B5429: The Muslin

This is NOT a wearable muslin, because I wouldn't be caught dead in this fabric. You can't see it in the pics, but it's got multi-colored metallic threads woven throughout and it's way glittery and tacky looking. Funny how none of that shows in the photos. And what was I thinking? At least it's out of the stash now.

Other than needing a bit more length, since this is the raw, unhemmed length, I think it's a go. There are only four pattern pieces and cutting out and sewing went very quickly. It will be even quicker when I'm using my serger.

I cut a straight 16 and made no alterations. I'm still wearing a DD bra cup, so there is obviously some bust room in this pattern. While the fabric I used for the muslin is a knit, the stretch runs vertically and that's how I cut it, figuring that if it fit this way, it will fit with the stretch going around too, although I may need to sew deeper seams under my arms. I was actually expecting it to be tighter than it is, with very little width-wise stretch. Maybe I should've cut the 14. We'll see.

Speaking of arms, I didn't have enough fabric to cut full-length sleeves so I ended up cutting about 6" shorter than the sleeve pattern. And they are plenty long enough for me at what turned out to be bracelet length. With six more inches, the sleeves would be covering my hands. Not a look I'm after.

I think I'm going to bind the neck with my coverstitch machine instead of turning the raw edge under per the pattern. The main reason is because the neckline is just on this side of being a bit too wide and my bra straps are starting to peek out. If I remember when I'm cutting the real top tomorrow, I'll add a little to the pattern pieces at the top of the shoulder at the neckline edge. Otherwise, I'll be getting out the Hollywood stay tape.

I'm still not sure about the dropped shoulders, and, unfortunately, you can't see them at all in these pics. I can definitely feel the seam and it feels kind of weird, like my sleeve is falling down. Which, I suppose, it is. ;-) But this muslin knit is also fairly rough so that seam shouldn't be as thick in the real fabric. I've decided to use the paisley because it's thinner. The twist is already kind of bulky in this muslin knit and I don't want to push it with the sweater-y knit. Plus, the cardigan I wore today (and which you haven't seen) matches the skirt fabric very well, and if I use the thinner knit, I can do layers.