The season has turned, I’ve brought my winter coats back into the wardrobe. It’s almost too late to be blogging about summer sewing… but not quite!
This top is Burdastyle 06/2016 #129
I’ve even used a similar colour to Burda.
Mine is made from a floaty cotton voile that has been in my stash almost forever (9 years – I’ve patted it appreciatively and admired its colour and hand many times since it came to live with me). This fabric is designer deadstock – from Gay Naffine/Lucy Giles.
I made several adjustments to the pattern to get the fit better.
I traced off a size 46, petite-ed the bodice by 2 cm above the bust dart and made a 2 cm forward shoulder – which meant I also brought the tucks in the sleeve head forward. Are you supposed to do that?
The adjustments certainly worked for the shoulder fit, but the bust darts ended up a touch high.
The neck depth is good but it is quite wide though – if there is a next time I’ll consider bringing it in a bit.
I didn’t include the front slit but I did keep the idea of regular tacks down the front band by adding pearl buttons (shining in the bad side light of the image above)
I used a very light interfacing for the neck band and the front bands as well as to reinforce those square seams
A KATM tag on the side seam above the slit because I can.
I promise this is the last ‘touching my hair’ photo!
The skirt is an old favourite made in my new larger size – 46 waist and 48 hips – Burdastyle 07/2012 #134
I love the quirkiness of the darts at the hem. I didn’t sew the darts to the outside as per the pattern for this version. There was already enough going on with the stripes.
This is a stretch cotton that’s been in my stash for even longer – 11 years. Bought in 2010. That’s deep stash. This fabric is also designer deadstock- from Gay Naffine.
The second summer top is Friday Pattern Company’s square neck top.
It is the second version I made – the first one was an XXL as per my measurements but with the neckline raised by 2.5 cm. It was too big in almost every dimension except through my hips. It was made up in a beautiful blue shirting cotton but that wasn’t enough to save it. It has already been donated.
The second one was a XL bust out to XXL hips plus 2.5 cm removed in the bodice above the dart and through the sleeve and then the neck also raised by 2.5 cm.
It’s still not quite right – the cap sleeves pull when I move my arms forward. I doubt I’ll make another one unless I use a knit.
The fabric is lovely though – an embroidered linen cotton remnant from my local Spotlight. It is also from the stash, but it has only been marinating for 3 years.
Stash busting, three garments I can wear and two I love!
***EDITED to add how I do a petite adjustment to the bodice***
I’m very surprised to find that I couldn’t easily point Sandra to a youtube or blog post from someone else that explained how I do this. Either I haven’t looked well enough or what I do is different to what everyone else does. Or perhaps both.
This comes with several warnings:
- Writing tutorials is a skill that I don’t have – it’s highly likely that none of this will make sense.
- Drawing simple diagrams is also a skill I don’t have – it’s not going to be pleasing to the eye.
- This works for me but possibly works for no-one else on the earth – try on something unimportant, like a muslin/toile before you commit to this!
The green lines A, B and C are your cutting lines
- Line A: draw this in starting at the centre front and perpendicular to centre front, at least 2 cm below neckline (if you’re doing a 2 cm petite-ing, more if you’re doing more, less if less) out to just before before the armscye stitching line
- Line B: draw this in also perpendicular to centre front but start 2 cm below armscye on the side seam (or more or less depending on your adjustment) and stop at about the same position as Line A.
- Line C: this line joins Line A and B and is parallel to the centre front
The purple dashed lines are the lines you’re adjusting to.
- Measure up 2 cm (or more or less, depending on your adjustment) from lines A and B and draw in a line parallel to them (this is the purple dashed lines).
The red bit is the amount you’re going to remove.
- Cut along your green lines.
- Shift the pattern piece up to the dashed lines and tape it back together
Now do the same to the back bodice piece
Why I do it this way:
- It doesn’t change the armscye, which means you don’t have to adjust the sleeve. I don’t usually have an issue with where the sleeve joins the bodice being too low so I avoid having to make this additional change.
- It takes length out only above the bust, which is where I seem to need it to get the bust point in the right spot for me.
This isn’t what I did on the square neck too (I just took 2 cm out from centre front through the cut on sleeves) but it is what I normally do and what I did for the V neck Burda top.
Sandra: Hope this helps and good luck with your fitting journey
Does this make sense? Does anyone else do this? Is there a better way to do this?
He Cooks... She Sews! 