Simplicity 1093-in progress

Dude. I'm sewing.

Remember my Simplicity 1093 from yesterday (I'll repost the pattern cover here):


I'm starting with a really small person's pattern, a 31" bust. I had to do some grading, which took the better part of an hour. Or two. (I watched this while I graded. I love me some Don Draper.)


Gratuitous Don shot:


And Joan is likewise a curvy girl after my own heart. I want her entire series wardrobe. Like, now.


What was I talking about?

Oh yea. Grading. I graded up 4 sizes, using the method found here (mine was less ruler-based and more eyeball-based. This is a rather simple pattern). Then I did a pivot/slide a'la Nancy Zieman to add more width at the bust/waist/hip. (about 1.5"?) I also deepened the armhole (and lowered the neckline) by adding 3/4" at the shoulder seam.

I should have taken a picture at that point, huh? Next time, I promise I'll document the grading process because it would be SO helpful to see that! Sorry.

I used this creamy white 100% linen (it's a light to medium weight, so possibly a bit heavy for this top. I used it once before for this skirt. Scroll down to the linen sailor skirt.) And because I LOVE the rickrack trim & bow on the pattern cover, I dug around in my box of goodies until I found enough baby rickrack to copy it. I'm using green. It's magically delicious.


Further proof I sewed...Here's a peek of a wrinkly half-finished top on my dressform Edith.


I love love love the release tucks and the way the top "blouses" out at the back! It's supposed to do that in front too, but it's not as obvious. I guess because I have boobage taking up some of the slack in front? I'm also smaller than my dressform. (It's a duct-tape double and I did it last summer.) I'm smaller now, so the top is not as tight around my midsection as it appears in the photo, nor does it pull to the front at the sideseams as in the picture above.

But the release tucks in back...Cute, right?

This shot was taken after alot of altering!! I had to remove ALL of the pivot/slide addition (all 1.5") and I also had to remove the 3/4" I added at the shoulder seam. The top was allover too big. That's interesting to me, because I have been making about a 38 or 40 (if I can find it) with few alterations straight out of the envelope for vintage patterns. I usually do have to add a bit at the waist/tummy area, because I don't wear a girdle too. (Shocking, I know.)

**Note...just to answer the comments about shoulder pads. Good question! But nope, there are no shoulder pads in this pattern. I think I just overestimated how big I am. HA!

I guess I must have graded to approximately a 38 with my eyeballing?? Or this style is just more forgiving in the shoulder/bust area. In any case, it is interesting because that opens up a lot more of my vintage stash of patterns for experimentation. Some of them I've avoided trying because they're so small.

I've already adjusted this pattern so that I have a working pattern for next time! For this top I just need to add the neck binding, hem, and do sleeve hems (the sleeves are faced). Oh, and the beyond cute rickrack trim! Hopefully I can work on it a little bit here and there this week after school. Hey, if it warms up, maybe I'll get to wear it too!