Use a bit of padding to help fill out that left shoulder, check out Bernadette Banners channel if you want an example of how padding helps the silhouette in 19th century clothing! She also has scoliosis and has some interesting tips on how she’s fiddled her clothing into behaving for her! Also, definitely look into interlining the jacket, and pad stitching is something you may want to try for the collar and lapels, part of the puckering is that the fabric is not especially stiff. You also may want to look at some slight boning in the jacket to keep it smooth. Just a few thoughts off the top of my head, hope they help!
Thank you so much for the advice, I think while I was hesitant to try out pad-stitching, I am definitely going to try now (as soon as I find some horse hair canvas). I didn't even think about adding boning, but that is a great point - the extant bodice I own even has boning, so it would likely be incredibly historically accurate and make it sit very nicely. Thank you again, so helpful!
Engineering Knits You’re very welcome! Have fun and remember to give yourself compassionate deadlines, it’s not going to upset us if it takes a bit longer to see the finished jacket, and you’ll enjoy it better because it looks right! Stay safe and healthy!
Negative ease, is for your arm/shoulder movement. It's okay if it's a tiny bit uneven as long as the seam lays flat. For a novice seamstress you are taking on a complicated seam. Even for an experienced seamstress this can go horribly wrong. Try to tacking-in the sleeve before committing to sewing machining the sleeve seam. This will ensure you have the alignment right, making for a better seam. Also this will stops the weekness in the fabric, through oversewing from mistakes.
I look forward to each one of your videos! The way you explain your problem-solving processes helps me figure things out in my own historical sewing and knitting. I can't wait to see the final jacket!
Notes/advice -the seam where the notches didn't match. Sometimes notches can get messed up, so in this case I would ignore them. Match the fabric edges of the hem and shoulder, and distribute any excess fabric evenly. If there is a section where the seam is cut more on the bias/diagonal than the rest, the excess fabric usually comes from that part of the fabric stretching. -3:50 the flappy bit is called the lapel, with the fold called (in tailoring) the roll line. -5:00 that is genuinely the 'proper' method if you don't want to measure the difference and recut all the pieces and risk making a mistake. -left shoulder. Yes, make the shoulder a lot narrower, but also try pinching out some height at the shoulder seam to make the angle sharper, then add the length back in by lowering the bottom of the armscye (scooping it out). This would fix the pooling seen at 10:00 -right shoulder. Also make this shoulder narrower. The shoulder point is a little too wide, but that style of sleeve usually has an extra half inch taken away from the shoulder point to make the sleeve puff extra tall. Try pinching out a little height of this shoulder seam too, but you wouldn't need to take so much out, because the pooling is less severe (see 10:00) -something funny is going on with the front panel. I can't see the seam details, but if it's a single dart front, I think the dart point is too high up (above the bust point), and it's a bit too wide, creating the pulling at the button. So, the solution would be to lower the dart point, and let the dart out a bit, assuming that is what's causing the weirdness.
Wow, this is such a detailed and helpful response, thank you so, so much! I also didn't notice the pooling at all at 10:00 until you pointed it out, thank you for your helpful advice, I'm going to try it out! This also goes for the front panel and the dart, I didn't notice that the dart sits far too high, I will see what I can do, thank you again!
I love to witness your process! I am a horrible seamstress, so, no good advice from here, but as always, I strongly encourage you to go on your merry way. More projects, please!
My suggestion is to make a shoulder pad for each shoulder and undo the underarm pieces, try it on then alter from there. I think that you may need a different pair of pads one fatter than the other?
I think you will be really glad you did the second mock up, and I think this jacket is going to be beautiful when you get it done. I have only tried to make jackets a couple of times and have never been happy with how they came out, and I think it was because I didn’t spend the time to properly make adjustments to the pattern to fit things correctly. You are doing such a great job being patient with yourself and not rushing to the finished project!! This is an ambitious project for a relative beginner (I have been sewing for decades and would hesitate to make this jacket - the skirt, yes, the jacket, not so much!), and you are doing a fabulous job with it!
your mockup looks lovely! as other people have said, the best (and most historically accurate) option to remedy the shoulder issue is padding! it's also much easier. tailored garments can be ridiculously tricky sometimes and when you start fiddling with things it can start pulling in odd ways on a heavier fabric like twill. i also really recommend you use tailors' canvas for at least the collar and lapels on the finished piece. even if it's your first attempt and it isn't perfect you will probably be much happier with the result in the end and get a much more wearable outfit. fusible interfacing is an option but it won't give you the lovely movement that tailors canvas (also known as horsehair canvas or tailor's cloth or probably a dozen other terms) gives to a tailored garment. if it were me i would also experiment with putting it in the pleats on the back. if you're not intending to make the jacket washable, tarlatan is another option for the back pieces.
Thank you, I have been hesitant to try tailor's canvas, as I am so new to sewing, but I think you convinced me to give it a try - I won't learn unless I start somewhere! Thank you again!
@@EngineeringKnits don't worry too much! if it doesn't work, just unpick it and try over. because you sew it in, it isn't difficult to fiddle with. good luck!
It looks great. I think you have picked out the right problems. I would also say that when you make the lapels to use some interfacing but it probably has that suggestion in the pattern. As to the notches on the curves not matching up: sometimes this is because of the added seam allowance on the curves that make it appear they don't line up. Also with curves, sometimes one curve is meant to be eased into the other to create a 3d shape. I find that you line up the notches and pin vertically. Ease the curves around from the notch, lining them up and pinning vertically. They should then line up. Look on TH-cam for ’how to sew a curved seam’. I am looking forward to the final outfit! X
Looks good! Looking forward to the finished ensemble! :D For the weird matching situation at those curves, remember that there is the seam allowance and U(r-x)
Another way to help line it up is to run a gathering stitch through the seam allowance of the outward-curving piece, and use that to control the excess
I can't wait to see how the final comes out. I have just a few things to note, that I hope will be helpful to you in your future sewing endeavors. The reason why the notch and the armhole seam don't match is because the extra fabric is supposed to be eased in, to accommodate the curves of the body. However, what I have found on commercial patterns is that they often put too much ease in those sections, which causes puckering and bunching, so you may have to take some of that out. You'll have to fiddle around with it a bit and use lots of pins to ease in the the fabric so that the notches and seams match, and I would suggest basting it in place before sewing it on the machine (it will save lots of headaches). As for the issues with the sloping shoulder, I haven't personally had experience with it, but I have seen some people add a bit of padding (like cotton batting) to the side where the shoulder slopes more, to even it out. Also, I'm not sure if the patterns calls for it or not, but I would suggest adding some kind of stabilizer or interfacing to the lapel/collar, to give it weight, so it doesn't want to flap about or constantly fall to the front (I've had issues with that before, and it can be very annoying to continually adjust it). Depending on how much tailoring you want to do, often the whole body of jackets are interlined with interfacing or horsehair canvas, so that they keep their shape and structure.
I'm so excited to see the whole ensemble!! It's going to look so grand with the mountain landscape in the background. I think that aside from the adjustment for evenness, both sleeves should be set a bit higher on the shoulder, it looks like both are hanging lower than they should, especially for 1890s. I have this problem a lot on patterns(I guess it's a narrow or sloping shoulder thing) my sleeves always look like they're falling off. Doing that should really make those puffs pop!
I really can't wait to be able to wear my finished jacket, too! I am so glad I have so much advice, to be able to alter the pattern so that I really love the finished jacket. Thank you for your suggestion on making the shoulders narrower, I will definitely do that!
I am sure that somebody else has probably mentioned this, but I didn't see it in a quick scan of the comments, so I'll mention it. If you add a layer of tarlatan under the sleeves, it will help them stay poofed up. Maybe you only need it in the shoulder that droops a bit, but it would give them a little bit more structure! It's looking so good though in general!
Thank you for sharing these projects, your videos are super inspiring for me. I like crocheting, have just started to knit, want to learn to sew also but am a bit scared. I've ordered some sewing supplies and am going to start sewing when they arrive, yay! After gaining some experience I'd like to tackle this jacket or a similar one. Cheers and happy knitting and sewing! 💜
Thank you so much for the kind words, I agree sewing was so intimidating to me, but with all the kind advice I've gotten, I feel much more confident to tackle all different projects! I hope you have fun on your sewing (and knitting and crocheting) adventures!
I am about to start my journey (after finishing finals) on making an Edwardian walking suit and I have scoliosis but this along with outside factors has made my shoulder turn in and noticeable lower in forward turned. PT and lifestyle changes have helped but I am an intermediary sewer so I fear my asymmetry on something as tailored as a jacket will be too difficult. I am starting with the waistcoat and skirt and then maybe I will do the jacket. My friend told me when in doubt pad the jacket to fix the problem. She also told me then maybe it would make my mother stop fussing over my shoulder every time I’m home for break.
Very enjoyable! I'm attempting to figure out what my own 'things' are that nearly always need to be adjusted on patterns, so looking at others fixings is very useful. :) I too have narrow shoulders. (and I'm short) Alas, all the patterns I have bought appear to have been made for tall women with wide shoulders!
I started a smilar jacket today using Butterick #B6400 and linen , I won t do boning but interface collar sleeves end and button placket. Same mistake with sleeve , in side out 🇫🇷
I'm glad I'm not the only one who sewed a sleeve inside-out :D Butterick #B6400 looks so beautiful, and there are so many different options for the back, buttons and trim, I wish I could see it when you've finished, to see what you've chosen!
Great work! As far as fit adjustments go the length looks spot on now. I second what other people have said, take a little out of the width of both shoulders and use a foam shoulder pad on the side that is sloping more. I also have scoliosis so this is often an issue for me. Garments hang from the shoulders so if the shoulders are uneven the rest of the garment will look wonky! If you'd like help with setting in sleeves I have a video on my channel that may help as well 😊
Thank you so much for the advice, I am going to try out your suggestions with padding and taking out some width! I love your video, too, so informative and helpful!
This is going to sound odd, bit I watched the last minute of this video more than 5 times trying to figure out why it felt like something was wrong. I heard the issues you noticed and planned to fix, but the part that troubled me was the pulling /buckling of the third panel on each side (the ones visible from the back under your arms). I kept trying to figure out how to change it in the sewing and then realized... Your bust is sitting too low. I don't know what undergarments you were wearing, but it is clear that the jacket is pulling around your lower ribcage. If you have your corset on, try adding some cutlets to lift, if you aren't wearing a corset, try it before you change the pattern anymore. It might save you a lot of time and frustration. I hope this is helpful and not offensive. You are creating something gorgeous.
I really wanted to be able to make a corset suggestion because if you have a long torso, the corset you already have probably isn't long enough for you. ( I don't remember mentioning that you got it customized, so I could be wrong) what would work best for you would be an overbust corset designed for someone with a longer torso. Then your bust would sit correctly for the look of the period. It's not that your bust should sit very high, but it is usually a bit higher in a correctly fitted corset than in a normal bra. Check out Lucy corsetry for details on fitting, etc. And some of the historical costuming channels mention corsetry as well.
Thank you so much for your detailed insight - I think you are absolutely right, I have a very long torso and am lucky to have a small waist so the corset I have, while made after an 1890s pattern, is much too short for me. When I originally got the corset, I was too afraid to sew my own, since I am such a beginner, and the cost of a custom made one was just too out of my budget. Now that I have a little more confidence, and a wonderful group of people (like you!) who are so willing to help me, I think I want to tackle making my own corset to fit my body. Thank you again, it is so helpful for someone with trained eyes to look at the sewing and where it might be causing issues!
Use a bit of padding to help fill out that left shoulder, check out Bernadette Banners channel if you want an example of how padding helps the silhouette in 19th century clothing! She also has scoliosis and has some interesting tips on how she’s fiddled her clothing into behaving for her!
Also, definitely look into interlining the jacket, and pad stitching is something you may want to try for the collar and lapels, part of the puckering is that the fabric is not especially stiff. You also may want to look at some slight boning in the jacket to keep it smooth. Just a few thoughts off the top of my head, hope they help!
Thank you so much for the advice, I think while I was hesitant to try out pad-stitching, I am definitely going to try now (as soon as I find some horse hair canvas). I didn't even think about adding boning, but that is a great point - the extant bodice I own even has boning, so it would likely be incredibly historically accurate and make it sit very nicely. Thank you again, so helpful!
Engineering Knits You’re very welcome! Have fun and remember to give yourself compassionate deadlines, it’s not going to upset us if it takes a bit longer to see the finished jacket, and you’ll enjoy it better because it looks right! Stay safe and healthy!
Negative ease, is for your arm/shoulder movement. It's okay if it's a tiny bit uneven as long as the seam lays flat. For a novice seamstress you are taking on a complicated seam. Even for an experienced seamstress this can go horribly wrong. Try to tacking-in the sleeve before committing to sewing machining the sleeve seam. This will ensure you have the alignment right, making for a better seam. Also this will stops the weekness in the fabric, through oversewing from mistakes.
I look forward to each one of your videos! The way you explain your problem-solving processes helps me figure things out in my own historical sewing and knitting. I can't wait to see the final jacket!
Notes/advice
-the seam where the notches didn't match. Sometimes notches can get messed up, so in this case I would ignore them. Match the fabric edges of the hem and shoulder, and distribute any excess fabric evenly. If there is a section where the seam is cut more on the bias/diagonal than the rest, the excess fabric usually comes from that part of the fabric stretching.
-3:50 the flappy bit is called the lapel, with the fold called (in tailoring) the roll line.
-5:00 that is genuinely the 'proper' method if you don't want to measure the difference and recut all the pieces and risk making a mistake.
-left shoulder. Yes, make the shoulder a lot narrower, but also try pinching out some height at the shoulder seam to make the angle sharper, then add the length back in by lowering the bottom of the armscye (scooping it out). This would fix the pooling seen at 10:00
-right shoulder. Also make this shoulder narrower. The shoulder point is a little too wide, but that style of sleeve usually has an extra half inch taken away from the shoulder point to make the sleeve puff extra tall. Try pinching out a little height of this shoulder seam too, but you wouldn't need to take so much out, because the pooling is less severe (see 10:00)
-something funny is going on with the front panel. I can't see the seam details, but if it's a single dart front, I think the dart point is too high up (above the bust point), and it's a bit too wide, creating the pulling at the button. So, the solution would be to lower the dart point, and let the dart out a bit, assuming that is what's causing the weirdness.
Wow, this is such a detailed and helpful response, thank you so, so much! I also didn't notice the pooling at all at 10:00 until you pointed it out, thank you for your helpful advice, I'm going to try it out! This also goes for the front panel and the dart, I didn't notice that the dart sits far too high, I will see what I can do, thank you again!
I love to witness your process! I am a horrible seamstress, so, no good advice from here, but as always, I strongly encourage you to go on your merry way. More projects, please!
Thank you so much, the encouragement is so positive, helpful and motivating :)
My suggestion is to make a shoulder pad for each shoulder and undo the underarm pieces, try it on then alter from there. I think that you may need a different pair of pads one fatter than the other?
I think you will be really glad you did the second mock up, and I think this jacket is going to be beautiful when you get it done. I have only tried to make jackets a couple of times and have never been happy with how they came out, and I think it was because I didn’t spend the time to properly make adjustments to the pattern to fit things correctly. You are doing such a great job being patient with yourself and not rushing to the finished project!! This is an ambitious project for a relative beginner (I have been sewing for decades and would hesitate to make this jacket - the skirt, yes, the jacket, not so much!), and you are doing a fabulous job with it!
your mockup looks lovely! as other people have said, the best (and most historically accurate) option to remedy the shoulder issue is padding! it's also much easier. tailored garments can be ridiculously tricky sometimes and when you start fiddling with things it can start pulling in odd ways on a heavier fabric like twill.
i also really recommend you use tailors' canvas for at least the collar and lapels on the finished piece. even if it's your first attempt and it isn't perfect you will probably be much happier with the result in the end and get a much more wearable outfit. fusible interfacing is an option but it won't give you the lovely movement that tailors canvas (also known as horsehair canvas or tailor's cloth or probably a dozen other terms) gives to a tailored garment. if it were me i would also experiment with putting it in the pleats on the back. if you're not intending to make the jacket washable, tarlatan is another option for the back pieces.
Thank you, I have been hesitant to try tailor's canvas, as I am so new to sewing, but I think you convinced me to give it a try - I won't learn unless I start somewhere! Thank you again!
@@EngineeringKnits don't worry too much! if it doesn't work, just unpick it and try over. because you sew it in, it isn't difficult to fiddle with. good luck!
It looks great. I think you have picked out the right problems. I would also say that when you make the lapels to use some interfacing but it probably has that suggestion in the pattern. As to the notches on the curves not matching up: sometimes this is because of the added seam allowance on the curves that make it appear they don't line up. Also with curves, sometimes one curve is meant to be eased into the other to create a 3d shape. I find that you line up the notches and pin vertically. Ease the curves around from the notch, lining them up and pinning vertically. They should then line up. Look on TH-cam for ’how to sew a curved seam’. I am looking forward to the final outfit! X
This is so helpful, thank you! I'm going to study up on sewing curved seams and unpick and re-try that seam to see if it will sit better, thank you!
Looks good! Looking forward to the finished ensemble! :D
For the weird matching situation at those curves, remember that there is the seam allowance and U(r-x)
Another way to help line it up is to run a gathering stitch through the seam allowance of the outward-curving piece, and use that to control the excess
I appreciate the mathematical explanation of the curved seams - leans right into my engineering side :D I will try the curved seams again, thank you!
I can't wait to see how the final comes out.
I have just a few things to note, that I hope will be helpful to you in your future sewing endeavors. The reason why the notch and the armhole seam don't match is because the extra fabric is supposed to be eased in, to accommodate the curves of the body. However, what I have found on commercial patterns is that they often put too much ease in those sections, which causes puckering and bunching, so you may have to take some of that out. You'll have to fiddle around with it a bit and use lots of pins to ease in the the fabric so that the notches and seams match, and I would suggest basting it in place before sewing it on the machine (it will save lots of headaches). As for the issues with the sloping shoulder, I haven't personally had experience with it, but I have seen some people add a bit of padding (like cotton batting) to the side where the shoulder slopes more, to even it out. Also, I'm not sure if the patterns calls for it or not, but I would suggest adding some kind of stabilizer or interfacing to the lapel/collar, to give it weight, so it doesn't want to flap about or constantly fall to the front (I've had issues with that before, and it can be very annoying to continually adjust it). Depending on how much tailoring you want to do, often the whole body of jackets are interlined with interfacing or horsehair canvas, so that they keep their shape and structure.
Your dog is so sweet! I love how she runs around as well as sleeping on the desk by you, like a cat. What breed is she?
Thank you so much! She is a mini australian shepherd, and such an energetic, yet cuddly dog :)
I'm so excited to see the whole ensemble!! It's going to look so grand with the mountain landscape in the background. I think that aside from the adjustment for evenness, both sleeves should be set a bit higher on the shoulder, it looks like both are hanging lower than they should, especially for 1890s. I have this problem a lot on patterns(I guess it's a narrow or sloping shoulder thing) my sleeves always look like they're falling off. Doing that should really make those puffs pop!
I really can't wait to be able to wear my finished jacket, too! I am so glad I have so much advice, to be able to alter the pattern so that I really love the finished jacket. Thank you for your suggestion on making the shoulders narrower, I will definitely do that!
I am sure that somebody else has probably mentioned this, but I didn't see it in a quick scan of the comments, so I'll mention it. If you add a layer of tarlatan under the sleeves, it will help them stay poofed up. Maybe you only need it in the shoulder that droops a bit, but it would give them a little bit more structure! It's looking so good though in general!
Gorgeous girl gorgeous coat
Thank you for sharing these projects, your videos are super inspiring for me. I like crocheting, have just started to knit, want to learn to sew also but am a bit scared. I've ordered some sewing supplies and am going to start sewing when they arrive, yay! After gaining some experience I'd like to tackle this jacket or a similar one. Cheers and happy knitting and sewing! 💜
Thank you so much for the kind words, I agree sewing was so intimidating to me, but with all the kind advice I've gotten, I feel much more confident to tackle all different projects! I hope you have fun on your sewing (and knitting and crocheting) adventures!
I am about to start my journey (after finishing finals) on making an Edwardian walking suit and I have scoliosis but this along with outside factors has made my shoulder turn in and noticeable lower in forward turned. PT and lifestyle changes have helped but I am an intermediary sewer so I fear my asymmetry on something as tailored as a jacket will be too difficult. I am starting with the waistcoat and skirt and then maybe I will do the jacket. My friend told me when in doubt pad the jacket to fix the problem. She also told me then maybe it would make my mother stop fussing over my shoulder every time I’m home for break.
Very enjoyable! I'm attempting to figure out what my own 'things' are that nearly always need to be adjusted on patterns, so looking at others fixings is very useful. :) I too have narrow shoulders. (and I'm short) Alas, all the patterns I have bought appear to have been made for tall women with wide shoulders!
I really love this recreation of wonderful garments.
Thank you! 😊
I started a smilar jacket today using Butterick #B6400 and linen , I won t do boning but interface collar sleeves end and button placket. Same mistake with sleeve , in side out 🇫🇷
I'm glad I'm not the only one who sewed a sleeve inside-out :D Butterick #B6400 looks so beautiful, and there are so many different options for the back, buttons and trim, I wish I could see it when you've finished, to see what you've chosen!
Engineering Knits I send you a mail on blog
@@annekereveur-mcilroy2570 I will take a look! I can't wait to see, thank you!
Great work! As far as fit adjustments go the length looks spot on now. I second what other people have said, take a little out of the width of both shoulders and use a foam shoulder pad on the side that is sloping more. I also have scoliosis so this is often an issue for me. Garments hang from the shoulders so if the shoulders are uneven the rest of the garment will look wonky! If you'd like help with setting in sleeves I have a video on my channel that may help as well 😊
th-cam.com/video/agFB5lmlEN4/w-d-xo.html the sleeve video!
Thank you so much for the advice, I am going to try out your suggestions with padding and taking out some width! I love your video, too, so informative and helpful!
@@EngineeringKnits Glad I could help! 😊
This is going to sound odd, bit I watched the last minute of this video more than 5 times trying to figure out why it felt like something was wrong. I heard the issues you noticed and planned to fix, but the part that troubled me was the pulling /buckling of the third panel on each side (the ones visible from the back under your arms). I kept trying to figure out how to change it in the sewing and then realized... Your bust is sitting too low. I don't know what undergarments you were wearing, but it is clear that the jacket is pulling around your lower ribcage. If you have your corset on, try adding some cutlets to lift, if you aren't wearing a corset, try it before you change the pattern anymore. It might save you a lot of time and frustration. I hope this is helpful and not offensive. You are creating something gorgeous.
I really wanted to be able to make a corset suggestion because if you have a long torso, the corset you already have probably isn't long enough for you. ( I don't remember mentioning that you got it customized, so I could be wrong) what would work best for you would be an overbust corset designed for someone with a longer torso. Then your bust would sit correctly for the look of the period. It's not that your bust should sit very high, but it is usually a bit higher in a correctly fitted corset than in a normal bra. Check out Lucy corsetry for details on fitting, etc. And some of the historical costuming channels mention corsetry as well.
Thank you so much for your detailed insight - I think you are absolutely right, I have a very long torso and am lucky to have a small waist so the corset I have, while made after an 1890s pattern, is much too short for me.
When I originally got the corset, I was too afraid to sew my own, since I am such a beginner, and the cost of a custom made one was just too out of my budget. Now that I have a little more confidence, and a wonderful group of people (like you!) who are so willing to help me, I think I want to tackle making my own corset to fit my body.
Thank you again, it is so helpful for someone with trained eyes to look at the sewing and where it might be causing issues!
Puppy!
👗🧵🧵👌🏾👍🥰😍🏳️🌈