Fitting Journal: Pattern Runway Pussy Bow Blouse

Hi all!

I didn't intend to take a one-week hiatus, but you know how it is sometimes:  stuff is going on, but nothing really worth writing about.  I did a lot of crafting in the last week, but one (knitted) item is a gift I won't be able to post about until February.  Then I started a BHL Charlotte skirt muslin; it's got some problems that I'll have to work out, so no use writing about that yet.

I put the skirt on the back burner for a while in order to try some of my newly learned fitting techniques on my favorite blouse pattern:  Pattern Runway's Pussy Bow Blouse (which from now will be known as the PR PBB).

I've made this blouse twice before.  The first one was a bit too small across the back and the hips.  The second time I made it, I gave myself a 1/4" broad back adjustment and graded the hip out from XS to S.  And that one fits pretty well - acceptable really.  But I wanted to see if I could tweak the pattern a bit more.  I'm always chasing the dream of a blouse that fits my wonky body perfectly.

So over the weekend I got out my pattern and went to town.  In the interest of clarity, I'm going to show each adjustment separately and how I feel it worked.  What that really means is:  WARNING:  Picture Heavy Post!  But that's better than no pictures, right?!

I increased my Broad Back Adjustment from 1/4" to 3/8".  This did make it more comfortable to wear, but it ends up looking like there is a lot of fabric back there, especially around my waist.  I may consider adding in some vertical fisheye darts in future.

A 1/2" Sway Back Adjustment took care of some of the pooling of fabric in the lower back.  I could probably take more out in the future.

I did a 1/2" Foward Shoulder Adjustment to both shoulders, tapering to nothing at the neck.  This blouse does sit more comfortably on my shoulders than the previous two, and doesn't pull to the back.

I gave myself a little extra space in the back for my shoulder blades with a Prominent Shoulder Blade Adjustment, as shown in Fitting and Pattern Alteration.  I used the "seam method" - you slash the seam line and move it out, so that while you give yourself more space, the length of the seam line remains the same.  (This book was a gift from my mom a year (or two?) ago - it's very expensive, but a super reference book if you can afford it or if you know someone who wants to give you an extravagant gift!)  I think this worked pretty well.

I used that same "seam method" to swing my side seam out front and back by about 1/2", making sure front and back match.  On my first two blouses, I can't really button the bottom button; on this one I can.

Moved shoulder point forward 1/2" to match forward shoulder adjustment.

And cut 1/2" off the front sleeve seam and added it to the back sleeve seam so that the sleeve seam would match up with the side seam.  While the shoulders feel good, I'm not sure this sleeve adjustment is working for me (this is one of the methods recommended in Fit For Real People).  The armscye feels tight, and there is still some pulling on my right arm especially.

The only adjustment I made to the front was to move the bust dart down 1/2", based on trying on my second blouse.  But once this blouse was finished, I decided I was better off with it in its original position, so I moved it back.

I'm having a period of low sewjo - we all get those - so that coupled with wanting to knock this one out to assess the fitting changes means that this isn't the best blouse I've ever made.  It's not horrible, but it's not the awesome blouse I was hoping for.  Part of that is the color - while I like this fabric as fabric, it doesn't really suit my coloring.  I feel it really washes me out, and even with the pink and white designs and the cute red buttons, it still reads GREY.

That said, because I don't LOVE it, that means I will probably actually wear it!  I've noticed I have a tendency NOT to wear the things I love, for fear of messing them up.  (I'm working on it.)

Here's the thing I'm struggling with, and I'd be curious to know if any of you have this problem too.  I'm starting to wonder if the holy grail of a perfectly fitting shirt is a myth.  I've noticed that a lot of my clothing that LOOKS good doesn't feel comfortable to me.  And the things that do feel comfortable tend to look sloppy and frumpy.  I've been operating under the assumption that there's a happy medium, but I'm starting to wonder if that's true.  Technically, this blouse fits better than the first two.  But I much prefer how the second one looks on me, and it's not just about the fabric choice.

Granted, it does look better across the upper back.  On the next one I will move the dart back to its original position, which should take care of some of that frumpiness across the front,  and also shorten the shirt - I think this is 1 or 2 inches too long for me.

I'm also going to consider adjusting for my lower right shoulder.  I haven't wanted to go there - having to make two separate pattern pieces for left and right just seems a step too tedious.  But then I think, what if that's the missing piece of the puzzle?

So, even though this isn't the OMG PERFECT shirt I was hoping for (because let's face it:  that's the hope with every single project, right?) it is wearable, and I learned some things. 

And this is my third make from Stash, so that gets me one step closer to a new fabric allowance :-)

A Keeper

You can tell how much I like a project by how quickly I take pictures of it.  It took a month for me to take pictures of yesterday's tee shirt, and another couple weeks to post it.

I finished this one yesterday.

(Please ignore my hair.  It was in a messy bun.  Messy being the operative word.)

This is the Pattern Runway Gorgeous Pussy Bow Blouse, sans bow.  It's described as an "easy fit blouse with bangle-length sleeves" - right up my alley.   It has a sweet little collar with separate stand, and neat little sleeve plackets.  All in all a very feminine, yet comfortable blouse.

I first made my muslin of this blouse just over a year ago.  The fit was pretty good, but a teeny bit snug in the hips and across the back.  Before I started working on this version, I extended the side seam out below the waist to the next size up, and also gave myself a quarter-inch Broad Back Adjustment.  This is the first time I've done the adjustment, although I've known for quite a while I need it (thank you, C2 Rowing) - it really does make a difference.  I could even stand a little more ease in the back, but then I'd have to ease the back shoulder with a gathering stitch.  With this small adjustment, I was able to ease the back shoulder into the front just by pulling the front shoulder more taut as I sewed - easy peasy.

Sadly, the light around here this morning wasn't good enough to give you the understanding of just how gorgeous this fabric is.  This is Robert Kaufman Baby's Breath in Vintage (even the name is fantastic!) from the London Calling Lawn line.  Liberty-esque without the pricetag, IMO!  I fell in love and bought enough to make this very blouse the instant I saw it.  I also bought it in the "Celebration" colorway:

Anyway, here are some close-up pictures so you can see the colors of "Vintage" better.

I love my little lavender buttons!

Edge-stitching courtesy of the blind hem foot!

Rolled hem - that was hard on those curves!

And you want to see my shoes, right?  Bought these years ago from Boden:

They go with both these fabrics!

So, do you guys feel all better now, since you got a smiley face today rather than a pouty one?!

Quickly

Feeling better today, and before I head out to do some errands,  I wanted to quickly show the blouse "in situ" so that anyone who's interested can get an idea of the fit:

I realize that the fabric is so busy, you can't really see the bow.  Although I do really love this fabric, I considered this go as my muslin; the fabric cost me $4. The buttons cost just as much!

And here's the other Pattern Runway project I did over the last couple days:

Yes, more of that raspberry silk!  When I was reorganizing some of my boards on Pinterest over the weekend, I came across a pin for this tutorial on Pattern Runway, and on a whim I decided to give it a try.  I'm really happy with the result.

Rather than using ribbon, I sewed my bib onto a strand of vintage Czech beads a friend gave me a couple years ago.  I like it because the long strand allows me to wear the bib at different levels, depending on what top I'm wearing.  Here's how it looks on:

I think I should have worn it a little lower.
And smiling at a self-timer is awkward!

I made all my roses, and then sewed them onto interfaced muslin.  Then I glued the whole thing onto a piece of scrap leather . . .

and used upholstery thread to attach the strand of beads.

Today I'm wearing it with my Chamomile Tunic from a couple years ago.  I like the green and pink together!

After all that raving about Pattern Runway yesterday, I just couldn't help myself:  I bought two more patterns - the Kimono Sleeve Dress and the Relaxed Shift Dress. Yay!

I have no self-control.

I was going to work on my blouse until noon yesterday, and then get to work on my taxes.  But I just couldn't stop.  I finished the whole darned thing!

I meant to put it on today to show the fit, but I woke up with a bad (sinus) headache that I just can't shake, so I'll have to do that another day.  But here's the finished product - I was too excited not to share!

If this doesn't scream vacation,
I don't know what does!

I made the second size, XS, based on my bust measurement.  It fits perfectly through the chest and shoulders, but because the cut is long and straight, the bottom won't button around my generous hips.  I was expecting that though; and I don't think it will matter for me, because I intend to wear it tucked in.  Or with skinny jeans, it will look fine to have the bottom button open.

I think my favorite detail on this pattern is the sleeve opening with placket.  The instructions are so clear, it was really easy to get this professional-looking result:

I can't say enough good things about this pattern.  I'm now a big Pattern Runway fan!  I only wish she had lots more patterns to choose from.  For now though, I will content myself with her Relaxed Shift Dress.  I also love the One Shouldered Bow Party Dress, but because of my underarm flab, I'm a little afraid of it!  AND I love the Kimono Dress.

I've got one more Pattern Runway project in the works, which I should be able to show tomorrow or the next day . . .

It's the little things.

Construction of the Gorgeous Pussy Bow Blouse began today, and thanks to three little tips - one from Colette Patterns and two from Pattern Runway - I've just made the best-looking collar of my life!  So of course I wanted to share the tips with my sewing friends!

The blouse pattern recommends that if you have very sheer fabric (as I do), it's best to interface both pieces of the collar and collar stand.  That way the seams won't show through on one side, and it makes ironing much easier.  Brilliant!

Colette Snippets posted a tip a while ago about sewing curves.  As you approach the curve, shorten the stitch length and of course, slow down.  I've been doing this since I read the tip a few weeks ago, and it has really made a difference to my curves:

Finally, Pattern Runway suggests that when sewing the collar pieces together, rather than sewing to a sharp point, shorten your stitch length as you approach the point, then stop one stitch short of the point and make a diagonal stitch over the the next edge.  (Better seen on the above photo.)

I did this both on the seam and on the edgestitching after I'd turned the collar, and I'm amazed at the difference it made!  I didn't have to poke around to make the collar point nearly as much as I usually do!

I'm only about one fourth of the way into the pattern, but so far I'm very impressed; it's very straightforward and full of tips.  I'm really taking my time on this one, and enjoying every minute!

New Beginning

I began my Pussy Bow Blouse today!  Hurray!

It's been a little bit of an ordeal, but today things went smoothly.

I tried to start this blouse a couple weeks ago.  As I began to print the pattern, my ten-year-old printer finally gave up the ghost.  What timing!  That night Hubby ordered me a new one, and a few days later, I had it in hand.  Anxious to print out the pattern, I shoved aside my Luddite tendencies, read through the manual step by step, and set up my new printer all by myself.  I felt quite proud!  I printed out my pattern, but then had to set it aside for a couple days before I had time to assemble it.  And then of course I came down with a bad cold and couldn't think straight enough to tackle it.

Last Saturday I finally had both the time and the energy to do it.  I got out my paper cutter and trimmed all the excess away, then carefully assembled the pieces together and . . . . Hmmmmm.  It didn't look right.  It looked awfully small.

I took a look at the printing instructions again, and yes - I did follow all the instructions.  I went online to look for any kind of clue:  finished measurements, size of the grid, anything.  This pattern is different from others I've used in that it doesn't have a test square, and I couldn't find anything on Pattern Runway's website to help me out.  What to do?

Finally, I sent an email to the designer explaining my dilemma.  I was pleasantly surprised when Sarah got back to me only a few hours later.  She told me that the grid squares should be 1" or 2.5 cm. and that I might have more luck printing from Adobe Reader than from Preview.

Another couple of days later, I had the time to reset my printer preferences and print it out again, and voila!  The correct size!  Yesterday I washed, dried and ironed my fabric and this afternoon I put together pattern #2, cut out the pieces, traced them onto the fabric and cut it out.  With any luck, I can begin sewing tomorrow!

One thing I won't have to do tomorrow is knit on my Still Light dress, because I FINISHED IT THIS MORNING!!  A "photoshoot" is coming up soon!


ETA:  This is SO cool!  I just learned from Karen how to change my settings so that the comments allow replies!