Third muslin. I’m all sewn out today. I like the side fit
The back is still a little long
But, the front waistline appears to be hitting in the right spot. The ruffle is not what I was looking for, but I rather like it. It reminds me of the dress that Amy in WA State told me about. Here
I will sleep on it and hopefully think through the problems this week. The other issue is that I’ve pinned it up an inch on each shoulder and that seems to have helped with fit. It’s due on the 21st, but I leave for PR Weekend in Portland on the 13. Or the 14th. I can’t remember right now 🙂
Miss Celie's Pants 
You are really cooking girl! Beautiful job!
You’re doing a terrific job on the drafting. Keep up the great work.
The fit is sooo good, especially from the side.
Wow, it is looking so much like the inspiration dress. I think with the ruffle it is just a bit too wide and not as gathered. Also it had to do with the body of the fabric they used, yours seems to be too fluid whereas theirs was more stiff. Use the zoom tool on the Anthropologie site and you can really see the detail. But the dress part looks perfect!
Now you’re cooking. This is looking good.
This is looking really fine indeed. The side fit and front fit is perfect and to my eye the only thing left is raising the back a bit. As for the ruffles, maybe a light interfacing would give it more body? (if the back side of the fabric is hidden that is)
The fit looks fantastic from the side, but the shoulder seam seems to be towards the back from what I can see in the picture. I would work on the ruffle 🙂
Great job! I’m so jealous of your chance to take this class! And you’re to be commended for all your hard work. Looks like it’s paying off. Sally
Beautiful! Excellent work! It is looking good.
It really is excellent. The back seems only too long to the side back, and it doesn’t show on your side pictures. I like the ruffle, no it isn’t exactly like the Anthropolgie dress, but is that important?
It’s looking good. The side fit looks great.
I’ve been following your blogs for a long time now and haven’t commented yet. Today’s the day. I just love this dress on you. Your tailoring is getting better and better with each try, and I’m just soooo jealous. Good job, Girl.
That is looking fantastic! The fit is fabulous and I like the larger ruffle.
Cidell this is looking really really good! It must be nice to be making progress on something you can use over and over.
WOW! That looks amazing! Keep up the good work!
Wow! Especially the side fit! Good on you. The French dart looks impeccable. I too have to fiddle with the back and front waist lengths. Keep up the good work Cidell!
Way to go, Cidell! Looks like you’ve conquered the sway back adjustment. It look great.
I hope I can be just as good as you someday. Such an inspiration.
Wow, better and better! I don’t think you can at all expect the ruffle to drape like the real thing, fabric is too much part of the final result. The only thing you should look at there is does it look like it’s about the same size as the one you’re copying? Although you might consider a 20s trick and cutting it in a circle, so that the grain of the fabric causes the flouncing rather than just gravity (ie you sew a shorter part to the skirt, the smaller the circle diameter the more aggressive the flounce).
Something else I notice in this fabric though: you’ve got the under the waist darts so that the outside is on grain and the inside is on the bias, but the ones above the waist so that the center of the dart is on grain and both outsides on the bias. If I were you, I’d pick one and stick to it both above and below the waist. In fact, if you want to keep one side of the dart on grain, I’d make that the inside rather than the outside, which keeps things flatter and neater. Does that make any sense?
And also your side fit is very good, but if I were you I’d shorten the upper back darts a tiny bit. I’m sure they mentioned that you don’t do bust darts all the way to the apex because you didn’t (and trust me, I’ve tested, talk about a 50s perky look :-)!). I think your back look would be a little softer if your darts didn’t go right into your shoulder blades.
I think you’ve got us all itching to go draft something :-).
This is looking SO good, Cidell! The first thing I thought you could do- since you’re using a checkered pattern for your muslin- is to draw the new back waist line on the picture and count the spaces :)) Could work…
Fabulous! Envy the fit.
The sloper looks nice!
Am I the only one who is going to point out that it looks a bit creepy how Cidells left arm is kind of ghost like in the third pic?
Great job! The muslin is really coming along! All the effort now is really worth it, as you’ll have a great-fitting sloper.
I wondered about making a circular ruffle/flounce as well. It looks really great!
Great work on the muslin! That side view really shows off a well-fit garment.
I agree with Sarah & Marie-C. I think your ruffle would lay better if it were cut circular. This is a real puzzle…I would solve it on a mannequin draping it. Your fit is spectacular and it’s hard to translate this finished design (from the picture) with this fabric, but you’re very close. This is such a great learning tool.
Hey Tina, you’re right about the ‘ghost-arm’, wonder how that happened?
The fit from the side looks super-fabulous! I’m wondering a bit about the shape of the skirt though: from the front and back it looks tapered/pencil-y (there’s another word I’m looking for, but it’s after midnight) and from the side A-line. Might I suggest something middle-of-the-road and try a straight skirt? I think a clean, straight skirt would really make this look fierce on you! If you want to take the word of someone typing at half-past midnight, half brain dead.
This looks amazing. You’re really inspiring me to sew and draft at the moment.