Sometimes the surest way to success is having faith in your assessment of a situation regardless of what someone or something else is telling you. I feel that my self confidence levels are improving simply because I can step back and do that.
It started simple enough. On Saturday I made a muslin to check the fit of the new Colette Aster pattern ( which I love by the way) and while the darts fit nicely, I had to add a dart to the armhole, and move the shoulder seams in an inch, like I pretty much always do. Since it was just a muslin I skipped the yoke lining and everything sewed together nicely.
After making my pattern alterations, I sewed up this wearable muslin version, bias binding the armholes rather than adding sleeves.
The fabric is thin enough that I will need to wear a cami under it, and I knew I needed to take in the side seams more and raise the armholes for the next attempt, but all in all it was okay, until I looked at the back.
Somehow, the back piece was inside out.
It was a minor enough imperfection, since the fabric was identical on both sides, so I just chocked it up to an error on my part that I wouldn't make with a more obvious fabric. Or so I thought.
Cut to Sunday. This time I'm making version 3 of the pattern in this beautiful double gauze. I sew the yoke to the bodice back, the yoke lining to the bodice front pieces, attach the yokes together and...the back is inside out again. So, I rip it out, check the instructions, sew it again, and...same problem. So, before sewing it again I remember the definition of insanity* and take a good look at what I'm trying to do.
The bodice back with the yoke is correct, that much I know. So I look at the bodice front and the yoke lining. I check the instructions and sure enough they match. But, sewn this way it always ends up wrong. So, trusting my instincts, I detach the yoke lining from the front pieces and sandwich it together with the bodice back the correct way, basting slowly and checking it twice before finishing the seams because at this point I hate my seam ripper, and the gauze probably can't take much more abuse.
I checked the file on the site after and it turns out I was using an incorrect version of the pattern instructions. So, if when you're assembling the pattern, if your yoke lining + bodice fronts look like this, do yourself a HUGE favor by going to the site and downloading the new version. Don't suffer the seam ripper like I did.
Despite the frustrations though, it really is a lovely pattern. I'm enjoying the gauze shirt right now. My sleeves ended up a little poofy because I didn't size down the sleeves when I did my other alterations, but I don't mind it too much.
Fabric sources: white linen top, gauze top.
* Insanity = doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
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