Fitting Problems

New in Patterns: McCalls Early Summer Pattern came out today. Here are my favs:

Fitting is such an issue for me. I want the perfect fitting garments especially shirts. M5471 is proving to be that challenge. I knew I should have done a muslin. I tissue-fitted as out lined in Fit for Real People by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto. Usually when I hit a problem like this I give up and move on to the next project. But I am going to use this as a learning experience and not give up. I will make muslins for now on. It may be extra work, but at my level of experience (or is it inexperience?) I need to practice different techniques to learn proper fit. I plan is to tissue-fit and muslin fit. I want to learn tissue-fitting because I don't want to have to measure each pattern piece then match to my measurements. I'm I being Lazy!!! Take a look at the bodice and if you can tell me what's wrong. Pleeeeeeeeeease Heeeeeeelp!!!!!!!!! And what is the best method of fitting a sway back? After using the technique for fitting a sway back in Fit for Real People I still had a lot of extra fabric in my "sway ". Help!

Working on somethings!

Whew! it has been a little while since I have posted. I have been doing some crocheting and some sewing. Hopefully next week I will have some thing to show. I have been thread tracing M5471. It seems like everytime I try to get started life happens. Isn't that the title of Toya's blog. I agree with her totally. I made a quick project. I will also post on that next week. I did a quick project to get some sewing satisfaction. I have finished swatching my Icelandic Turtleneck crochet project and have now begun crocheting the sweater itself. For those newbie crocheters swatching is done to test the gauge. You have to make a sample swatch with the yarn and hook given in the patten. Then block it. Blocking is just wetting the sample according the pattern or yarn package. Blocking also helps to get a more accurate gauge. The sample is also a way to see if you have the correct gauge and if you don't, then you will need to make another swatch with a diffent size needle. For this sweater, I had to make two swatches and block them both. The first swatch I crocheted to tight with the hook stated in the pattern. So I had to get a larger hook and swatch again. The second was the right gauge. A good book on crocheting I broght to refresh my knowledge about the craft was Crochet for Dummies. I ordered it online at Wal-mart.com.