Starlet Suit Fitting #6: Where I Learn NOT to Trust My Instincts!

In my last post I noted that after putting in the sleeves on the muslin the sleeves hung about 1/2" below where my actual shoulder is.  I'll show you what I did to make the shoulders a bit narrower, then show you what my sewing book recommends...I was wrong, so wrong.


I cut up the pattern (actually just shaved off about 1/2" in a curve), even though I wasn't sure that was what I should do.  You can see the shaved part (in red); I did this on both the front & back patterns.  Now I did try this w/ the muslin (left the sleeves the same, but made the seam on the bodice a 1/2" wider) and it looked okay, on the muslin anyway.

But then I thought, "Hmmmm, I wonder what the book says about this narrow shoulder problem?"  (I use 3 reference books when I'm sewing, if I don't search the web.) For this problem, I found Alison Smith's The Sewing Book to be the most helpful.  


Note: One good thing about an online class & printing your own pattern (even though it's 45+ pages & took me 2.5 hours to tape together): you can keep reprinting bits.  So I reprinted the very top part of both the front & back bodice pieces (didn't need to reprint the whole pattern, just where I shaved off the shoulder).  


So I followed the directions in my book, and did this instead:

I found the middle of the shoulder, then cut an 8" slash straight down.  Then overlapped those 2 pieces to take out that extra 1/2".  Here it is taped & ready for another muslin:

Probably be this weekend before I get it cut out & sewed for my next try...


Of course the music is So Wrong, Patsy Cline!