I must stop this now!
I am referring to this tendency to think "oh it is only a muslin" and use whatever thread happens to be on the machine without giving any thought to the possibility that I might actually like the finished garment. As a result I get things like a navy tee with white and hot pink stitching. Well it could be worse — at least these threads won’t show through.
As you might surmise I did actually stitch up the tee muslin on Tuesday night. And I loved it!
Well, I had reservations, which should not surprise you in the least. The tee was great, loose and comfortable but not completely shapeless, without those big folds that come at the chest/arm when the shoulder/sleeve are too square for the body underneath. But it was way to big.
Now I "know" that the CJ pattern is cut large. It is meant to be roomy and Christine has that "sew then shrink" thing going on a well. But I also always seem to think that I am much bigger than I really am — that old "jolly green giant" syndrome rears its ugly head. Or it might have been a new variation I will call the "Jabba the Hutt" syndrome after seeing pictures of me with baby Owen. (That refers to a picture of me taken from the floor looking up at my thigh with baby Owen bouncing on it — a less flattering photographic angle has not been invented).
Of course, I don’t like pictures of me unless they are at least 10 years old and then I feel like the person in the photo is someone else entirely.
But I digress…
The size issue was pretty simply resolved by taking in the tee at the bustline, and angling out to the hem, as you can see in the photo to the right. The pink line is the new cutting line, as opposed to the blue (old) cutting line. As you can see I took in a little over an inch at each side of each piece (4 inches total) just extending the sleeve edge inward and up just the smallest bit and then angling down to the original line at the hem.
The finished tee looks much better. You shall see photos once I finish the neckline and the hems. I shall finish both muslins and wear them.
But not much has happened on the sewing front since Wednesday morning, when this alteration was made. Well I altered the actual pattern last night — does drawing two lines in pink marker count as sewing time?? I think it might.
More sewing later. Well, if I can get off the computer and get to the gym that is.