Tissue Frustration

In Fit for Real People, the Palmer/Pletsch team state that yes, you can tissue fit yourself by yourself, although they recommend having a sewing buddy.

I went into the sewing room yesterday to work on costumes and saw the still-pinned-together FSG 1945 pattern and thought, "I'll just go ahead and make that bust/upper chest adjustment...it'll be quick...then I'll put it away."

Ha.

Moving the bust shaping down really didn't take much fullness out of the upper chest area...I pinned out two fishtail darts in that upper corner and then fussed for the greater part of my available sewing time trying to figure out how to get those darts into the seams. The tough part was that the shoulder seam itself was the right length; I couldn't just shave off the seam allowance. I marked where the excess needed to come off and struggled to get a decent, smooth transition from what was ok, to what needed to come off, to what needed to be added at my actual bust level.

Then after I put it all up I had a gnawing suspicion that I didn't do it right...I took some off of the front piece, which I probably should not have done. The rest came off of the middle front...each seam; and it was a problem getting things lined up and I was more frustrated than I want to be when I'm sewing. I worried about the problems I'd had keeping the pinned together pattern hanging straight when fitting it because the back wasn't supported and I began to wonder if I had overfitted...if the pattern had been on my body correctly...if I needed to trash what I'd done and start over. I just decided to go with what I had and make a muslin to check it. I keep telling myself once this pattern is fitted I will have a gem I can use over and over and over, so it will be worth the !!!! moments.

But I did get a little work done on the costumes...I changed the thread in the machines... sigh.

I won't do anymore sewing until at least Sunday evening; this is the Radiance Women's conference week...always a refreshing time and I can sure use some refreshing!