update on pattern to avoid

McCalls wrote: "> In order to research this further, I will need some additional information.

Shhez, what do they think that has to do with in ill fitting collar and sleeve??? I agree, puzzling e-mail. Please let us know what follow-up you get.

-- Beverly

---to reply, delete no spam and .invalid---

Sounds like an auto-response and nobody's actually read what you said yet! Email them back and ask why they need a chest size for fixing a collar drafting problem.

-- Kate XXXXXX Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons

I read this thread with interest. In my 40 plus years of sewing I have learned to avoid McCall's patterns like the plague--they never run true to size and have such simple instructions that many important steps are left out.

Fran

Just curious here Sharon, but if the problem was with the sleeves and the collar, what do waist and chest size have to do with it?

maureen

Kate Dicey wrote:

| > Sharon | >

| McCalls wrote: | "> In order to research this further, I will need some additional | information. | >

| > Chest size________ Waist size__________" | | Shhez, what do they think that has to do with in ill fitting collar | and sleeve??? I agree, puzzling e-mail. Please let us know what | follow-up you get. | | Some pattern drafting methods (formulas) use the chest measurement to come up with neck size, sleeve size, shoulder length, etc. And there are ways to use the waist size, too. For some of those same things by useing a different formula - probably for cross checking the first method. No matter how you come up with a pattern probably 90% of the people who use it will not have the correct fit- there is a lot of variance between people with "same measurements." Therefore patterns need to be tweaked per person. The error your pattern has is probably a computer programing error, or somebody working to many hours, so it slipped through- got printed and marketed.

So send them the measurements they ask for. They might send you a pattern more to your personal measurements that nobody else will get., though you may have to shorten or lenghten it here and there. AT least you got a reply!!

John

Beats the heck out of me. Although, thank you John for your thoughts on the whole thing. :)

I did email them back with the measurements they requested and a note saying "uh you do realize this didn't have anything to do with fitting the shirt to my son, but rather with fitting the pieces of the pattern together correctly....." I used more formal wording, but that was the general gist. ;) I haven't heard any more. I'll post back with whatever they have to say in the future.

Sharon

Yep. I agree. Most of the time when I've used a McCall's pattern in the past, I've adjusted it for size before I start. Ths one looked pretty good as far as that goes. I just never thought to measure the sleeves and the collar. I measured to make sure the chest, shoulders, waist were all right. And I also measured to make sure it would be long enough. About the only things I didn't measure were the sleeves and collar, well and the pocket. ;)

As far as directions go on McCall's. I agree with you completely. They either oversimplify to the point that you have to fill in gaps in the construction method. Or they choose the hardest, longest, most complicated method to make the thing. I usually read through the instructions and then do whatever makes sense to me. ;) Works for me because I've sewn long enough that I've made one of most anything, and two of some. So I know my way around garment construction. But a beginner, fresh to the sewing world, would really be up a creek if s/he had to depend on a lot of the pattern company directions. :(

Sharon

They probably needed this to make sure they were checking the right pattern. I made a dress for a client once. It had released vertical tucks from shoulder to waist, and one of these tucks included a dart. I dutifully used tailor tacks and was so careful to stitch them exactly where the pattern put them, I got them sewn and the spacing between tucks was way off. It was so bad I had to re do. I called the company and they asked the size, I told them 14, and since I told them the right number they agreed and told me that the pattern was indeed wrong. If I had said another number they probably wouldn't have agreed with me.

Sandy