Postby Heather » Sun May 12, 2013 8:36 am
Wow, that looks so much better! And really, for the 1830's, a tad short at the waist is just fine. Better to be a bit short than a bit long even. so I think where you have it now is just fine for a with seam allowance length.
When you say the back is loose, where do you mean? The neckline, or the body? It is always harder to see things in a picture, but I really like how the back looks. At this stage, you want your mockup to be smooth, but not really tight. The dress itself has many layers of fabric that add bulk and the dress itself will usually come out smaller than your mockup. When you are standing normally in the back view, the armhole looks perfect. When you round your shoulder forwards in the side view, yes, you do get a gap, but that is normal. Clothing is supposed to fit when you stand properly and when you move funny, it won't move with you.
If you are worried about the neckline, I think you are ok. The muslin will stretch more than you dress, and if you use piping in your neckline, you can "shrink" the neckline a bit when you put it on. If you need help with than later, let me know.
I think the front looks great, too. The only thing I can see that needs fixing is the front of the armhole. I can see where the fabric is tearing as you move. Cut the armhole forwards more, until the edge of the fabric lays smoothly over your arm. Do not cut lower, just more forwards, into where the tears are. This will help you move a bit more, and keep it from binding. At the shoulder seam, if you want more motion, then you can change the angle of the seam so the strap is tighter at the shoulder, and looser at the armhole. And since you have huge sleeves to sew into the armhole, a larger armhole can be helpful.