CS1201: Day 4

A funny thing happened on the way to Day 3.  At end of Day 2, I had decided  the front and back needed to be shortened 3/4″ above the waistline and from front dart, around the side, cross the back, around the other side and up to the other front dart. Leaving the center between dart to dart unchanged. Working from copies, on the back, I made a tuck all the way across. On the front, I moved the front change into the dart; folded the dart and cut the new side seam. It’s a big dart. 2-3/4″ deep instead of the 1″ usually specified for a barely-B cup. But if my body shape requires it, OK. I’ll manage.

Thing is what worked on paper didn’t work quite the same in fabric. I spent Day 3 trying to eliminate the rest of the wrinkles, especially these:

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I could make them worse:

But not better. I could remove nearly all the wrinkles below the hip and above the bust.  I’ve got a little extra ease up there that I’m reluctant to remove.  I don’t want a close-fitting blouse. That means with many fabrics, I’m going to have a little ease moving around. Rippling. that kind of thing.  Point is, I could never remove the drag lines pointing to the side seam between underarm and waist.Even thought it feels perfectly comfortable, the hem is even too loose, I wondered if I needed more ease on one side or the other? Or both? First I let out the side seams between waist and underarm 1/4″.  Didn’t help. Next I opened the seam completely 1″ down from the underarm. Then 2″. 3″. and Finally 4″.  The drag lines did not improve.  I decided to look on the bright side. I had proved that circumference was not the issue.  Earlier I had added a 1/4″ dart running from bust dart, across the back to the other bust dart. About the same place as the excess of Day 2 but not as deep. That remove the last ripples on the front bust. I proceeded to let out and then take that dart in deeper and deeper. Until it was once again 3/4″ deep. While the front looked better around the bust and below the waist, those side seam drag lines were either unaffected or deeper.  Finally I ripped out the side seam. Gave front a back a light spritzing of starch and pressed carefully.  I hate to do too much of this even while fitting because the starch, heat and steam will reshape whatever I’m working on.  I carefully pressed. Up and down or slightly smoothing.  To my surprise, the front bust at the side seam looks like this:

On the front, I should have little shaping. I’m definitely pear. You know, little bumps on top, little dent just above the middle, biiiiiiiiiiiiiig bump below waist? A sharp inward incline at the bust is just not right. Not for me.

To test if this was indeed the cause of my problems, I cut 2.5″ strips, slipped below each side seam and basted into place.  I pinned the sides together and drew and angled line from underarm to hem.   At this fitting, the line angles steadily thereby increasing ease all the way to the hem.

Yep! That’s the answer.  At least, the answer for the underarm/bust drag lines.

 

Sheesh! One error. Two days of pain.