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Simplicity 8875. Dress with choice of length, sleeves, center front seam or darts, and hem flounce.
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I'm using this Art Gallery rayon challis called "Dancing Grace Rayon Rouge from Harts Fabric. I ordered 3.25 yards at $17.49 per yard.
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My fabric is similar to the envelope picture. I love to wear red but no longer have any red dresses in my closet.
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Reviews say this pattern runs quite small, especially in the hips. I already know I'll need an FBA. Decided to start with size 16 for my neck and shoulders, but usually I use size 14 there.
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I saw some really strange ways online to do an FBA on this bodice. I did it the regular slash and soread way and it turned out fine. Here is step 1.
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I calculated the amount of ease the pattern says for the bust as well as the finished measurement. I added that minus .5" which would be okay on another style, but this one has gathers at the bottom of the bust. A bit confusing but I went ahead.
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There are no darts on the bodice so I rotated the side dart out to the bottom where the gathers will be.
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From shoulder seam to underbust is 15" on me, with bra. This looks too short, no room for the 5/8" seam allowance, but I'd rather see how it does on the muslin first.
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The armscye also seems too high, especially since there will be sleeves, but I'll wait to see until after they're in. (Ended up scooping 1/2".)
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I added some length by creating a wedge, pivoting at the side seam so it will still match the back's side seam. This only really lengthened part of the bodice though.
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The back is tight! I'm going to try my first broad back adjustment. Hello Internet! LOL.
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Here is my broad back adjustment. When I was done it was almost identical with size 18 back. Since I hadn't trued my armscye very well from the alteration, in the end I decided to just use the size 18 back. Sheesh!
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After decreasing the FBA is was now pulling and the length was still a bit too short to accommodate the seam allowance.
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On muslin #2 I used my altered back. This is before I realized I could use the larger back which gave me more room all down the side seams.
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So yes, smaller side seams worked okay but I want to keep the 5/8" seam allowance throughout if possible. On to muslin #3. Sigh...
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Since I needed more length at this point only for the seam allowance at the bottom, I added 5/8" to the bottom tapering to zero at the side seam. At this point I'm thinking if this one doesn't work I'm DONE!
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Oh yay! Finally this looks and feels like it's supposed to! The length is good and the back is not too tight with the size 18 back.
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Back view with the one size up back. I have the seam allowance pressed up. I'm not sure where that back seam is supposed to hit since no reviews or the pattern have a side view!
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Pics from online These are how puffy the regular with pleat sleeves are. I don't wear sleeves like this. There is also a flutter sleeve that should hang nicely with my rayon.
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I started by folding out 5/8" from the cap but that did almost nothing. I gathered it and pinned it in the armscye, but still too puffy.
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Next I narrowed the cap by following a tutorial online. Basically cutting lines, pivoting and overlapping at the cap. This worked quite well! I made one of these and one flutter sleeve to try out on my muslin.
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Here is the back with the flutter sleeve. It isn't a huge sleeve really and much easier to sew in than the regular puffy sleeve.
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Here is the front on muslin #2 with both types of sleeves. I had experimented with the sleeves before making the final muslin #3.
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At this point not sure if I will do this, but I experimented with borrowing the pleat from the regular sleeve for the flutter sleeve. It takes away some width but the "flutter" along with it. We'll see.
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Regular sleeve with pleat. I really do like the look of this but I found it restricting. I don't think it's from changing the cap, but because this is muslin #2 and the back was still a bit tight.
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I don't have wide hips but I do have a tummy. I usually use size 14, maybe 16 for hips. Not this pattern. This is a size 20 skirt! I can see I'll need to shorten it at the proper line to pull the waist up.
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With the larger sized skirt I should easily be able to use the 5/8" seam allowance which will make sewing easier.
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I have the skirt tracing's darts pinned and they are right on top of the princess lines of my dress form. That's encouraging! I chose the view with no center seam, zipper in back. Might do a side zip instead.
