Yabba Dabba Doo

I feel like someone's about to scream "Wilma!" while I'm wearing this top, which isn't to say I don't like it :-):

I still have to apply the button and thread chain...

This is strangely wrinkly in the pic, though not in real life. How does that happen?

OK, you know it's on the dress form, which had a different body than mine, but with the 10" zip I can actually get it over the immoveable shoulders of this thing. All in all, I support the longer zip, which sits well on the side seam as long as it's interfaced (I used organza).

Dare I say it looks better on me? (At which point you might malign me for not having the decency to show a pic. Note: I hope to wear it tomorrow and, if I do, I'll get Scott to snap it on my way out the door...)

My alterations worked very well, all things considered. I did have a small challenge with the angle and height of the back shoulder, but it was easy to cut down in the correct way (fortunately I'd cut the fabric too big). This is likely my pattern alteration error though, in truth, I looked many times at the original pattern and can't see where I went wrong. It's weird.

I could probably take a bit more length out of the lower back (but then it might start to screw with the front length) and I could probably change the positioning of the shoulder seam by putting a bit more on the front and taking a bit off the back (to adjust for computer-shoulders).

But it's extremely wearable. One might even say it fits well.

And we wonder why ladies can't make (much less buy) clothing that fits beautifully.

People - I'm wearing 3 graded sizes in this one simple shell. Plus, I've screwed with front length above the breasts. And back length below the waist. That's crazy complicated, relatively speaking, and this thing doesn't even have sleeves.

Note: Next up, I'll post about my secret alteration technique. Yeah, it's hardly secret and just about as much technique, but I have to keep you guessing!

Some things about the fabric: I'm starting to wonder if it's really silk. It's definitely not charmeuse because it's matte on both sides. While it was silk-like challenging to stitch, it feels a bit stiff to me. Maybe it's china silk? Thing is, it's not sheer. I should burn some of it and see what happens...

It did all the regular silk things: got easily pin-marked, required a shorter stitch with less pressure on the presser foot and it benefitted from sewing with a sharp. But it wasn't quite as slippery as charmeuse. Are there silk-synthetic blends, I wonder?

Some (more) things about the pattern: I still haven't used the instructions so I haven't got any more for you on that, but I can say unreservedly that this pattern is FABULOUS. At least my altered, unlined version is, IMO :-) I would recommend its purchase if you are of the general shape that (I suspect) it flatters: buxom(ish), not long in the waist and not full in the high-hip / derriere.

Let's talk about pepulms for a moment, yes? They're not the most flattering look out there. Very "trendy", kind of dated (if you lived through the 80s). And they really don't work well on lots of shapes which are otherwise gorgeous. In the same way that I will never be able to incorporate the strapless dress into my wardrobe (tiny sob), I suggest that women who are "pear shaped" (and I do know that this is more-or-less a meaningless term in light of the complexity of body-shapes) proceed with caution.

I'd recommend that you stay away from this pattern (and peplums in general) if you are not very experienced in sewing for your shape AND:

• You have a shelf-like high hip
• You have a prominent, high or wide derriere
• You have proportionately thick upper legs
• You have a long, proportionately thick, waist
• You have relatively small breasts compared to relatively wide hips/derriere

I have fairly slim legs and proportionate hips and bum and I still feel kind of wide in that area while wearing this top. The thing it has going for me is that the full peplum really balances my bust. So take that under advisement and, ladies of the "pear-shaped" ilk, please speak up if you think I'm wrong!

If you can believe it, tonight I'm going to rip apart muslin 1 (bias tape and all), save the peplum and attempt to cut down the bodice to the dimensions of muslin 2. I'm usually not inclined to revisit the past, but I really love the drape and fabric of that muslin and there's no size increasing required. Worst case scenario, I have enough of the fabric to make a new bodice.