Okay... This is mostly a rant, because I know there is no reasonable explanation for why this happened.
So I've been working on the JP Ryan "Pirate" coat. I've gotten it cut and the trimming done and both the lining and fashion fabric sewn together. Last night I was on one of the final steps, joining the fashion fabric to the lining.
I had DH try on the fashion fabric and it fit and looked beautifully. :D Just in case I had DH try on the lining. He could barley get it on! >:( ?!?!?!! WTH?! The sleeves are WAY too small everywhere. 2" too short in length, another 2" too slim in width and armcycle is about 2" too small. The armcycle on the coat seems small as well.
For those who have a JP Ryan pattern, you know you order the specific size. There is a single size per pattern. So I'm sure that I didn't cut the coat in one size and the lining in another. There is just no reason for this weirdness.
At this point I loath the thought of starting over all the way back at altering the pattern and re-cutting and resewing.... And so on. Have I mentioned AUGH!!!
If someone has a guess as to why this happened, I'd love to hear it. Or if it's happened to you??
For now, I've told DH that the coat is now relegated to "The Box"... To be shunned frequently. I need to work on something like a pretty chemise for me.
If its safe to assume that you used the same seam allowance on both the lining and the coat, then WTF!
Wow sorry to hear of your troubles. Make sure it thinks long and hard while in the box.
Never have I had a pirate coat and lining not fit when using the JP Ryan 1750's coat pattern.. I have made 4 coats beyond the 52" chest size, but also made adjustments for the lining as well.
One has to be sure to cut the coat and lining the same size, use the same seam allowance, be sure pieces are laid out and cut on the straight. Getting the Straight correct is important to proper seam lineup and overall fit.
The coat pieces are big, therefore may need to be cut differently by folding the fabrics to have the wide width available. Be careful when using fabrics with nap. I buy 7 yards of fabric for the XXXL-XXXXL coats. Same with the lining.
Well, I had this happen when I made a skirt.
Cut everything as it should be and the lining was bigger than the outer skirt! Gawd...I was resizing that lining forever! :P
When you cut the lining, did you allow the fabric to relax after laying it out, before you cut it? With fabrics that have a lot of 'give', this can be very important.
And did you weight the fabric or pin it? Sometimes, especially with slippery linings, you can stretch them when you pin and lose a lot that way...
Thank you all for talking me down.
With a clearer head I was able to work a couple of things out in my brain to where I don't think I need to start from scratch on the lining. So the project hasn't quite made it to "The Box"... Yet.
I also appreciate the suggestions.
Yep, same seam allowances on both. Good old 5/8" as called for in the directions.
DH isn't an overly large guy. A pretty standard 42" chest. Because of the size of the pattern pieces and a single direction pattern on the fabric I chose, I thought I was quite careful with the way I laid it out.
I didn't give the lining fabric a chance to relax before I cut. But I used a simple cotton broadcloth for the lining. So there isn't much stretch to it.
I still can't figure out what the heck happened. I'm going to start taking it apart tonight to work on the armcycle size and recut new, appropriately sized sleeves. Perhaps I'll be able to tell something when I conduct the autopsy.
Use that autopsy (great borrowing of word!) to learn what not to do as well as what to do! No, cotton broadcloth shouldn't creep or shrink. Mostly it's things like wool, chiffon, and other 'difficult' fabrics that need to relax before being cut.
How weird! Sometimes things are just a mystery. Sigh.
I actually have been known to use the lining-as-mockup method of fitting, which worked perfectly when I made my JP Ryan caraco. I worked out all the tweaks on the lining, so I knew everything fit.
I think we covered this in Murphy's Laws of Sewing.
It happens to us all. <sigh>