Sometimes Simpler is Better

I have been so mired in seemingly endless pattern adjustments that I haven’t been feeling very positive about my fitting skills lately. I like that red stretch velvet dress I made, but I am not crazy about the neckline. I find myself wanting to wear that snowflake swing dress from Kohls ALL THE TIME, partly because I like the mock turtleneck. When I keep reaching for a piece over and over, I try to figure out why. Is it the fabric? The fit? Something else?

I pulled this pattern out of my collection to play around with it:

I have no intention of making either a bodycon dress or top. Much as I wish otherwise, I simply cannot wear close-fitting tops. Anything that hugs my body at and below my bust only makes my bust look that much bigger. That neckline is identical to the one on the snowflake dress, though.

[At some point, I hope to be able to make these kinds of simple alterations without relying on patterns, but for now, I am using the training wheels available to me.]

I traced the pattern for my bust size and made the standard changes of lowering the waistline and lengthening the entire top. That was easy with this pattern because the pattern pieces are for the dress, with marked cutting lines for the top. Still, I added a good 4" to the length of the top. I have a pretty good idea now of how long tops have to be in order not to look out of proportion on my body. I also graded out to the next size below the bust, not because I need the additional width for my waist and hips—I don’t—but because I didn’t want it to cling to my midsection and make my bust look bigger.

[I don’t necessarily think of myself as tall, because the husband and both our girls are taller than me, but when I am with a group of women, I feel like I am towering over most of them.]

I used a fine-gauge brushed sweater knit from the Walmart remnant rack in a bright navy. Once cut, it only took about half an hour to construct, although I had to un-sew the shoulders and redo them because I didn’t have right sides together. It was late in the afternoon, getting dark in my sewing room, and even though I thought I checked to make sure which side was which, something got turned around.

I put on the top to evaluate it just as the husband was coming in for dinner. I like it. A lot. The fit at the bust and shoulders is perfect. I still have to attach the mock turtleneck and hem the sleeves and bottom, which is why I have no photo yet. I think this pattern may work perfectly for my Christmas dress. I’ll retrace it at dress length—although not as long as the one the model is wearing—and make it up in the Minvera crushed velvet.

I feel a bit better about my fitting skills now.

I’ve also got several other lengths of similar sweater knits that have been waiting for a suitable pattern to come along. I am hoping this is the one.

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While we are discussing necklines, I’ll mention my pet peeve about V-necks. I see lots of fashion advice indicating that V-necks are flattering for women with larger bustlines. They are. However, most V-neck tops—both ready-to-wear and in patterns—are so low in the V that they expose my bra. Unlike small-busted women, we cannot wear dainty little plunge bras from Victoria’s Secret. Sometimes, depending on the style of the top, I can wear a camisole bra, but not always.

I’m not alone in this. Karina at the Lifting Pins and Needles YouTube channel almost always raises the neckline when she makes a V-neck top. I wish designers would consider undergarments when designing, because we’re not running around naked under our clothing. (At least I’m not.)

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I am not going to record any additional podcasts for 2023. I want to get all the social media stuff straightened out and start the new year with a fresh slate. I’ve started organizing tax stuff and I would like to do a closet purge and take a few other things to the thrift store after the holidays.