fba on Darling Ranges Bodice

I'm finally sewing up Darling Ranges from Megan Nielsen Patterns!  I always feel like I'm the last to attempt these popular patterns.  I've been half in love with this one forever, but I'm trying to work from patterns I already own (because I have a lot, and am half in love with most of them too).  Except during Me-Made-May last year, I won a prize through a giveaway (more on that next time) that included this pattern.  It's been on the back of my mind ever since, and as the pattern also came with fabric to sew the dress up in, obviously it was the one I reached for when I was considering a new project!

Except as usual, I knew I had to modify the pattern.  A full bust adjustment was definitely in order.

The first thing I did was trace the front pattern piece.  Since my body measurements are quite different than the pattern sizes, I used my high bust measurement (38", size M) for the shoulders, graded to size L at the underarm after the arm scythe, then graded to an XL at the waist.  My current waist measurement is actually, erm, a bit larger than the pattern fits to, but I also knew that the fba would add some width, so we're going for it.

Since I was pursuing my Fit For Real People (FFRP) book to refresh my memory on how to do an fba, I decided to tissue fit the pattern.  No pics of that process since I was just in my bra at the time, but it showed that I needed a 2 inches added to the piece (1 inch fba on each side).

There's a tutorial on Megan Nielsen's blog about how to do an fba for this pattern, but it was based on her previous design, which had a dart on the side, not at the waistline.  I chose to just go with a normal fba based on FFRP, while adding a dart to the side to redistribute some of the dart width. You can see that adjustment above, though I forgot to add some length on the right side of the fba.

I retraced the adjustments onto a new sheet and tried it on.  (I'm using parchment paper because it's what I have on hand.  I love working with this stuff, but scotch tape doesn't stick to it for very long and that's such a pain, let me tell you).  The fit was better, but the side dart I added was too high.  I chopped that sucker out and shifted it down a bit.


AND here's the final result.  While tracing this version, I raised the neckline by about 1.25 inches as per Megan's tutorial.  I probably should've rotated some more of that lower dart width to the side dart, but ah well.  I think this'll do, and I'll make any further adjustments on the next dress.  If there's another dress.  I hope there is, because this one seems darling - lets see how it works on me!


In case you're curious (I always am), this is how the piece stacked up against the original.  I lined up the shoulder and the front centre edge since that hadn't changed much.  You can see the width and length added to the piece (I'm a little worried about that added length, but the tissue fitting seemed to sit fine on me so we're just gonna give'er on that one), and the changes to the dart location and end point.  I forgot to mention, but at some point I lowered the vertical dart a bit since it hit above my apex.

Yeah yeah, boring post.  I haven't even showed you the fabric this'll be made from!  Mostly I just wanted to write out my adjustments here for future reference.  Hopefully I actually get to sewing this dress up, because I think it's going to be a great addition to my wardrobe, and I'm feeling like I need a change to my style.  But more on that another time.

Geez these are a pain to do, but it's worth the time to adjust the pattern.  What annoying-but-worthwhile pattern adjustments do you have to make?

Vacation Sewing!

Okay folks, I don't have a lot of time (so no editing) and only a handful of (crummy) photos, but I'm sharing my sewing progress, dammit!  I'll try to take better pictures in Cuba, but no promises.

Moneta on the left, an easy slap-dash patternless dress on the right.

I knew that I wanted to basically live in dresses while on our trip to Cuba.  So much more comfortable, and after discovering Body Glide, doable with my wonderfully squishy thighs!  I figured a comfy t-shirt dress would be a comfy option, and Colette's Moneta seemed to fit the bill perfectly!  I cut this pattern out two weeks ago, but only got around to sewing it this weekend (and hemming it tonight).

I made it out of a cotton spandex I bought in Winnipeg a few years back for something like $3/m, and I still have a ton of it left.  I originally figured it'd just be for test sewing, but when I was digging through the stash cupboard, it looked and felt a lot better than I remembered.  The dress is so comfortable and easy to wear (exactly what I wanted!), and I think the fabric was perfect for it.  And POCKETS!

The striped maxi dress above was beyond easy to make, and even with ripping out the elasticized waist once it still only took me about an hour to sew.  I basically took a plain black tank top, chopped off the bottom half, and stitched on 1 m length of fabric.  I took a page out of Moneta's book and used clear elastic to gather the waistline of the skirt before attaching it to the tank, and didn't even bother hemming the dress since I liked the drape as is and this fabric doesn't roll or fray at all.  I'm not sure what it is exactly, but it has gorgeous drape and feels very cool and slick, and I found the knit at my local fabric shop.  It's going to be a wonderfully easy dress to wear, I just know it.

Oh man I am so very white.  I'll be so very red when I come back, you just watch.

Since I promised you modeled pictures, here's my swim top!  I think it turned out pretty well, other than some epic looseness at the small of my back.  That's probably because I have a very prominent butt combined with a full tummy.  I suspect I can fix this a bit by taking in the back along those side seams, but I don't really have the time to play with that right now (we leave on Friday ye gods!) and it's way better than anything I could find at the stores (especially since it's not actually possible for me to find this type of swim top in my size here).  This is going to be perfect for keeping the sun off of my pasty white back!

And as observed in the comments of my preview post, this top is basically the neon-bright colour of so many fishing lures, so I'm probably going to see some fishy action while snorkling!  Hopefully of the "pretty tropical fish" variety and not the "big hungry shark" variety...

The pattern itself is Fehr Trade's Surf to Summit top, and I can't recommend it enough!  The pattern is cleverly drafted and the instructions are some of the best I've ever seen.  She even goes into details on how to adjust the pattern to fit your body - square shoulders?  full bust?  width needed at waist?  She's got it covered!  I actually did my first princess seam fba here, and her instructions made it easy peasy.

I will definitely be making more of these, yes ma'am!

Anyways, I'm basically all ready for our trip, now that my sewing is finished.  I'm usually a "one hour before I have to be at the airport? Guess I'll start packing now" type of person.  This time though, I was basically packed last night !(3 whole days before we leave).  Other than the two dresses I had to hem (Moneta) and sew entirely (slap-dash no-pattern), of course.  This is unprecedented, for me!

So, have you ever created a slap-dash pattern that becomes an absolute favourite before?  Because I'm pretty sure I'm going to live in that maxi dress...

fo: Silky Coral Laurel (say that 3 times fast)!

You know, I've been holding off sharing pictures of my Silky Laurel because I wanted to get some more pictures of it, both on me and off, some detailed shots, show off my hand-stitched neck/arm binding and hem, etc etc etc.


But I'm stuck in camp with the dress in a wrinkled mess on my sewing table at home, and I just want to share it for cripes sakes!

ETA: Now with less squished photos.  Sorry folks, our camp internet is being stupid.

For those of you just joining us, my cousin was getting married in August, and I realized 12 days before the wedding that I didn't have anything to wear.  While I really wanted to sew something, I'd lost interest in the dress I'd planned to make.  But then I miraculously found a dress already cut out, stashed underneath my cutting table.  I only vaguely recall thinking about this project ages ago.  Pretty sure elves came in and did some of the work for me.

They didn't finish it though.  I cut it pretty close, and I'm so lucky that whatever modifications I did originally worked perfectly, because I only just barely managed to finish all of the hand-sewn hemming and neckbinding the morning before I flew out for the wedding!

Please forgive me cutting out my cousins - I didn't have their permission to post their picture online.  The dress, for those who haven't realized by now, is Laurel by Colette Patterns.  I finally used some of the raw silk I bought ages ago on clearance at Fabricland.  I think I need to buy (and use!) this fabric more often, because was it ever a dream to wear!  So breathable and so so nice against the skin.

Here's me and my (big) little brother.  If we're looking a little rumpled and tired, it's because we'd just spent the day running around trying to get all of the little (and some pretty big) things done that got forgotten about/ignored/etc. and are pretty pooped.  Sadly, we were losing daylight by the time I thought to grab him for pictures, and I swear my dress wasn't this...bright in true daylight.  Also, my brother's tie was cream coloured...

This dress though?  So fantastic and comfortable!  It didn't matter if I was acting cabbie for all of the out-of-province inlaws in this country town, playing photographer, or frantically setting up 150 place settings a half-hour before dinner was supposed to start, this dress was comfortable enough to do it all!  I barely noticed I was wearing a dress (except for those times when I nearly forgot myself and bent over to pick up something or other).  Pretty good considering this is the norm for me:

Yep, that's me, posing in my underground gear before heading into the mine portal.  Similar colour though!

And here's a ridiculous outtake, one of the many bad photos one of my cousin's tried to take of this dress.  Believe me, this was the best of the lot!  And it shows off the dress the best.  Ick.  I'm so pleased with the hem length; it's not a length I would normally wear a dress, but it was perfect for a simple shift dress.  The sleeves, I'm less pleased about.  I mean, they fit great, but I'm not sure about the length.  And I think I cut these as per the pattern?  Maybe?!

Laurel is such a versitile dress, I'm seriously stunned.  I think it can be dressed up or dressed down, depending on your fabric and accessory choices, and I think I probably need about 3 or 4 more.  Maybe one in wool for a winter dress?  I wonder if I can find decent wool in Whitehorse...

Have any of you made Laurel up yet?  Or have you made a dress that exceeded your expectations?

And has anyone else had projects worked on for you by unexpected elves?

wip: Silky Laurel - So Close!

Back to camp tomorrow, and I'm so close to finishing this dress!  Just the neckline and hem, but I've run out of time.

I fly out the day after I get back from camp.  Guess I know what I'm doing the afternoon I get home!

Mysteriously Already-Cut-Out Dress

12 days until the wedding, 4 days before I leave for camp, and I have nothing to wear to the ceremony!  AAAHHHH!

I'd planned to make up another dress, but I don't want it.  I've gone shopping, but Whitehorse has nothing to offer me.

And then I caught a flash of colour under my sewing table.

What's this?!

Looks promising....

OH OH OH!!! 

How convinient!  According to my notes in the pattern book, I cut this out back in May 2013, but didn't finish it for some reason.  I think this will make a great dress for a wedding!

Have you ever found a mystery project you'd prepped and never finished?  If so, do you remember doing it?  I'm sort of thinking that elves came and did this at some point, because I don't remember cutting this out...