Sewing Retro! B4790 #4: Fitting the Front

As I posted in my last post B4790 #3 I opted to alter the front. I have a much meatier front than back, so I'm hoping this will help the dress hang nicer and won't tug. Here are the minor alterations I did to the front to be sure to allow for enough coverage under the armpits. This is piece #1.

When I studied the pattern and studied the reviews, I became concerned about gaping under the armpits for a plus size woman. The dress definitely needs to be fitted across the chest and armpits to keep it from looking like an apron. The importance increases with a disproportionately small or large busted woman. I brought the section across the chest and armpits over about 1/2". This translates to an inch more coverage under the arm. If I find this is the right idea, I may add more as I am 20" across the back and 25" in the front. As I wrote above my back proportionately smaller than my front both cup size and extra flesh.

I would also like to be sure to note that I did not make the shoulders any wider as might be expected when adding a size to a pattern. I phased the alteration for what would be something like a size 24 in the chest into the portion of the pattern that did not need to be altered. I like the effect of the shoulder peaking a little beyond the true shoulder, (see the picture above) but at the same time, I don't want the fabric to droop in the humidity or with wear. Upon measuring I found that the shoulder width for the size 22 is going to be about 20 1/2"! That just seemed so wide. I am going to bring the shoulder back to the size 16 mark which is about 19". For me, with a true shoulder width of about 16", I think the extra two inches should give it a closer effect to the picture and less like and oversized apron as discussed in some of the reviews.

I also wanted to include a note that I cut off #1 at about four inches below the "waist". You can see this in the photo above. I will tape it back to the pattern when I'm ready to do the whole thing. I'm not concerned about fitting from the waist down and didn't want to be tangling with the whole dress front while I was trying to size the bodice only.

This was an extremely fun portion of this project. I love the fitting process as this is what makes creating your own clothes worth while. When working with a new pattern and new fit, this should NEVER be rushed. If there's time, I like to allow a day or at very least a few hours to "think on" the changes I've made. I love to create clothes that actually fit and look nice. No matter what size we are.

Depending on the fit of the bust--remember my 38DDD--the last thing I may return to is to make the cup size bigger. This will inrease the fitted appearance of the dress. That is for another post.

Sewing Retro: B4790 #3 -- The "Muslin"

I've cleared my counter off and I'm ready to cut out what I've learned to call a "Muslin". I used to call it a "junker" because some people use junk material for this. However, this time I actually have muslin. I got it from a lady that had died and left a bunch of her sewing and craft stuff to a few of mine. My friend doesn't sew clothes. She more crafty creative and I like to try to stick to the instructions, (see my blog Follow the Instructions) Now I do say here that I am going to try some hook and eyes and a few other ideas from some other reviews. I don't know. I guess I just like to stick to the plan.

My Muslin will help me know what is right and wrong about the the pattern measurements without wasting the material that I already don't have enough of. I'm lucky to have a lot of cleavage (38DDD) to fill out the top portion, but unfortunate enough to be carrying my 60 extra pounds right around my belly button. I'm going to risk measuring slightly smaller to get a firm fit and wear some control "underthings".

I have to remember how form fitting clothes of the 50s were and the many foundation garments they wore while I'm measuring and adjusting, but I have high hopes that this is going to go well. Maybe it's a bit of arrogance, but I think I can pull this dress together and have more success than the average reviewer.

I talked with my mother yesterday. She told me my neice is not sure about how many tickets she will receive for family to attend the graduation. I wonder if she is being vague on purpose so she can be choosy about who she invites or if she really doesn't know.

This is an image of pattern piece #2. I put it on upside down. It doesn't matter. I was just being thrifty. I ended up choosing to alter the front piece to be sure there was enough coverage under the armpits. So you will notice with this piece there are no alterations to it.

Sewing Retro! B4790 #2 - So Many Choices

These are my selections for the dress. I thought the material had some 70s overtones, but chose it anyway. Once I spent the money, I decided a nice blue gingham would have been perfect. However, I am happy with this choice:

David's Textiles, Inc - Forgot to write down the design (4 3/4 yards) - It will be close for my measurements.

Coats Dual Duty All Purpose Thread - Yale Blue and Kerry (yes, Kerry) Green -- I picked blue and green thread because I have blue bias tape and the dominant color in the fabric is that green.

Wrights Extra Wide Double Fold Bias Tape - Yale blue

Dritz Snaps - nickel #1s - I should carry a guage. #1s are too small. I may change to bigger ones when I get to that step. (I saw a review where a seamstress had added hooks and eyes in some of the places the snaps might unsnap. I am considering that advice, but will see how it goes with the bigger snaps)

La Mode buttons 7/8" Royal - I bought four all the same size

I think that's it.

Like I said, the ceremoney is outside. I have some beautiful sling back sandals that are the blue in the bias tape. The heel may not be thick enough for wearing in the grass, so I will have to experiment.

I'm so glad I learrned how to post photos and I also learned how to not download them onto my computer.

Sewing Retro! Butterick B5556

This is my next gig dress. By gig dress I mean a dress I'll perform in. We do a lot of old music from other decades. I think this one would be perfect for doing old jazz standards in.

I've picked some different fabrics, but will probably go with shantung because of the texture. I'm learning about retro fabrics and underthings, too. When this one is done I will have to wear a crinoline with it and will definitely have my secret weapon on under everything else.

I ordered the fabric for this dress. As soon as it arrives, I will be sure to include a photo of the notions for this dress as well.

Sewing Retro! B4790 #1 - The Walkaway Dress

Half my excitement about sewing this dress is contained in my blog on February 25: Follow The Instructions. The other half is that I just received confirmation that my neice's graduation is outside, in June! I think I can make this dress work. In fact, I know I can. AND I want to wear it to my neice's graduation.

I will definitely be making a "muslin" of the bodice before going any further into the dress. The pattern calls for 5 yards, the material I fell in love with at JoAnn Fabrics was the end of the bolt and only 4 3/4 yards. That translates to one shot.

When I get the battery on my camera charged, I will definitely take some pictures of the notions before beginning. This is so exciting!

B4790 #1 - Follow The Instructions

I found the cutest little pattern online at Butterick. Like I often do with new patterns, I put it in my shopping cart and did some online research. I found that a lot of ladies had chosen this pattern, and it was truly getting trashed in the reviews. Still, there was something about this retro pattern that just begged me to try my hand at it. I truly didn't understand how a pattern could be so popular in one decade and be so maligned in another.

The next weekend I was in a fabric store, I bought the pattern, required fabric, notions and found myself growing excited at the prospect of tackling this famous pattern. The first thing I did was pull out the instructions to study them. I always study the instructions before I ever begin to look at the pattern or the do any measuring and especially before I do any cutting. Due to all the bad press surrounding it, I knew I wanted to make a dry run of the fitted portions. I immediately noticed at the beginning of the instructions it stated to take measurements and adjust the pattern accordingly. I also made mental notes of little tiny things like snap and bias tape placement and hemming. Looked at pattern piece placement and then the steps to completing the project. Still, I could not see how this great little retro number was so horribly received in our millenium.

I went back online to the reviewers and images and it didn't take long to see the downfall of some of these talented seamstresses. Very few of these ladies followed the instructions. There was tape where there shouldn't have been tape and buttons where there shouldn't have been buttons and best/worst of all the fabric choices were all wrong. Very few of the finished projects actually fit the models or even looked like the pattern pictures.

Knowing what I now know, I am more than excited to put this thing together and wear it. After studying the instructions at great length, I am certain following the instructions, measuring for accurate fitting and being careful to stay true to the pattern is the answer.