpful to put in both sleeves. After adding a second sleeve (and doing a much better job setting it in I might add), the roominess I felt all but disappeared.
- Amy left a great link to a video about adjusting a jacket. In it, the instructor suggests adjusting in “L.C.D. order” – length, circumference, depth. Watch the video to learn what she means.
So, learning that I brought up the waist line by 1 1/2 inches match my natural waist line which is higher than average. Below the waistline, I let out the side seams by 1/2″ and the other seams by 1/4 inch, for a total of 4 1/2 inches all around. Finally, I decided on a length I liked. Which is above the widest part of my hips.
There still is some bagginess near my shoulder blades, but I am afraid to remove that without losing mobility. As mentioned in the comments, it might even disappear with the use of a heavier material.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with how it looks, besides the whole Made Out Of A Sheet thing. 😉
Now, if I was making one of those fancy couture jackets or a real power business suit, I would make one more muslin with these changes and do some more tweaking. There are some wrinkles and drag lines that could be fixed. However, my goal is a more casual style jacket that fits me better than ready-to-wear. So, I think I will now translate these changes to the paper pattern and get on sewing the real thing!
What you think?
Good enough? Or keep on tweaking?
I’d just go for it. You don’t want to have a pile of jacket muslins and be discouraged by them and never finish your fashion jacket… Not that this happens to me or anything. 😀 Some of the wrinkles will come out with the heavier fabric, others will come out with ironing and you might still have some but it’ll be okay. Isn’t this one of your first jackets? The nice thing is that you make it and wear it a ton and we’re all impressed and then you go back 6 months from now and adjust the things you found really matter to you.
Yeah!! That is fabulous, and I can’t wait to see it transformed into a real jacket for you! Lovely update, and I think you are doing a great job!
Jodi, that looks really great! I was working on a short trench coat that has similar lines to this pattern, but I pretty much hated how it turned out. I’d like to think it’s because I just look dumb in trench coats, but more probably it’s because I didn’t spend enough time adjusting the pattern to fit my body type. I need to take more time to do a muslin mock-up for some of my little ‘projects’. Any how, yours looks awesome–good on ya! Can’t wait to see the real thing.
This looks like it will be great. I would not be this brave. I have crashed and burned on blazers before! I think the waistline makes such a huge difference in pieces like this.
Jodi it’s looking good. It is so great how you can learn so much about sewing, from great suggestion from people all over the world. It must be so much more fun then just trying to figure it out from a book. Have you picked out the fabric already?
It certainly is more fun!!!
As for the fabric, I have not.
Any suggestions?
I’ve returned my fitting book to the library, but perhaps the little bagginess in the back near the armpits is from the shoulders being too wide? Perhaps adding the full collar will bring it in a bit, and the bagginess will disappear like magic? Regardless, the changes you’ve made look great, and I think I’d just go ahead as is, especially given how you want to use this jacket. You’ll likely learn so much more in how you like jackets to fit after spending time wearing the finished jacket. Then, if you ever decide to make another, you’ll be able to tweak more if needed based on your experience. Bravo for making so much progress! My cut jacket pieces are still sitting next to my sewing table waiting for me to find a bit of time in my life… Soon!