The 1830s Project: Part 3- Fitting the bodices

I always like to share things I've either figured out, learned, or fudged in a way that works. 

In Part 1 I showed a photo of the front of my pleated bodice where I was pinning it in on me to fit it better. I thought I would go into more detail of how I fitted it on me since fitting has been a struggle for me for years. And over those years I’ve learned a bit more and I can share this one. Sometimes a friend would pin my bodice in for me and then tell me to transfer the markings to my pattern which I never seemed to get right anyhow. Maybe this time I will.

As a reminder, this is the pattern I used, TV 455.

Because I had changed the front effect of gathering to pleating it caused my upper portion to be much too big and fluffy on me. After it was all pleated I sewed the shoulder seams and side seams with a machine basting stitch. The back is closed with hook & eye tape. I put it on inside out and then pinned the front edges together matching the edges evenly. Then I started pinching it in next to my body to where I thought the seam should be and pinned it. I did this all the way down the front. The top section on me was taken in quite a bit. I readjusted the bodice on me by pulling the back down again and a bit forward. I can tell if it’s a good fit or if I need to take it in a bit more. Sometimes I take in some on the side seams. If you haven’t done your darts already, this is another way to fit it on you too.

Once I was happy with how it was pinned, I marked my sewing line with chalk. I only did one side because I have front edges perfectly lined up together. When I unpin it this will be very important because I want to have the same seam line I had when it was on me.

Next I machine basted the front seam. I’ll need to check the fit on me again, and without having someone to get me in and out of this, I undo one side seam. I put it on me right side out and just hold the side seam closed. If it looks good then I do a regular stitch length seam on everything, closing up the side seam. From this point I can’t get into it myself unless my maid is there to help me.

I didn’t trim all the excess fabric off the front seam, leaving instead a two inch seam allowance just in case.

So that’s how my one-woman bodice fitting was done on this pattern. Obviously if any fitting is needed in the back, then I’m up the creek again.

                                                                                ~Val