Second Fitted Blouse Attempt: New Look 6107

In my continuing quest for a fitted blouse, I made a muslin from New Look 6107. I tried a size 16 to see if I could avoid the tent-like appearance of a size 18 and let the gathers at the shoulder provide some ease for my bust so I could skip the FBA.

That was a stupid idea.

The design of the blouse is quite flattering for my figure (though the darts and side seams could use some adjusting) and I like the pseudo-1940s yoke-plus-gathers look, but…yikes. It’s tight in the bust…

…and it has those telltale signs of needing a full bust adjustment. Note the gaps at the back of the neck and the front of the armhole.

Unfortunately, this damn pattern defies all standard FBA tutorials. It’s like it has a dart in the shoulders, only it doesn’t. It has a yoke with gathers and a vertical dart. Clearly, I need to trace a size 14 and add to the bust, but I don’t know if I need to add at the gathers, or fudge in a bust dart.

I think I may need to talk to Claire Kennedy again and make arrangements for one of her classes. I want to bring in different types of patterns — a blouse, a dress with bodice and skirt, a sheath, maybe something with a gathered bust, and something with princess seams — and have her break them down and show me how to do the FBAs. Normally I can teach myself all kinds of crazy sewing techniques, but this is so specialized and challenging that I just can’t do it on my own. I hate admitting that, but it’s true.

Side note: this pattern is more evidence that Simplicity patterns SUCK. It has the dumbest method of sewing facing to the neckline that I have ever seen. I can’t even describe it. It’s just outright mind-blowingly idiotic.

Sewing Tip: Going to Extra Lengths with Facings

Here’s a sewing tip: always always ALWAYS add a little extra to every facing piece on garments. This is obvious when it comes to bias tape, but perhaps not as obvious for things like facings cut from pattern pieces. If possible, cut the ends of facings just a bit longer, extending them past the end of the pattern piece by a half-inch or more. This will give you a bit of wiggle room in case the facing comes up short for one reason or another (errors in your calculations or in the pattern, or some idiosyncrasy with the fabric). In almost all cases, the excess can be trimmed away or tucked into the finished edge.

Why am I bringing this up? Because even after allowing a tiny bit of wiggle room, a facing for a project has come up short and I will not be able to properly finish the edge. If I had planned ahead, I could have added a half-inch and that would have been enough. Now I have to come up with a workaround and it will probably look ridiculous and messy instead of neat and professional! Thank you, Simplicity, for wrecking yet another project with your shoddy patterns and poor instructions.*

* I know I said I’d never use modern Simplicity patterns again, but it’s for a specific type of costume for my husband and there were no other pattern options available.

Mission Failed: Surrendering Sewing Projects

There’s plenty of advice out there about how to proceed with just about any kind of sewing project. But what if you can’t or don’t want to  proceed? When your options have been exhausted or are not viable, you may find yourself with one choice: surrendering.

Little Girl’s First Easter Dress & Pattern Review of Simplicity New Look 6792

Having a baby means that you have an excuse to sew lots of adorable things. The downside is that having a baby sometimes keeps you from sewing. Nevertheless, I managed to sew a dress for my daughter’s first Easter. I want to sew her a dress every year so that she’ll have a collection of pretty dresses and memories…at least until the dreaded day when she says, “Mom, this year I want to buy my Easter dress in a store.”