The jacket from &^($%^%!!!!!

You know how sometimes you want to slip a project in while you are working on other things,, sometimes it works out,, sometimes it don't?  ha,, well this one didn't.. read on,,

Have you ever worked on a garment that seemed like it just wasn't meant to be,, well McCalls 5668 is it for me,, and it really ticks me off, cause I really liked this pattern,,, it looks so casual and easy,,, uhhhummm, right!!!

First of all, I HATE a pattern that the front princess seem go to the side of the bust... and the problem with getting pattenrs like this, is you don't realize this is  how it goes together till you get it home and open it up,,,, I think if I even get another one of these, I may just take it back,,, ok enough of that, onto the next problem,, 

Adjustments,,,I already know my shoulders are 41/2 in wide,, so I have to take the shouders in over an inch,, then I have to take the pricess seams (PS) in front and back at the arm hole,,  1/2 in in back and almost an inch in front,, now when i take up the PS in front, I forget that because this pattern has the seam to the side of the bust,, there are going to be some gathers in the front piece,, so the front piece it going to be a little longer than the side front,, #1 mistake...

Next alteration,, I need to add to the PS below the bust line down to the hem,, so I add at both the front,, (because I do need a little there) and at the side front seams.. #2 mistake,, I add too much..

. I usually do a sway back adjustment,, but this pattern has an optional belt that I likes,, so that would "supposedly take tare of the wrinkles in the lower back,,, heh,,,

It looks good, at first,, but,, the belt I realize it way too wide,, so need to narrow it by half,,,

Ok constrution time,, lets see what I have done,, taken in the shoulders, taken in the ps  at the front and back arm,, let out ps at the underbust,, made the belt narrower,, Oh and the biggest Pain in the BUTT,, that collar,, oh where did McCalls ever come up with an idea like that,, now other seamstress's may do good with this pattern,, NOT ME...... I never did get this collar figured out,, I just muddled trough it,, uuuhhgg,,,

Anyway,, I hadn't sewn the front together yet, had to take some off the front,, an inch at the hem, tapering  at the bust, so guess where mistake #3 came in at,, I cut off the side front,,not the center,,,

So at this point I am thinking can this jacket be saved?? I make the belt narrower, sew up the seams, everything but the sleeves ,, I get up to try it on,, and one of the belts get caught on something and tears it out of the seam,, buy this time I am thinking,, well you don't want to know what I am thinking at this point,, I put it on,, and realize,, as big as my waist is, I probably don't need a belt anyway,, BUT the waist is almost too small now,, WHAT,,,, I guess when I cut off that inch, i cut off too much,, so I decide that I am just going to put a hook and eye closure in,, that will be ok,,

So now its time for the sleeves,, they go together good,, I get ready to put them in,, you know how you normally have to gather the sleeves a little,, its called ease,,, this was the last straw,, I had to s-t-r-e-t-c-h- the sleeves to fit,,,, somehow I either had the armhole too big,, or the sleeves too small,,, I don't know,, but that was mistake #4 i think,, and that was it,, in the trash it went,, I was done,,,

So,, all the tops I had planned for Holly I decided were going to be put on hold,,, I needed something quick, easy,, fail proof,, if there is such a thing,, stay tooned...

McCalls 4932...

Well sort of...

You might remember this post I was making some lace to go on a jacket,, well after trial and error making a jacket and shell, I finally got working patterns..

This is what the jacket looked like, basically,,, no dart,, allready starting off bad,,

The shoulder seam was too wide...then it had to be angled...

This is what the alterations look like that work,, take in the shoulder seam but 3/4 in,,, raise the armhole 1/2 in,, where the waist comes in,,, let that out,,, and the piece of pattern going across the bust, that is where I have to put a dart in....

I have also learned a little trick,, I have started putting the date on my pattern of the last time I altered them,, that way I can remember...

Now for the shell,, the  waist from the shell from the pattern was just like the jacket waist,,I didn't feel like messing with anymore alterations if I didn't have to,, besides, I had a knit top that fit me almost perfect,,so I thought, just copy it,, so I  went and got some Press and Seal, (P&S),and laid it out,,, you can see in the pic that that stuff really sticks,,,

Getting the P&S laid out good on the top,,,

After I have traced around the edges..I cut it out,, the very thing that lets P&S work so good.. also lets it stick to about anything else,, so I knew I needed something to stick to the adhesive side,,, introducing Pellon  Tru Grid,,,

All Tru Grid is is a see thru  fiborous material that has an inch grid on it,, after I cut out the P&S, I laid it on the Tru Grid and cut,,,

This is what it looks like,, the shine is from the P&S,,, the lines are from the Tru Grid,,

This is a try on,, I wanted to see just how much of a difference the dart made,, the left side is with no dart,, the right,, with one,,

Finished jacket and shell.. I think I could use a little deeper of a dart,, but this works pretty good for now,, will make the alterations for the next set...

Completed..

I am still here,, and have been sewing,, I really like this top,, it was a pain,, I have always felt that God gave me a gift for sewing,, BUT,, I didn't realize he was going to give me such a busty daughter to sew for... and it is a challenge..I managed to incorporate most of the excess fabric into the dart at the waist.. and I took in another inch in the side seems,, there is actually another 2 inches that could  be taken up, but I didn't want the top to be too tight,, so I left it... the material is a little see through,, so she will wear it with an undershirt..all in all, I think it will work...the only other problem,, this is 100% cotton which means lots of ironing,, why do I do this to myself???