Still struggling with jacket fit

It's been an on and off battle to get my jacket pattern to fit right.
The tissue pattern has so much tape on it I decided to buy tracing
pellon that I can baste That means I have to trace out the pattern and
be sure I get all the markings on it. To make it a little easier for DH
to see what I'm talking about I decided to trace out both sides of the
pattern so it when sewn together it's a muslin. The big problem for me
is that when I trace my back starts hurting after an hour and I have to
stop for the day. So it's a long process for me. It probably would take
some one else about 30 minutes to do the entire thing. I'm being very
careful and also marking the seam lines and that also slows me down
more. I think one more session of tracing and marking and I'll be done
and ready to baste everything together.
To keep myself sane I cut one of DS old shirts apart and made a throw
pillow out of it. I should have taken a picture, but dropped it off as
soon as I finished sewing. I'm pleased with the way it cam out. I cut
the front of the shirt with the pocket in place and the buttons
buttoned and the back of the shirt for the back of the pillow. I looks
pretty neat I think. It's a brown plaid and goes great in their new
family room. They have brown leather furiture in there and the walls are
are a dark tan. the plaid also has a dark tan in it almost the same
color as the walls. DDIL is so pleased with what I did, that she said
she was going to look for more old shirts for me.
Juno

That jacket is going to be amazing when you are done. The fit will be fantastic. I know it's a PITA doing all that work now when you just want to dive in and make the jacket already!!!! But you will be so glad with the finished product when it fits you so very well. And!!! By making the muslin now, you will have no problem at all with the construction when you get to the final version. :)
I have to throw in a quick project every now and again if I'm in the middle of something huge too. And you're right, it will keep you sane. ;) I'm soooo glad your DDIL was tickled with the pillow. Sounds like it was perfect. Take pictures of the next one. ;)
Sharon

As always, you are a great ego builder. I decided this was the best way to go since it really is the blind leading the blind for Bill and I in this project. He really does do a lot to boost me along in a project like this. I just wish my lousy back would stop giving me so much grief when I want to get these very necessary details done. I'm not about to cut corners, I just get impatient when my body doesn't want to cooperate 100% Juno

Are you standing at your cutting table and leaning over when you trace? If so, perhaps your back would do better if you sat at a dining height table so you wouldn't have to lean. Just a thought.
That sounds like a fabulous project. I still have all the Pendleton wool shirts I made for DH, for a while I thought about cutting them up and making lap quilts for me and the DDs, but it's just too difficult for me to actually take scissors to them. So here they sit... :-(

I can't use my dining room table because it's an antique and wouldn't want to do that. It's also small and a bit tippy at times and I mst end up with a table in my lap. My kitchen counter is a bit narrow to hold my cardboard cutting board even when I fold it in 3rds so I end up at the cutting table and go very slow. I would be very hard pressed to cut something like the Pendleton shirts. When DDIL gave me the shirt, had actually given me 3. DS took to o f them back when he saw them in my hands because he said one was the one he wore when he met his wife and the other one had been given to him by a very good friend. So I understand how you would feel about not wanting to cut them. I think it's a wonderful sentiment. Juno

Juno, I love he idea of making pillows from shirts, especially if there is a significant feeling for it. Emily

It was an easy fun project to do. I cut the front with the buttons closed so it made 1 piece and the back into a square. I made each piece 19 inches square. Since it was a plaid I matched it up. Sewed all the seams 1/2 inch wide and then finished them off with the serger.I then unbuttoned the front, turned it right side out, slipped in the pillow form and and re-buttoned. Since it was a well washed shirt I Didn't h ave to worry about shrinkage and the buttons make it easy to take off the cover to wash it or replace the pillow form if necessary. I was very pleased with the finished results and as I said before it's perfect for their new family room. That room is just beautiful. They converted the garage. DS had professional help for most of the work, but he did the wiring and plumping and he and DGD put down the floor. The heat is under the flooring so he put in a laminate floor. He also designed the room. It has a gas fireplace and a ton of storage cabinets. Juno

I said "dining height". How about a sturdy card table? I do sympathize with your sore back, every time I wash my dog (in the deep sink in the laundry room) I end up with a sore back for a couple of days. Getting old stinks!
Giggling at your DS taking two back, that pretty much explains why I have so much "stuff". :-}

My misread. I have a card table but it has a bit of a belly in it. I asked for a piece of plywood for it, for Christmas, but DH didn't think it was much of a gift, so I didn't get it.Can't complain though, I should just take a trip Home Depot and buy it myself. Just about finished with the tracing but there will be more on another project. Yes getting old stinks. The problem with my back has been with me, unfortunately, since I was about 21 yo. It started when I was a young nurse. I was squatting down to get something from a cabinet, someone walked behind me and clipped me in the back with a knee and I went sprawling. About a year later I was trying to straighten out a patient, who was sliding down in his chair. Explained what I was going to do and as I said 3, he gripped the arms of the chair and reused to give himself a push. That really finished the job on the back and I've had trouble on and off ever since.
It is pretty funny, isn't it. J

You might want to run some adhesive (duct tape?) around the edges so you won't have splinters. A realy good sanding after filling might work as well.
Yay!
Sorry! While my back aches if I lean over too much, usually it's my knees and hip which give me real problems. There are hip and knee replacements, nothing yet for spines. :-}
If you say so...
Beverly

You know we all have choices to make. I can't change it, so I live with it. Not always gracefully or willingly but still live with it. The good days are good and the bad days.... I bitch about it, but keep doing the best I can and hope people don't get to upset about my bitching.

Thanks Joy, I'll have to ask someone to go with me. I really apprecialte the heads up on the plywood. Juno

The nice fellow at Carter Lumber told me I wanted "Cabinet Grade" plywood, which is already sanded -- and still very cheap. They also cut it to the exact size and shape I wanted. I did have to use a sanding sponge vigorously around the edges, but that didn't take long. Oh, yeah -- borrow a pickup truck when you go get it. The guy who loads it into your vehicle will appreciate it.