T-shirt pattern quest pt. 4 : Analysis of fit and construction

Here are the results of my first and second pattern test. I had enough fabric to make two shirts. Each shirt revealed problems with my construction and fit. I had added about 1" of extra wearing ease to shirt 1 and that was reduced to 1/2" of extra ease in shirt 2. The pattern was designed with 3/8" seam allowances. This allowed for an 1/8" cut off on the seam edges so that the seams finish at 1/4". I had difficulty in shirt 1 maintaining that cut off allowance, improving on the second.

One thing I did not notice is that this fabric is directional. With napped fabrics, the fabric can look darker or lighter depending on which direction the fabric lays. This interlock is not napped but it definitely looks different in different directions. I had switched the direction of the sleeves on shirt 2 and so there is a color variation. It is subtle and hardly noticeable except in certain light.

Finally, there is an issue with the fit of the armhole, which is just a bit too tight. This creates unsightly wrinkles in the underarm area. I guess I never noticed on the original shirt, but the problem exists there too. So, a bit of adjustment has to happen. I need to lower the armhole a bit and scoop out the front. This means the sleeve will need a bit of adjustment as well. The armholes will no longer be symmetrical front to back, which is how it should be. Anyway, more on that as progress is made.

The shirts are fine and comfortable enough to wear, but a modeled shot may or may not appear on the blog

Stewart Girl's Dress pt. 4

This may be my last or second-to-last post on this subject. I may post some sketches of design ideas that I may want to try this design element - that is if I can work out the construction. Here are some sewn samples from my pattern that may illustrate more clearly my difficulties...

In this first picture you can see how the sample sews up. I am unsure if the dimple at the end of the dart is from my poor sewing or if the dart needs more shaping. I used a poly-cotton broadcloth. The gathers were made by pulling up the bobbin thread.





Here is the pattern with the seam allowances added.









It didn't occur to me until after I sewed up the sample that the skirt below the dart would now have a bias grain and the area above straight. I think a softer fabric, like a rayon, would gather up beautifully. But sewing the bias of the front skirt to the straight grain of the back skirt would cause all kinds of difficulties. I suppose some of the difficulty could be overcome by putting the entire style on the bias - which would fit the style period of the 1910's. The style requires a skilled pattern maker familiar with working on the bias.

As I said before, I would like to meet the original designer to see how she put this dress together.

Too Many Sizes pt. 2

In my previous blog entry on this subject I discussed combining sizes to reduce the overall number of sizes produced. As I have been developing patterns for my new line of dresses, Prairie Roses, I have attempted to practice what I preach.

I have been doing all of the pattern making and grading for my new dress line entirely by hand. I do use CAD, but only for my employer who actually owns the system. I try to keep everything separate so there are no ethical questions (My patterns have different shaping and grading anyway). Also, I want to experience what most new designers experience since so few DE's can afford a CAD system. It takes soooo much time to do it all by hand, especially the grading. I am getting faster on the grading, but it is very time consuming. I have been using Jack Handford's book on grading and my graded patterns have turned out really well. The grade rules are beautiful - there is no other way to describe it. They are nice and consistent and all of the pattern measurements fall into an acceptable range.

My patterns fall into the infant-toddler size range and I have chosen to combine the 24M and 2T. I also added a 9 mo size, which is considered a half size and not usually included. I decided to let customers tell me whether they want a 9 mo or not with sales. It isn't that big of a deal to split the grade between the 6 mo and 12 mo. If it doesn't sell, it is easy enough to drop it. Anyway, my sizes break down like this.

3 - 6 - 9 - 12 - 18
24M/2T - 3T - 4T

You will notice I combined the 24M with the toddler group. This means my 24M/2T patterns will be based on grading from the 3T. I decided a 24M child has shaping more closely related to toddlers than infants.

In my infant grouping, the sample/base size turns into the 9M. Since the 9M is something I may not keep around, it doesn't make sense to sample in that size. I prefer to use a 12M as a sample size. If you move the 24M back up to the infant grouping and drop the 9M, then the 12M is the right sample size. Also, it is easier to find a more willing 12M child model than younger.

Now here is a dirty little secret in the childrenswear industry. Many childrenswear companies actually sample in the smallest size, 3M. This is because they end up making A LOT of samples and the samples are made from actual production fabric, not muslin. Sampling in the smallest size saves fabric. The dress form I made is actually a 3M, so that is my sample size too. It causes problems with drafting first patterns and grading. As soon as I can afford it, I will be buying a 12M form and sampling in that size.

A boy's shirt pattern fix for Butterick 6030 pt. 3

A boy's shirt pattern fix for Butterick 6030 pt. 1 is here
A boy's shirt pattern fix for Butterick 6030 pt. 2 is here
 
A continuation of my boy's shirt pattern fix....

4. Finish collar. Clip neck seam allowances near shoulder seams. Turn seam allowance of top collar under and push the remaining neck seam allowances into collar. Topstitch. Tack facing down along shoulder seams. Notice I included my care/content tag when I topstitched the collar closed.


5. Hem the sleeve. Attach sleeve to armhole flat. Close the side seam and sleeve. At this point I noticed the sleeve cap didn't match up to the armscye. So one more pattern fix to make - I made do for the sample.


At this point I decided not finish up the sample. Instead I put the shirt on the form to look at the overall proportions. The collar area looks nice and right on target.


The overall proportion of the shirt still looks too big for a size 24 months. I didn't make any changes to the original pattern in body width or length and I should have. I will double check those measurements on my pattern and make adjustments. At this point, there is little of the original pattern left and I really should have just drafted my own pattern. The original Butterick 6030 pattern is heading to the trash. BTW, anyone like my two tone work room? I desperately need to repaint it.

Neckline Finishes Examples

A friend asked me about the typical neckline finishes on childrenswear. There is a difference in the type of finish between adult and children's clothing. Adult clothing utilizes either linings, facings, and occasionally a bias binding finish. Children's clothing eliminates most facings, unless they are top-stitched down. Facings get in the way of dressing a child and roll out frequently. Another option is to have a full, flat lining usually seen on special occasion dresses. The majority of neckline finishes on children's clothing consists of bias binding.

There are several advantages to using bias binding. It is inexpensive and relatively easy to apply - you eliminate extra pattern pieces and reduce fabric usage. A bias facing is relatively flat and smooth, which may increase comfort. A bias facing can be made of self-fabric or contrasting. It can become a design element.

Here are just a few examples:

This is a typical example. This button-front, velveteen dress has a bias facing made of the same fabric as the collar. Usually the facing is made of the same fabric as the collar, rather than the body of the garment. This is so the facing appears to blend with the collar and not show from the front. If there were no collar, the neckline would still be finished with a bias facing, but the color would match the dress instead.





This is a sweatshirt style jacket. The bias facing is made of a cotton broadcloth that matches the decorative stitching. This is a good example of how the facing can be a design element. It also disguises an otherwise unsightly seam.





A bias facing used on a knit style top that has a back zipper opening. The end of the bias is turned under near the top of the zipper. No need for a special facing pattern to deal with the zipper.






This is an example of a poorly executed use of a regular facing. The facing is much too narrow and floats up. The seam is bulky because of the ruffle sandwiched between the facing and the neck. This is a size 3-6M top and the facing and bulky neckline seam could be an irritant. The neckline seam should be serged together to reduce bulk and the facing should be top-stitched down. A bias facing would probably work better.

Big Box Technical Designers

Several years ago (was it really that long ago), I learned a very important lesson. I was working on a private label program for a Big Box retailer, company X. The technical specs they sent us were fairly straight forward. There were a few wonky measurements, but we forced our samples to spec.

As a patternmaker/pseudo tech designer, working on a private label program for a large account, I worked under the assumption that the BIG company knew what it was doing. Their specs were gospel and they could not be adjusted. You meet spec or you risk losing the account. This was true for another private label program for company Y. However, company Y's specs were superior (in other words they worked out of the box).

With any private label program, you take a selected sample and adjust the patterns to meet spec. You re-sew the sample in production fabric and submit it to the company's technical design department. The technical designers will go over every measurment and construction detail. They have the power to cancel the order if you don't meet spec. Usually, the first sample is rejected and you have to submit a second with corrections. (This is especially true if this if the first time on a new private label program). Needless to say, there is a lot of pressure to meet spec the first or second time. There is a lot riding on these samples.

So we submit our sample (with forced spec conformity) to company X. We received back our audit reports with required corrections. The weird thing was that the technical designers changed some of the required specs (now some were really wonky) and they insisted on construction/pattern changes. The construction/pattern changes would have affected several things, especially allocations and labor costs. Private label programs operate on slim margins, and our in-house manufacturer would not agree to the changes. The measurement issues didn't make sense, proportionally.

What to do? Here was a high dollar order and we wouldn't be able to meet spec. The only way to solve the problem was to call the technical designer at Company X and explain the situation. I expected them to reply, "Meet spec or we cancel the order."

To my surprise, the technical designers agreed to allow some of our measurments and construction details to pass. I don't think I explained too much. It was more like, "It would be easier for us to do things this way."

I learned something very valuable that day. If something isn't working, present an alternative - it just might be acceptable. I also learned that the technical designers for Big Box retailers don't know everything.

The reason this experience came back to me is because I am facing a similar situation, except I am the technical designer on the other end. As part of my consulting, I am helping to develop a new style in China. It is a difficult style, so I expected the first samples to have a few problems. Unfortunately, the samples had more than a few problems (some minor, some not). I wish the Chinese factory understood that it would be ok to present an alternative. I could see they struggled to meet my spec, so they forced it (and didn't really succeed). Not sure how this will be resolved....