Thursday, April 26, 2012

Grey Wall, part 3

I'm showing these FOs in reverse order - this is actually the oldest!  I finished it almost a month ago, although I didn't keep track of the date.  This is a bonus project - I squeezed it out of the last bit of coral silk left over from my Kimono Dress.  I believe this is Sorbetto #8 for me:

Outfit details:
Vintage multi-strand necklace
Coral silk Sorbetto
embroidered skirt, Anthropologie circa 2008?
Coral sandals, Ann Taylor circa 2005

After I made this top, I decided I simply must have a vintage multi-strand necklace to go along with it.  Of course, Etsy is the best place to pick up things like that! Check out this beauty:

I just love it.  Although the beads are plastic, they don't
feel cheap.

Bust darts are a teeeeensy bit high.   Don't care.

I had just spotted an enormous
butterfly on my balcony!

I learned something very important with this project.  Or I should say - a realization finally dawned on me:  I have a broad back!  Like I said, I've made this pattern at least seven times before, but when I finished this one and put it on, it felt tight across the back.  I really wasn't sure why, but after thinking about it I decided that it was because this fabric is twill, and thus doesn't have the crosswise stretch that plain weave fabrics have.

But I've also been reading fit books lately (as I know I've mentioned) and one thing I read in Fit for Real People had been simmering in my brain:  the authors said that if you find you have tightness in the upper sleeves when you reach your arms forward; or if you find that your blouses are always riding up your front neck toward the back, then you likely have a broad back.

I've been trying to observe the fit of my clothes - both RTW and self-made - and I've realized that both these things happen to me with most tops.  Aha!  So I think it's going to be time to try out the broad back adjustment on the next thing I make. Which is a little scary for me!

11 comments:

  1. What a gorgeous color! And that skirt is so pretty, too.

    Fit for Real People really is a great go-to with fitting issues. It has come in handy for me a lot. Hope the broad adjustment isn't too difficult.

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    1. I do love coral :-)

      I recently bought Pants for Real People too (but haven't started reading it yet). I'm not sure I would go through all the trouble of tissue-fitting, but there are definitely some good ideas in there!

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  2. Cute! I love the coral color, and this pattern has been on my "to sew' list for so long. I've read through "Fit for Real People" before, and definitely got some very helpful hints on tissue fitting!

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    1. This is a great patter for instant gratification, and for small amounts of fabric! There are endless variations on flickr too!

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  3. Coral is such a gorgeous color - in general, and on you, in particular. And I love this outfit - the skirt, the sandals and the pearls go so well with your new blouse!

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    1. Thank you, Carmela! I always say yellow is my favorite color, but I think I may have to revise that to coral!

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  4. Ooh pretty! I love the embroidered skirt and the necklace too! Well done for squeezing another project out of leftovers! :) It looks great :)

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    1. Thanks, Jo! I wish I had about ten more yards of that fabric. It's so pretty!

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