Once again your pattern is a winner. I like the look...but I can see your problem. The shoulders don't look particularly wide....you need to pin the tissue pattern together and carefully pull it on just like you were trying on a cloth pattern.....get someone to pin the shoulders to the width you need..which will mean folding the tissue overand pinning it, once you remove it, make a small sample on any old fabric...not your good stuff and see how it lines up overall. As for darts......get yourself - either a tailors wheel and a package of the colored paper (they still use that don't they?)...or a fabric marking pencil. With the wheel you follow instructions that come with the gear and it shows you how to mark the wrong side of the fabric, if you get a fabric pencil....push a straight pin down through the tissue and the layers you have of cloth...straight down with the point of the pin on the bottom sticking into the cutting mat - you use several pins (think in letter T position for lack of a better idea)...carefully turn the pile over and you will have all these pointed parts of the pin showing and that is where you mark a dot with your fabric pencil. when both the top and bottom are marked you can follow the stitching line and you will have your darts. Then there is the old tried and true ...which I admit I use. Learn to make a tailor's tack. Easy enough to look up in any sewing book. (This is when the old Reader's Digest Sewing book is such a wonderful assest to own). I use the old tailor tacks to this day. Sure when you pull the tissue away from the fabric it does tear a little....but when I use the pattern again the tear is already there so I am not making a larger hole anyway....and I am slow and careful when I remove the tissue. You mark on the wrong side of the fabric in all cases. Does this help? Knit fabric, means most times a needle made for knits....did you make sure your needle is correct? If you don't you will get large holes in the fabric where the thread is stitched. Sometimes knits require a stablizer under them so they don't stretch.....you could ask at the fabric store if you aren't sure. Sometimes I'll use a piece of an old dryer sheet if I need a bit of stablizer....then once things are sewn I just use the ripper and remove it. Francy, francy......no one but YOU would have huge valances and material that must be perfectly matched. Yes it takes a longggg time to get it perfect so you must just do that....take your time...this is not a race and seeing as you already have one perfectly matched, you can do the rest. As for the "younguns" , well they are part of the reason you decided to purchase your Magnolia and who says they can't play with mommie's toys.....be nice and share..LOL. You are doing this yourself, this learning process so honestly you are doing extremely well, I admire your efforts. Nothing has to be perfect (even if you want it to be).......each thing you make yourself you get that much better and things make more sense. It's not like you have sewn for years in the past. Keep it up and good luck. Budster...

[whoa--lots of typos in my first post! i was enjoying a post valance/dart mojito at the time...]

Thanks so much Budster!!! I knew you could explain it clearly!!

I never thought of using pins, and then flipping the fabric to see the pin line. That is a good idea!

Beverly's has knit fabric on sale for 1.50 a yd, and my shirt only needs 2 yards. So I can afford to make lots of goofs (though it is hard on morale.) My first choice of fabric is impossible for a beginner like me to work with. It is super breezy and attractive though: it is all puckery and shirred all over. But I don't know what tension it needs, and it is impossible to make marks on it--it's too 3 dimensional--if that makes sense. NOT a beginner fabric!

So now I've got some plain, stretchy t-shirt type fabric.

A new puzzle: the shirt is supposed to be lined, but I don't want it lined. I thought maybe I could finish the edges in some fashion, yet to be determined. After I started reading the pattern, I realized that if it isn't lined, then I would have those bust darts flapping around next to my skin. And won't the darts look lumpy under the knit fabric?

Hmmmmmm. But I don't see how one could make this shirt without using knit fabric. It wouldn't even go on.

I'm going to try to work on a valance now--while the boys are outside...

:-)

francy

the bust darts should not be that large really...but once you have the line you want, you could trim a bit of the extra away and make another stitching line under the dart line..I've done it using invisible thread to reduce the overall bulk. it works pretty well. Your bust dart must be the correct one for you before you do any chopping. I will say this is not something a really "professional" sewer would ever do....but as no sewing police have ever come knocking at my door.....well I'd give it a try. Your fabric is a great buy......now you have 2 machines you must buy enough fabric to please both. You must catch up to your sewing sisters who have boxes, cabinets, bags of the stuff...oh we are great on buying the stuff..it's find the time to get around to use it all is the problem. And then there are those like me who have a million other things happening around them as well, families to feed, books to read, dishes to do......ahhhhhh it never ends. I must send myself to a cyber sewing camp some weekend. Ignore everything and sew sew sew. That's a plan. Budster

Hi - I was taught(old-school) to use the dressmakers' carbon paper & a tracing wheel (be sure it's in a color that won't show through, like white or yellow) to transfer the darts to the fabric & then use a needle & single strand of thread to make a 'thread tracing' on the stitching lines, match, pin & then hand baste the darts (use a single thread & no knots, just make a little backstitch to secure the ends).Hand basting may seem like a chore, but I've found it makes such a difference in accuracy for things like set-in sleeves, zippers & collars as well - saves a lot of ripping out, IMPE.

Start machine stitching @ the top of the dart & stitch right off the end of the fabric - make sure to leave a few inches of thread 'tails' hanging off @ the end - don't backstitch - & make your stitching line just a hair to the outside of your basting/tracing - you can backstitch @ the top of the dart, but it's really not necessary.

Once the dart is stitched, take the 2 thread tails @ the bottom/end of the dart & tie them in an tailor's (overhand) knot. I use a pin or needle inserted into the center of the knot to help get it right up against the end of the stitching.It may take some practice to get it just right - not too tight & not too loose.

Remember when pressing a dart to avoid pressing the point, so you don't get a 'bump' & the excess fabric underneath is always pressed toward the center of the garment - unless the dart is slashed open.

After darts are stitched & pressed, baste just inside the seam line to hold them in place.

HTH

They have a tracing paper called "Marks be gone" it's the best one to use as it washes out,and make sure you do all your markings on the wrong side of the fabric.Oh the paper is by dritz,and you'll need the tracing wheel.With these 2 items i've never found it necessary to use tailor tacks etc.JMO
Kathi

That is exactly the stuff kathi.....it's called Marks be gone now....I guess. I've had my stuff eons...and I still use the old tailor tack method myself....old school etc. carolb gave some great hints for "the how to sew" part. Hummmm wonder if Francy booted the kids off the machine yet and is back at either her valances or her new top. I gotta admire the girl, when she takes on a hobby she jumps in with both feet and no fear!

Thank you for the tips!!

I'm temporarily on the valances, until I can go buy a tracing wheel, paper, valium, etc.

More to come...

:-)
francy