Danielle Sews: Simplicity 1091 - Harley Quinn Shrug

The shrug is finished! I used canvas as the outside and broadcloth on the inside for the lining. The pattern picture shows the shrug made using alternate colors for the hood and shoulder piece. I chose to make both sides the same color.

In this breakdown let me first inform you that there is a major problem with how this pattern was printed. This is not the designer's fault but I guess something screwy went on at Simplicity's end. The neckline and the side seam do not line up. I will explain in detail further down of how I solved this issue.

First things first, I cut out all the pieces and sewed in the darts and attached the shoulder seams on both the canvas and lining. This is where I noticed a problem. The back shoulder seam is wider than the front shoulder seam by about 1/4" inch. I proceeded to freak out and double check that I had cut the right pattern numbers out of the tracing paper. They both were the correct size. So then I thought maybe it was longer to attach the hood. I decided to just keep going and see what happens. Even though it kept nagging me that the instructions picture didn't show a gap.

I then attached the lining to the canvas with wrong sides together and stitched all the way around.
This picture clearly shows the difference between the collar and the front piece.

I attached the bias tape to the armhole and noticed the same thing as with the shoulder seams. The back piece was smaller than the front. I was so confused. I looked through the pattern instructions and it showed the pieces lining up. It didn't say anything about this gap. So, I emailed Loriann Costume Designs about it and I was expecting to wait all day for a response so I was supper happy when she emailed me back quickly. She said she sent them a size 10 and that the pattern company graded the pattern from there and must have not graded these pieces properly. I asked if I cut the excess off and she said that should be fine.

I am assuming that her size 10 will have no problems so if you are cutting that I wouldn't worry too much. For all the other sizes I would check and either cut the pattern down or draw a new one adjusting for the differences. I used the 14 - 22 size package and this particular piece was cut as a size 18. I checked all the other sizes included with this pattern and they don't all line up so you will have to do this for that package unless they reprint with corrections.

Here are pictures of the problem:

So I just decided to leave it and make the french seam for the sides and then cut off the excess.

I lined up the back and front pieces by turning it inside out. I matched up the bias tape just to make sure everything was even and then cut the excess off until it was even with the back. Then I clipped the edge off into a curve (the curve is where the black thread begins). I basted the cut section down again and the problem was solved.

Then I started making the hood the same way I did for the Poison Ivy version. Happy with that, I went to connect it to the shoulder piece. Yeah, that gap I was worried about...it wasn't for the hood. *sigh* It was just another section that didn't get graded properly. I'm assuming that the front piece was the problem since it was larger than the side but since I can't add fabric to something I cut off I decided to cut the neckline down. I had stitched the lining on at 1/4" from the edge so I trimmed the fabric down to meet that line of stitching. That was also exactly how much was over/under cut on the front piece so it worked out fine.

Then I attached the hood and sewed basted it down. I sewed the bias tape all around the raw edges and it was finished.

I won't be making the Joker version of this pattern so if you run into any problems with that shrug I suggest emailing her and not Simplicity about the problem and she can help.

I really love how this looks and it is pretty comfortable to wear.

Here are pictures of the costume so far. All that is left is the corset now!