Day with Georgene

Ready To Trace
by Neefer.

Last Friday, I spent the day with Georgene. She bought a really cool pattern (image to the left, right click for a larger image) from the 1930s on ebay, and we got together and traced the pattern on muslin and fitted it to me. I felt kinda bad that we didn't do any fitting on Georgene.

We started by covering her really nice cutting table with muslin, laying the pattern pieces on top so we could draw around them. The picture to the left is of the skirt pattern pieces ready to be traced. We added 2 inches to the length the quick and dirty way (i.e. adding it at the bottom). I was concerned that it would be too short for me, and I like my skirts LONG.

tracingTracingTracing
Originally uploaded by neefer.

I had never "traced" a pattern like this. I like patternease (like tear-away stablizer), and one of the reasons is that it is translucent. Another difference is that I use the OmniGrid type rulers, probably because I spent several years quilting, and Georgene has a big metal ruler and several small, flexible rulers, similar to what I used in college when I was learning drafting. Since we were at Georgene's and since her knowledge and experience with all things sewing are vastly greater than mine, we did things her way. Her very sturdy and wide table made copying the patterns pretty easy.

Georgene used the long metal ruler to draw reference grainlines on the muslin. We traced the full pattern instead of just the halves. I would have just done the halves.

SewingSewingSewing by Neefer.

I think it took us 3 hours to trace and cut 2 copies. We traced one copy, then lay 2 layers of muslin on the cutting table so we could cut the 2 copies at one time. Very clever; I'm sure I would have made each copy in series. This was much more efficient.

We broke for lunch and ate crab lasagne that my husband had made. He caught the crabs, too. He loves to be out on the ocean. I think he fishes to justify going out there. Ha! Like he could come any where near the $20,000 (US) that he's spend on that @#$% boat.

The afternoon was devoted to fitting my muslin. Since Georgene's methods were different from the ones that I knew, she was generous in teaching me her methods and doing it on my muslin, instead of hers. But it was kinda funny the effect some of the differences had. For example, I learned to sew the fitting pieces together with the seams out. Georgene likes them with the seams in, so that she can see the silhouette. The big seam allowances disrupt that image. And I had assumed we would make the pattern smaller by folding tucks in it, but Georgene just whacked the extra off the side, and she fit my armhole and sleeve manually. We didn't do a full bust alteration. I figured that the pattern was a size 50 (50 inch bust), so it should allow for a cup size of D or so.

finished
Originally uploaded by neefer.

There are a couple of issues that still need to be worked out. The shoulder darts are not centered over my breasts. I forget what the other things are. Oh, well. No, wait. I'm supposed to slash and spread the sleeve to give it more drape. We thought it was skimpy. And the shoulder seam needs to come forward some.

I plan on making it out of some drapey rayon from my stash. Hm. Now what comes to mind?