So my Simplicity 2254 muslin is sort of looking like a disaster so far (and that's ignoring the colour and the fact that it's looking like some horrible scrub), now that I've photographed it, and I suspect that I should've done a 1 inch FBA instead of 2 inches. Wow, is it ever big. The photos really don't capture just how roomy it is in the bust. I wonder if there's enough ease in this pattern to get away with not doing a FBA after all? I think I'll just try reducing the FBA for now, recut the bodice, and see how it goes from there. It's all a process, right?Oh boy, I'm sort of hating the sleeves, too. Maybe I'll slope them down from the shoulder to the elbow, reduce some of that slouchy fabric. Ick.
You can probably see how big the skirt is, too. I've recently gained quite a bit of Thesis Crunch Weight, and as a result, a lot of my tops just don't fit properly anymore. I cut the skirt a size larger, then tucked under and sewed the excess material when attaching to the bodice, just in case I still needed to grade to a larger size around the waist. Turns out that this was not necessary. I knew there was some ease in this pattern, but I think I underestimated just how much.
The excess material combined with the gathering in the front has the unhappy effect of making me look pregnant. Well, unhappy for me. My Mom was delighted.
Obviously I need to do a bunch of work on this bloody thing. And sadly, it's going to have to wait a little while. Turns out I have a major thesis deadline on my birthday, March 23rd, and I have a whole lot of writing to do in the mean time. Wish me luck, on both the thesis and this (horrid) pattern. I think I'll need it for both!
Wishing you luck on both! The top will turn out great, just keep at it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I totally know what you mean about the Thesis Crunch + Moving Back Home weight gain....ugh.
Hmm. I suspect that this is one of those patterns that looks great in a soft, drapey fabric but won't work in anything else. On the whole it doesn't look bad, though I believe you about the excess ease. Ease is such a wild-card!
ReplyDeleteI love empire waistlines, but that pregnant look is always a risk (and my inlaws just LOVE to ask about it. Maybe you could do pleats instead of gathers?
Also, I feel you on the thesis side. I'm pretty sure I'm going to fall off the face of the (blogging) planet as soon as my crunch hits...
Wishing you luck for both the top and the thesis (though I have no idea exactly how horrid a thesis is - or what is involved).
ReplyDelete@Tanit-Isis: I suspect that I'll only be making the version of this top with the longer sleeves out of the rayon-blend fabric I picked up for this project, since it is a soft drapey fabric. But I'd planned to do a sleeveless (or very short sleeved) version with a cotton blend, and I think it may still work. If I can get the fit right.
ReplyDelete*salutes you and wishes you luck with your upcoming crunch*
@Liz: Thank you, and thank your lucky stars you didn't experience the long-term agony that is a thesis. *smashes head against wall* :D
Did you ever finish this top? I ask because I made it earlier this week and my version looks so much like "scrubs." I laughed when I saw your post. Could be that my fabric doesn't have a lot of drape. I too did a complete FBA but then I realized that I had left out the neck band!! Didn't actually need the extra bust room. Hours down the drain. The finished top needed one more inch in bodice length (the empire seam doesn't quite reach the bottom of my bustline). And, it's huge in the skirt. So, last night, I altered the pattern, adding the length and taking one inch off the skirt sides and straightening them, and recut it. Sewing it the second time tonight. I'll probably also try pleating the front skirt instead of gathers this time, per Tanit-Isis' comment. We'll see. I did the view with the top stitching, which I love. Thanks for your post. I couldn't find anything else online about this pattern!
ReplyDeleteHi Lauren! Thanks for coming by my little corner of the internet!
ReplyDeleteI haven't yet finished this top. I was really disheartened by my muslin, and don't really want a scrub. Adding length might just be enough, with a top like this, as opposed to a FBA. I had nearly forgot about the neckband as well!
Maybe I'll tackle this top again, and be very selective about the drape and print of the chosen fabric. If it doesn't work out, well, I have a nurse friend who would probably love some new scrub tops!
I just popped over to your blog. Cute tops! I can't wait to see how this one turns out!
I am new posting comments, so what is FBA mean??? I just bought this pattern today and some silky fabric. I think that I will have to do a practice run! It looked so cute on the tiny model, which I'm not! But I liked the style.
ReplyDeleteHow did your thesis go? Just finished my MBA and thought I was going to have so much free time...NOT!
Hi Shatzi! Sorry about the late response to this, I hope you see it. FBA stands for "Full Bust Adjustment". Most patterns are designed for a B cup sized chest. If you have a larger chest, an adjustment may need to be made. There's a lot of good instructions on how to do this online and in many sewing reference books, so I'd recommend looking those up for instructions on how to do a FBA.
ReplyDeleteMy thesis is going well, thanks for asking! I've submitted a draft to my committee and will be defending it next week!
Good luck with your own sewing project! I hope it goes better than my version did. If you're using some expensive fabric, you probably will want to do a practice run first!