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measure twice, cut once
Jul. 13th, 2013 06:17 pmFinally finished the Issey Miyake skirt, Vogue 1541 (top row center) and learned a lot not only about sizing up Miyakes, but sizing up in general:
1) Measure - and measure again. When I compared the pattern measurements to my own, I failed to take into account 1) seam allowances, and 2) the width of the side bands.
As such, my first run was too big - which for a standard skirt might not be a problem, but for the skirt front with its funky self-facings it wasn't a case of simply taking width out of the sides (and there's no center front seam so I couldn't shrink it that way either).
I tried taking off the facings, slimming down the sides, and adding them back, but it still didn't take it in enough. Thank goodness I bought extra yardage!
2) Make a gorram muslin. Seriously. I was uncharacteristically overconfident in my abilities because the 1541 skirt is fairly simple (for a Miyake, at least) and I foolishly thought adding a couple of inches, how hard can it be... shyeah :P See again: this project would have been dead in the water if I'd not had extra fabric.
3) Let's hear it for chrome-edge tailor's points! Purchased at the recommendation of a reenactor friend, I now wear these on a lanyard around my neck so they're always on hand to cut thread and fabric. My teeth (my usual thread-snipping method) are grateful.
Results: I have a new skirt for work/play that may nearly match the jacket I made years ago that still fits - incredibly the button style were still in manufacture as well.
And I've discovered that at least some of the Miyake patterns can be sized up, but VERY CAREFULLY.
1) Measure - and measure again. When I compared the pattern measurements to my own, I failed to take into account 1) seam allowances, and 2) the width of the side bands.
As such, my first run was too big - which for a standard skirt might not be a problem, but for the skirt front with its funky self-facings it wasn't a case of simply taking width out of the sides (and there's no center front seam so I couldn't shrink it that way either).
I tried taking off the facings, slimming down the sides, and adding them back, but it still didn't take it in enough. Thank goodness I bought extra yardage!
2) Make a gorram muslin. Seriously. I was uncharacteristically overconfident in my abilities because the 1541 skirt is fairly simple (for a Miyake, at least) and I foolishly thought adding a couple of inches, how hard can it be... shyeah :P See again: this project would have been dead in the water if I'd not had extra fabric.
3) Let's hear it for chrome-edge tailor's points! Purchased at the recommendation of a reenactor friend, I now wear these on a lanyard around my neck so they're always on hand to cut thread and fabric. My teeth (my usual thread-snipping method) are grateful.
Results: I have a new skirt for work/play that may nearly match the jacket I made years ago that still fits - incredibly the button style were still in manufacture as well.
And I've discovered that at least some of the Miyake patterns can be sized up, but VERY CAREFULLY.
