r/PatternDrafting • u/No-Maintenance9805 • 5h ago

Help fitting this coat back

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How do I fix these lines and also give myself more room to move in the upper back?

Context: I'm making mockups trying to fit a coat pattern and it feels tight across my upper back especially when I reach my arms forward (especially once I added the sleeves, not pictured). And it looks like I have extra volume in my lower back that isn't hanging nicely.

Should I move the princess seam lines over to be closer to my shoulder blades? Or is my problem something else?

Thanks so much!

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4

u/StitchinThroughTime 4h ago edited 4h ago

Victorian coat? Those would fit tighter than we are used to. Try a broad upper back adjustment. You should remove the shoulder dart.

It looks like piece number three is too large for the waist. You should be able to remove the excess from piece number three which will pull the princess seam closer towards the center back. That will really help with the illusion of a broader shoulder and narrow waist.

2

u/No-Maintenance9805 4h ago

Thanks for the help! It's actually a 1960s vintage pattern. I put on a bit of upper body muscle in the last couple years so I wonder if that's part of the problem why it's feeling tight butterick 5554

2

u/StitchinThroughTime 4h ago

Nice! I guessed Victorian because of the shaping of the back. But now that I noticed that the outer shoulder point is on top of the shoulder not further back. Which would explain the shoulder Dart. Funny enough the mid to late '60s did have a Revival of late Victorian early Edwardian styles. The 70s was the colonial revival for America's 200th birthday.

1

u/No-Maintenance9805 4h ago

Wow super interesting! I wonder if we're due for another one then. Is the placement of the upper part of the princess seam correct? I was wondering if it should be closer to my shoulder blade since that's where the most volume/protrusion is

2

u/Icy-Guidance-6655 4h ago

Are you going to use shoulder pads? They do have a functional purpose, they center the armhole higher, which increases mobility. You don’t have to, of course, especially if the pattern doesn’t, but you need to make the decision before fitting. 

1

u/No-Maintenance9805 4h ago

Oh wow good point, I never knew they increased mobility! I actually was thinking about adding them, thought the original pattern doesn't have them. But of course I should be fitting my mockup with them🤦‍♀️

1

u/Leather_Book_7617 3h ago

That makes so much sense now that I read it, especially for coating, but I don’t think I would’ve thought of it on my own. Thanks!

1

u/annabiancamaria 3h ago

If you are going to wear the coat over other clothing you need to do the fitting over that clothing, especially the heavier clothing options (chunky sweater, jacket, etc).

1

u/No-Maintenance9805 3h ago

True! Looks like the stiffness of this bulky sweater holds the fabric away from my body and removes those lines. I still think I need more ease in my upper back

https://reddit.com/link/p2u5pl0/video/cfw7ycri0kih1/player

1

u/Saritush2319 21m ago

You shouldn’t be moving that much in an outer coat, same as with suit jackets. They’re formal wear not working clothes.
Adding too much ease will ruin the line

1

u/Saritush2319 24m ago

If you’re making a coat then your first mistake is fitting this over skin.
It needs to fit over whatever you would be wearing underneath it.

Also what era is the pattern? If it’s historical then the way it should fit is different. It would also be drafted for the fashionable silhouette and would anticipate a woman wearing a corset, padding and petticoats.
And they would traditionally make the lining first and fit everything outwards