V1215 Muslin - first steps

I have been drooling over this pattern ever since I laid eyes on it. Then I bought it but just kept looking at it. It is rated advanced, and with good reason: details.

My hope is by making a muslin, I will learn some of the more difficult techniques on cheap fabric and that I'll determine if it is a good silhouette for me or not. I have completed the front and back and, indeed, I've learned some things.

Fun is different for everyone. My first real job involved programming in binary so maybe I'm more enthralled with details than others. And the mood has to be right, of course. Today details are zen for me.

But, back to Vogue 1215, a Chado Ralph Rucci design. It appears to be well drafted but the instructions do leave something to be desired. Here is how I think step 2 should read:

• Use tailor's tacks to mark the darts and tucks. 
• Stitch dart and press toward center front, not toward the armhole. This is a curved dart, so the tailors tacks will help a lot.
• The first tuck parallels the dart, so no need to mark it except below the dart. It must be sewn 1/8 inch in width. It helps to have an open-toe foot and/or a foot you know well enough to eye-ball 1/8 inch.
• Sew this first tuck starting at the top. This will help with the easing. Sewing this tuck is really a stitch-in-the-ditch process where the dart stitch line forms the ditch.
• Now press the dart toward the armhole; the first tuck will naturally want to be pressed the opposite way. They'll fit nicely together.



stitching in the dart-ditch

• The second dart is a b*%^&. Tailors tacks will again be essential, but it is still a challenging design detail. Pin with a loose hand and drive carefully, again with the foot that allows sewing a 1/8 inch seam. This tuck is challenging because it crosses the other tuck very close to the dart point. I tried some options on this, but the style seems to demand this collision of features.

tuck 2 pinned

tuck 1 and dart, right side

stitching tuck 2 across tuck 1

I'm going to skip the very clever seam and hem finish for now. I think I can handle that with my fashion fabric. So, now, on to the sleeves. They are so cute in the picture. And then, some day, I'll see if I really like this silhouette on me. But, for now, it's fun practicing new stuff.