I have recently started to read a lot of vintage sewing blogs, like Gertie’s Blog for Better Sewing and Dress a Day.
I decided to dig out a couple of vintage sewing books I got. I collect old sewing and handiwork manuals, preferable from before 1960.
I wanted to start somewhere reasonably easy, so I decided to go with
View Image
Which is a book I picked up at a fleamarket, it comes accompanied by 42 sheets of patterns, that range from babies, over children, teens, women and a few mens patterns. The title roughly translates to “Professora Ella Lund’s Large Sewing manual”
I decided to make a blouse with china sleeves and standing collar.
View Image
I first sewed it up in muslin, but did not think of putting on the collar, which turned out to be a mistake. I made some adjustment to the shoulderline, since I have a rather big muscle between the shoulder and the neck, that turned out to be a mistake, since I did not correct the neckline as well.
Me from the front
View Image
From the side.
View Image.
I am going to lower the neckline in front about 1 cm, so the collar does not get so close to the neck, and I am going to raise the back neckline the like amount and make some darts so it fits closer to the neck there.
What did I learn.
When sewing a muslin, put on collars, so you can correct mistakes there, instead of the wearable muslin.
Here it is on Emma, my dressform, you can just barely see the bound button holes, of which I am rather proud. The first bound buttonholes I have made, and much easier than you think. To be honest, I did them because I wanted to try out bound buttonholes, but also because my sewing machine is at service and all I have is a Singer 99 handcrank, and that one can only sew straight stitches
View Image
Other than my own suggestions, what would you suggest of alterations to make it fit better.
I have also posted this in my personal blog at http://tania-gru.livejournal.com/ and on the sewhip livejournal site
Tania
Replies
shirtblouse
Choosing a pattern from a vintage sewing manual makes for an interesting project - thank you for posting here about it.. I couldn't see the photos that were implied by your post here on this forum, but managed to see them by going to your blog. You asked for suggestions for other pattern alteration.
On looking at your shirt from the side, it seems that the shoulder seam angles toward the back from shoulder to neckline. You might want to alter your pattern by straightening that seam to follow the actual ridge of your shoulder. It's not uncommon to have a neck that is more forward than some patterns account for - most of us have some curving forward, and some patterns seem made for a very straight back and neck. Most pattern-fitting instructions say that the shoulder seam should fall just below your ear. (However, my own neck is forward enough that if I put the shoulder seam under my ear, it would be too far forward, so you should use your own judgement about where it should be, and not over-correct.)
To straighten the shoulder seam, add to your back shoulder at the neckline, and subtract an equal amount from the front shoulder at the neckline, and re-draw the seam lines on back and front to the current shoulder point. The other changes you've made, adding 1 cm to the back at neckline, removing 1 cm at front neckline, will further help, but I would first try to get the shoulder seam right, then reassess the amount of your other alterations.
The photos seem to show a little wrinkling under your arms - that may be due to too much length in the underarm/side seam. Does the underarm seam feel too high when you wear the blouse? If you lower the outward curve, from side seam to sleeve, it may relieve some of the wrinkling. If your shoulders slant downward from your neck more than the pattern does, it may be that lowering the entire shoulder and sleeve, including the underarm seam, is the answer. There are directions for altering for a lowered shoulder/armscye in many fitting books.
I hope these suggestions make sense.
Joan
This post is archived.