One of the joys of sewing is the custom fit you can achieve with a little experience. When you first start sewing clothes, there is a period of trial and error as you discover that some pattern companies do not draft for your body type and that the modifications necessary to get a great fit from pattern x just aren’t worth it to you. That has happened to me a lot in the course of my sewing journey, but it has taught me a lot, too. When you finally get that “win”, that pattern that works beautifully with minimal adjustment and yields a finished product that makes you feel so good in your own skin, it all becomes worth it. It encourages you to keep going, to keep learning, to keep trying.
Anyway, a few months ago, as my dear friend lamented over her inability to find tops that actually fit her full-busted figure, I suggested we just make some. I was sure we could do better than ready to wear, even if it took a little trial and error. She agreed. We took some measurements, and started sifting through the pattern companies I thought might work for us (her taste combined with my modest skills!). Because of my own missteps, I knew just where to look, even though we are built nothing alike. It was the best feeling to steer her in the direction of a pattern company that I knew drafted patterns exactly for her body type. We settled on the Rhapsody Blouse by Love Notions. Love Notions Sewing Patterns drafts for a height of 5’5″ (definitely not for me!), but also drafts and includes pieces for a Full Bust Adjustment (“FBA”) for their bustier clients, which takes the guess work out of fitting these patterns for people with larger busts. I knew this was going to work out beautifully for my friend, who has spent a lifetime wearing shirts that were too big everywhere else, just to get them to accommodate her full bust.
After we settled on a pattern, I ordered the patterns to be printed by PDF Plotting and tasked her with getting fabrics she loved…after all, if I was going to make the blouses, I wanted them to be out of fabric she wanted to wear. She found two lovely fabrics at Joann and I got to work.
Version #1 – Purples
I gained some new skills in the process of making these blouses. The first version was obviously more challenging because I’d never made this pattern before, never done a bias bound collar, and the fabric choice made the bias binding slippery to work with. Also, I didn’t have a bias tape maker, so I steamed the heck out of my fingers ironing and starching the folds of the tape in place. Still, it was a straightforward project, with clear cut instructions, and it turned out beautifully.
Even better, it fit my friend perfectly, supporting my contention that she could have clothes that fit her. The shoulders fit beautifully, the bust fit beautifully (!), and there wasn’t excess fabric around the waist and hips. Finally, this peasant top style is completely current, so she also feels cute and stylish.
Version #2
On to the second version. The only change she requested for version 2 was to make bell sleeves rather than the bishop sleeves I made in version 1. Things went a lot more quickly this time, as I had most of the pattern pieces already traced out and ready to use. I just needed to trace out the different sleeve option.
Everything else remained the same. I had wisely ordered a bias tape making kit from Amazon, as well as some Best Press (better than the spray starch I had for the previous version), so my fingers were spared this time around!
The bell sleeves were simple to make and, once the starch was washed out, they fluttered beautifully!
And just like that, the second Rhapsody was done…and, because I know you’re wondering: the second one fits as beautifully as the first…it wasn’t a fluke! It’s almost like the blouses were custom made for her!!
Success breeds success and my friend and I have continued to work together to create a wardrobe which fits her body well and makes her feel excited to get dressed. This project was a reminder that problem isn’t your body, it’s the fact that you’re trying to make your body fit into clothes that weren’t ever designed to fit you. Whether you’re tall or short, thin or fat, busty or not, curvy or straight, you deserve clothes that fit YOUR body. It make take a bit of searching and trial by error, but you can have clothes that fit you perfectly!
Erin’s Pro Tip: The problem is the clothes, not your body. Unless you are built exactly like the fitting model they used when drafting the ready-to-wear clothes in your closet, the clothes aren’t actually made to fit you. Stop trying to make your body conform and, instead, recognize the problem is the clothes.
Until next time…
Did I tell you I got compliments on my “look” when I wore these? I think alot of the reason is they fit me exactly right! Thank you again!
That makes me soooo happy for you (and proud of myself!). Yay, us!