Help fitting Milord (NEW PIX of altered pattern)

[gem]

Here is Milord in his first fitting for the Gimli tunic.  I'm thinking it's actually a little snug across the chest and back, but I'm not sure how to fix that.

This is the pattern (I'm making View C, the red, minus the sleeves):
(And for reference, here is Gimli.)



And here is Milord:

 

 

He seems to have enough room to move his arms freely (at least he doesn't *feel* constricted), but it seems a little snug to me. Gimli actually wears mail under his tunic, and there would be no way for that to happen as it is.  And this is just one layer of cotton broadcloth; the real tunic will be wool flannel, lined in linen.  There's also an attached, partlet-like collar that I didn't include in the mockup (but am going to add now, to be sure it fits--it's the green collar area on the model), and I'm wondering if that will make the fit even more snug.

I guess what I really want is to add more ease (a couple of inches--does that sound unreasonable?), and maybe (??) enlarge the armscyes? The width of the shoulder seams is absolutely perfect.

Advice/suggestions?  I am *very* used to things turning out too large; too snug is new for me, and I'm not sure what to do about it!

Gramercy!!

[Kate XXXXXX]

To fix the too tight:

Slit the front and back pattern pieces from mid shoulder to waist.  Slit the pattern from the side seam at the under arm point to the first slit.  Spread the pattern at the junction of the two slits until you have up to an inch extra...  This will give you up to 4" more round the chest without adding to the shoulder seam width or altering the CF seam line.  Works a bit like adding some extra for a full bust.  Remember to leave 'hinges' in the pattern at the seam lines and true up any wonky edges created by adding in the middle.

Once you have the tunic fitting round about the way, you might want to try lowering the under arm of the armscye a little...  Looks like it's binding a bit, though that may improve when you add the chest width.

[gem]

Kate, I think I understand what you're saying (I have a working familiarity with pivot & slash, though I've not ever tried it), but I'm having trouble picturing how I can slash the pattern and spread it *without* lengthening the shoulder width.  (Is this one of those things that becomes clear when you actually sit down and *do* it?)

[Kate XXXXXX]

Yes indeed.

Clip the pattern to but not through the seam line from the edge, and leave a tiny 'hinge' when you make the slash from there down.  Do the same from the side seam to the first slash.  That way the paper hinges but you don't add to the shoulder or side seam length.  You then tape the pattern down to more paper and true up the now kinked shoulder seam.  If I do a lot of slashing and spreading on a pattern piece, I redraw it when it finally fits.

[gem]

Kate, is this right?  For some reason it seems really weird to me.  I slashed where I think you told me to, spread 1" at the widest and recut the armscye a little deeper, and you can kind of see that in the picture--there's a little patch taped in with the new line drawn.  (The pattern is curling toward the camera, so it looks like it's kind of distorted, but everything is smoothed flat and taped down where I slashed. I do need to true up the shoulder line a bit, but wanted to make sure I was even in the ballpark before doing that.)

Was I also supposed to slash the second section, below the armpit-line?  It wouldn't behave as well.



Yes? No?  Thanks!!

[Kate XXXXXX]

Not quite...  Draw a horizontal line across the pattern BELOW the armscye, at the point the armscye seam intersects with the side seam. The upper portion is correct, but the vertical slash needs to come down to that  line and continue to the hem.  Slash the pattern from side seam to vertical line and from shoulder to hem.

Open up the slashes until you have a quarter of the total needed added at the 'bust point' and equivalent point on the back.  Keep the slashed edges parallel through the skirt section.  True up the shoulder and hem.  The lower portion will have the same amount added as is needed at the chest/back.

If you still need to alter the armscye, do that after adding the width.  Just trim the armscye to the new line after fitting and marking it.

[gem]

Kate, do you have a picture of what that should look like?  Because I'm reading your post and thinking, "I think that's what I did."  So clearly I am missing something! LOL

[Kate XXXXXX]

I haven't...  But I'll try to draw some tomorrow.  The slash from the shoulder needs to go all the way to the hem: you are going to add an inch all the way down.

First off, draw in your seam lines on the original (or a new copy of the original).  Where the armcye seam line crosses the side seam line is where you draw the horizontal line.  It looks like you did this at the cut edges of the pattern rather than using the seam lines.  This is one pattern alteration that relies on you having the seam allowances on the pattern.

[gem]

Ok, that makes a lot of sense.  Thank you!!  I'll give that a try tonight.

...But... there's plenty of fullness in the lower half already; I don't really want to add another 4" of width to the tunic skirts.  Is there a way to eliminate that fullness after making the alteration, or to avoid adding it in the first place?

[Kate XXXXXX]

Try leaving a 'hinge' at the hem as you did at the top, and open the pattern up so you have a similar but much longer wedge in the lower half to the one in the top half.  You end up with a little extra through the body but none at the hem.  True up the hem as you do the shoulder seam.  You may find the paper parts at the hem hinge to accommodate the extra.  Try to keep the hem alteration as small as possible.