Some muslins

I put the coat on hold so I could get the muslins done.

I am not loving the coat (yet - we'll see) and the fabric walks around a little so I have to use lots of pins when putting pieces together. This photo shows that one side of the seam allowance ended up narrower than the other, even those these pieces were backed with interfacing. This is the under collar.

Even though the pattern (like most) calls for the sleeves to be set-in, I am sewing the sleeves on first around the shoulder and then I will sew up the underarm seam.

This is the stage the coat has been left at - I haven't even done up the underarm seams. The sleeves look awfully long but I think that's because the bodice has an empire waist. The front facings are "self facings", as opposed to separate pieces.

In the meantime, I cut out the bodices on both prom dress patterns. I got this fabric for $3/metre and it feels like it - it is some sort of polyester, I think. But it drapes okay as a stand-in for whatever will be the real thing. For the bubble dress, I am thinking a silk charmeuse.

I've never made a real muslin before so I went to town with the Sharpie! I wrote the pattern piece number on each and did all the markings, whether I'd need them or not for just the muslin. It was kind of fun. I pinned the pieces together wrong side to wrong side so that I would have the seams showing on the right side for fitting this weekend.

This is the one-shoulder model that I am leaning toward, not the least of which because it is a lot less fiddly sewing. It is inter-lined and then lined but it is not as fussy as the Vogue pattern. I cut this one out in the size 14 to give myself room to manoeuver in the fitting.

I stupidly bought the Vogue only up to size 12 and could not return it for a pure exchange, even though I asked very nicely. So we'll have to see in the fitting what work may need to be done. The bodice is also lined but there is, in addition, draping fabric on the outside for a third layer. And the midriff can be made of contrast fabric (like velvet, say) and it is all topstitched with batting and everything. I'm going to get together with my niece this weekend and we'll do fitting and discuss which pattern and fabric.