Fitting sleeves - it starts with an armhole

Would you agree that fitting takes the most time when working with a new style or pattern? Fit is one of the most important factors for the success of a couture garment, next to the design, fabric, construction and engineering. And for me, it is the most challenging step in the entire process of making a couture garment.

So, now I am working on the fit of V8646, the dress Susan Khalje chose for her online couture class. Fitting the bodice requires number of fitting steps, and the sequence is the key. I usually check the fit from the top to the bottom.  In the following fitting sequence I wanted to share some tips on armhole depth since I wanted to focus on sleeve fitting, and the correct armhole shape and size is very important.

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1. Shoulder and Neckline - correct fit at the shoulders and the neckline is the foundation for the alignment of the dress. Start checking the neckline and proceed to the shoulder slope.

Establish the shoulder point. To find the shoulder point lift your arm at right angle to the side of your body and look for a dent where the arm and the shoulder comes together. This is quite location placement of the shoulder point.

2. Back width and armhole - Armholes are often cut too low in commercial patterns, so this is a very frequent alteration that should be done after the shoulder and neckline adjustment. After finding the shoulder point and correcting the shoulder length, start re-drawing the armhole line. (you will very likely need someone to help you with that. I do often end up doing it on my own - takes longer, but possible)

Armhole line should start vertically from the end of the shoulder seam on both, the front and the back. Continue drawing making a curve towards the side seam. The armhole should be as small as possible, but should not hamper your arm movement.

So, how low should the armhole be? High-cut armhole is more comfortable, because, by following the shape of the body, it allows wider range of movements.

The height of the armhole is determined with the help of the ruler. I read about it in a fitting book by Jan Minott (out of print unfortunately, but you can find affordable old copies on Amazon and elsewehre). Raise your arm at the right angle to your body and hold a ruler under your armpit. The lowest point of the armhole in a sleeveless garment should be just below the point where the ruler touches the flesh, or where the imaginary sideseam starts to curve under the arm.

In a garment with sleeves, drop the armhole depth some 1/2" (1cm to 1,5) lower. One of the factors you want to consider when determining the depth of the armhole is fabric characteristics: thickness, flexibility, etc... 

3. Darts - proceed checking the bust darts, waist darts, etc.

4. Bodice length - this is the last step in fitting the bodice.

I realize that there are maybe some deviations, but this rough sequence, recommended by many fit experts works for me. I hope it helps you too! By the way, a moulage - tightly fitted custom sloper - is an immense help, but making a moulage requires a lot of experience and help.

Finally, check this excellent article by Sarah Veblen: "To Get the Right Armhole, Fit the Bodice" on threadsmagazine.com

What about you, readers? Do you follow any particular fitting sequence? Share tips and links!

Sleeves, glorious sleeves!

Dear readers, a question for you: How or when do you start fitting sleeves?

The thing is, as I was working on the couture dress for Susan's class, I realized everyone does it differently

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This is how I do it with a new style or pattern:

• - fit the bodice (shoulders, armscye...)
• - adjust the sleeve pattern to fit the adjusted armscye
• - fit the sleeve with the bodice 

I think this sequence shortens the time I spend fitting sleeves, especially if there is no one to help with fitting. Alterations to the bodice can considerable change the shape and the size of the armscye, significantly affecting the fit of the sleeve. Making rough alterations on the pattern helps minimize fitting issues on the body.

So, how do you do it?!

Fitting Shells Q&A

Enough of Muslingate! In this post, I only want to follow up on some comments regarding fitting shells. But, before I proceed, readers, here are my Miranda rights: I have the right to talk ;-), nothing I say here can be used or held against me anywhere in the blogosphere! This is my opinion and feel free to agree or disagree by leaving a comment (or quoting on your blogs). I am an avid fan of your comments, positive or else!!!

Ok, back to fitting shells. Some commenters on Burdastyle suggested using a fitting shell instead of making a muslin, some wanted to know more about them. So, here is some info and further reading, if you want to yield to yet another step in fitting commercial patterns. 

I say commercial patterns (or patterns made to fit some abstract body) because those patterns don't take into account your unique measurements and figure. If you use custom-made patterns, which are based on your personal sloper (or pattern template) or a draped design, you can skip this fitting-shell step altogether. 

Q: So, what is a (commercial) ‘fitting shell’?

A: Essentially, it’s a template pattern with seam allowances, which the pattern company uses to create all other patterns from. So, ideally, once you fitted the company’s fitting shell you should be able to easily fit all the other patterns from the same company. In other words, once you put the original fitting shell on a pattern from the same company you should be able to see the amount of design ease, dart manipulation or other design elements that were added to that pattern.

Q: So how does this fitting shell help me if it is based on some abstract measurements determined by a pattern company?

A: As such, it doesn't - you will still need to try it on and fit it!

Q: Are fitting shells from different companies the same?

A: No, they may differ depending on the company's target group. Theoretically, as an example, a fitting shell for a younger woman may have higher apex placement than a shell for an older woman. 

Q.: Does every company publish a fitting shell?

A: No. However, here a few ones that do:

Vogue Patterns for example has a dress fitting shell...

... and a pant fitting shell:

Here is the McCall’s version:

Butterick:

I am not sure if Burda has a fitting shell. They definitely had one, which was discontinued at some point.

Q: What about out-of-print (OOP) fitting shells?

You can still buy old ones on eBay or elsewhere, but the company's template pattern may have been updated since then. Does it matter? I don't really think so, since at the end you will be fitting the shell anyway. So, you may be better off making you own sloper / fitting shell (= a sloper with seam allowances)

Q: Can I make my own fitting shell?

A: With some patternmaking or draping skills, you can. Essentially, what you will be making is a personal sloper (a fitting shell without seam allowances), then adding seam allowances and fitting to refine the fit. Check out some resources and recommendations for you below.

Q: Do I still need a commercial fitting shell?

A: If you can make your own, you don't, unless you want to examine the relationship between the company’s ideal/fitting shell and their patterns. Design changes and decisions are more obvious when compared to the original shell, and this can be an interesting learning experience, but at the end what you need is a sloper that fits you.

Q: How do I adjust a commercial pattern with the help of a fitting shell?

A: By aligning center front and center back on both, as a start; by pivoting darts to line them up with the pattern shaping; by checking the correct position of the waistline, bustline, hips – these are just some steps. For more details check out my suggestions at the end of this post. 

Q: After I made adjustments on the pattern, do I still need to make a muslin?

A: I would, to fine-tune the fit, especially, if I am working with a fitted garment or expensive fabric, or fabric that requires matching. Whether you use a fitting shell, or not, learning how to adjust patterns before you make a muslin will often help you avoid several muslin fittings. Has it ever happened to you? I hate it, especially with pants or jackets.

Q: Where can I find information on how to fit a shell?

A: Threads Magazine had a great article on a fitted basic shell printed in October/November 1998 issue of the magazine, which also appeared on their website ten years later: The Merits of the Basic Fitting Pattern.

If it’s still confusing, check out this great discussion on fitting shells on PatternReview.com. 

Q: Where can I find information on how to create a sloper myself:

A: My favorite is a book by Suzy Furrer, “Building Patterns: The architecture of Women’s Clothing”. It contains a lot of information on how to create slopers and a moulage (a mold of the upper body from the neck to the hip).

Patternmaking and fitting e-books by Kenneth D.King are another excellent option, but be prepared to buy several books to cover all types of garments. 

Some people also recommend Fit for Real People by Palmer Pletsch, however, I am not familiar with the book myself.

Now, do I use a fitting shell? Hardly, I had a sloper for pants before pregnancy – and it was very useful. I now need to make a new one, because my figure has changed making pants fitting even more challenging. Apparently, according to one smart fitting book, I got ‘flat buttocks’. This comes from blogging, readers - I am sure! I should be exercising instead, right?!!!

What about you? Do you think fitting shells are useful? Have you attempted/ would you attempt to make your own sloper?

Meet my fitting companion... and the scavenger hunt challenge!

I am done with assembling my muslin for the first LBD fitting (the picture is at the end of the post), but before we proceed to the mystery challenge, I thought I need to share with you something I found extremely valuable throughout my fitting experience (ok, I admit, my fitting experience is a work-in-progress thing). Nevertheless,..

...meet my fitting companion, this Moleskine notebook. It is my best friend when it comes to fitting! And if you want to have one too, here are some suggestions on how to use it:

• Get yourself a nice notebook in an appealing color (I love Moleskines, for example, and if I pick a nice color like red or hot pink, it motivates me to use the notebook more often). So, from now on, this notebook will be your fitting reference!
• Every time you make a new note, write down the date.
• Take your measurements and write them down (don’t forget the date!). 
• Before fitting, put on your regular undergarments (be daring! treat yourself to some very nice underwear). Now, take a picture of yourself from all sides: front, back, left side, right side. The point is to take a look at yourself and your irregularities from a different prospective. I was surprised how much more I discovered through such a picture. Next, paste it on the first page of your fitting notebook (you can also write a note: “I love my body!” - I did - or be even more specific about what you love about your body most!)
• Now, whenever you fit a garment, take pictures from all sides and paste them in the notebook. Make notes, doodle, have fun!  
• Next to the pictures, make a note of what adjustments you made and how. Most likely, you will need the same adjustment many times, so why reinventing the wheel.
• Store you fitted muslins and reference them in your notebook for any similar designs. 

And, finally, my LBD in pre-fitted stage (however, after some crazy adjustments - the pattern was two sizes smaller). 

By the way, please feel free to critique the muslin: the more comments, the merrier! I am in the process of refitting it, and I would love to read what you think. Some comments on fitting are already there, now it's your turn! Treat it as a scavenger hunt challenge! And, please-please-please, no "it looks great" comments - we want to learn together, right? 

Grainline marking: á la Dior

I had to add this very brief post to my last entry on grainlines and fitting.

Some time ago I bought this great out-of-print book on Amazon:
Kenneth, Frances. Secrets of the Couturiers. New York: Exeter, 1984. Print

So yesterday, reading the chapter on Dior, I came across his quote on grainline marking. (By the way, it is amazing, sometimes you just happen to come across specific information just when you are interested in it most):

"To facilitate the fittings, the dresses arrive at the studio entirely covered with guide threads. Those threads, in contrasting colours that show up clearly against the material, have been sewed through every one of the pieces that make up a dress. One follows the grain of the material, and the other is at right angles to it [crossgrain marking,  a-ha!!!]. The bias lies between the two. The guide threads, pitiless critics, reveal all the possible faults in the cut, and must find points of equilibrium in essential parts of the dress."

It sounds almost poetic dear readers, doesn't it? After reading this chapter I made connection with what i saw in men's bespoke tailoring where all jackets were meticulously marked for grainlines. And Dior used tailoring techniques to the extreme. Back to Shaeffer again, many of her Custom Couture patterns apply classical men's tailoring techniques. A whole new chapter...

Grainline and Fitting

How many times have I read about the importance of the grainline for the final look of a garment and for the fit. I take extra care when marking and cutting my garments, making sure that pattern pieces are aligned with the grain of the fabric.

But once the toile, or fashion fabric (when I skipped making toile), was cut, I ignored the grain line thinking enough had been done. I usually end up making several alterations, especially, when using commercial patterns. With all the individual figure issues (uneven shoulders, etc. etc.) my fitting was based on trial-and-error approach before: pulling fabric on one side, letting out on the other…

The result? DISTORTED BALANCE!!!! The garment pulled and twisted, especially after washing.

Why marking grain lines?

Hours wasted, garments abandoned, a stash of UFOs grew because of the poor fit. Are you familiar with this scenario, dear readers? I am, unfortunately!

What helps (and it is so obvious to me now) is the careful marking of the grainlines on the toile (and on fashion fabric).

A wonderful book, Fitting & Pattern Alteration (a little bit pricey but totally worth it!) explains in detail how to use grainline to evaluate fit. The authors caution that the grainline can be difficult to recognize, especially for less experienced dressmakers. “To simplify recognizing grainline during the fitting process and in the completed garment, it is advisable to transfer pattern grainlines onto fabric pieces with a marking tool such as pencil, transfer paper, or thread, depending on the type of fabric and the use of the garment… with practice, your eye will quickly identify grain position on the body and recognize even subtle needs for adjustments.”

an example of poor fit (Ben Chmura, a Project Runway designer, was eliminated for this design)

I realized all the advantages of marking grainlines when I started with draping. It took me less time to see where I had excess fabric, or where I needed to let out more. I believe this is possible because, once you have correct placement for lengthwise grain and crossgrain markings, you work on the fitting issues on smaller portions of garments enclosed by those marking lines.

“Recognizing accuracy or error in the position of the fabric grain or marked grainlines while on the body provides clues as to the success or failure of the fit. For example, if a crosswise grain curves up or down where it should be parallel, it is due to a body bulge or hollow directly above the curve of the grain,” explains the Fitting & Pattern Alteration book.

Draping guides are very explicit about the grainline marking and its use in fitting.  And in Haute Couture this is an extensively used technique according to Claire Shaeffer who writes in her Threads article “Sew your Hautes” that “garment centers and crossgrains are thread traced to be used as guidelines during the fitting.” (Issue 141, Feb/Mar 2009)

Why haven’t I seen this advice in many sewing books. Well, it seams it is not in the same league as home sewing… Ok, I agree, thread tracing, tailor tucks, and similar, do require additional time; but, at the same time, grainline marking IS a great fitting shortcut.

So now, I diligently trace my grainlines. And, Oh, dear readers, it is such a relief! 

Where to mark?

On muslin, I mark the lines with a fineliner and, if I need them to be visible on both sides, I tread trace them, (it really depends on the complexity of design).

If the muslin fits perfectly, great, just transfer the pattern to the fashion fabric. However, the reality is that the toile fabric and the fashion fabric drape differently, and, in this case, I often thread-trace grain lines and crossgrains on fashion fabric as well. One thing to be cautious about is the needle and the thread you are using for thread tracing – they should not leave marks on your fashion fabric. If you are not sure, use a scrap fabric to try a few stitches.

So where do you want to thread-trace?

LENGTHWISE GRAIN

Generally, lengthwise grain markings on a pattern are a good guide, so transfer those to your fabric making sure the line is marked all the way from the top to the bottom of the garment piece.

CROSSGRAIN

On skirts, mark the hip line (easy one!).

On blouses, jackets and dresses, in addition to the hipline, mark the bust line, cross-chest and cross-back lines. Claire Shaeffer explains in her book Couture Sewing Techniques: “The cross-chest and cross-back lines fall at the narrowest part of the chest and at the midpoint of the armscye. The bustline falls at the base of the underarm and may not actually be at the bust point.”

For marking crossgrain on sleeves, Shaeffer recommends marking the cap line and the biceps line. “The biceps line connects the top of the underarm seam and marks the crossgrain... The capline is located on the crossgrain midway between biceps line and shoulder point.”

For pants, it is recommended to thread trace the cross grains at the crotchline and the knee. I was a little disappointed, however, to find out that there are hardly any directions on thread –tracing of cross grains in Shaeffer’s Custom Couture patterns. Only the crotchline was marked on the pattern. I guess you would have to measure the distance from the crotchline/ or waistline to your knee and mark a perpendicular to the grainline at that point.

Fitting

Lengthwise grain should always remain straight and perpendicular to the floor, the cross grain should run parallel to the floor on all basic straight designs.

Claire Shaeffer explains how to fit the skirt toile (p. 107). I am quoting only the crossgrain related comments: “The crossgrain at the hipline should be parallel to the floor for several inches at the center front and back. As it approaches the side seams, this crossgrain will begin to drop on all skirts with any flare, but not any basic straight designs. On a correctly balanced skirt , the crossgrain will drop an equal amount on both sides.

For sleeves, she says (p. 137) that “when the sleeve is correctly balanced, the lengthwise grain will hang straight from the shoulder point and be perpendicular to the floor, and the crossgrain will be parallel to the floor.”

On pants, the lengthwise grain will bend softly over the curve, but going downwards, from the widest point of your hips, it should run perfectly straight.