Everybody’s Talking Sewing

“I am trying to figure out what size to use in making a dress from a Vogue pattern. According to my measurements:

1. I need a size 12 or 14 for my bust
2. A size 16 for my waist
3. A size 12 for my hips.

In ready made clothes, I wear an 8 or 10 in quality brands and a 10, rarely a 12 in bargain brands. The last time I used my measurements to pick a pattern size to make a fitted suit, I used a 14 and it was huge (too big to even alter well).

I’m going to make this dress out of $40/yard silk, and I don’t want to end up with the wrong size. My plan is to cut it out of some muslin first, so I can make sure of the fit, but I still don’t know what pattern size to start with. Thank you for your help.”  — Beth

“PS Is the high bust or the regular bust more important for size selection?”

——–

Hi Beth, and welcome to the world of non-consistent, non-realistic sizing. Someday, if we all scream enough, maybe we can convince the pattern companies that real woman have hips and waists and boobs.

Since the bust is the most important part to fit first, use the sizing that comes closest to your bust. If you’re between - choose the larger size. And remember, it’s only a number - it doesn’t mean anything :).

Have someone else measure you - over good undergarments - in as many ways as possible. The minimum would probably consist of:

• shoulder-to-shoulder
• nape to waist
• neck to waist
• upper arm
• lower arm
• upper bust
• regular bust
• lower bust
• waist
• high hip
• regular hip (catch that tummy)
• full hip
• fullest thigh area
• waist-to-knee (if you’re going to be wearing a straight skirt)

After you’ve done all that, you can work on the paper pattern to match as closely as possible to those new numbers; don’t forget the ease. Then cut the pattern out of muslin and do some real fitting.

Keep in mind any special fitting issues: sway back, high hip, full bust, dowager hump etc., you’d have discovered these little joys when you did the measurements. Build that into the paper pattern too.

As to high-bust or regular bust being more important, that’s one of those ‘ it depends’ questions. But to me, the regular full bust is the most important. That lets us allow for the maximum fabric needed through the top, and we can fit around it.

Hope this helps!

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It’s not suppose to be this annoying! I’ve read the alteration books, used the techniques, measured, marked, snipped and pinned; then I usually throw something.

The problem with buying a commercial pattern is that they’re drafted on an ‘average’ - in this case it’s a “B” cup bust-wise. I haven’t been a “B” cup since my teen’s.

If you go and use a larger size pattern, the cup size isn’t changing, but everything else is!

The picture here is of a commercial pattern I picked up at a garage sale. I just really liked it and the size-range was doable.

I had some nice rayon that would drape nicely too; this is one of the big advantages to hording fabric - the odds are real good you have something in your stash that’s perfect.

After settling on version 1 - without the second underskirt - I started measuring and marking the pattern.

A general rule of thumb is to spread open your pattern (in the bust area horizontally) about 1/2″ for every size beyond the “B” cup. That means I’d have to add 4″ to my pattern. Yeah, I’m laughing too. I actually tried that once a very long time ago: you could have fit a whole additional set of boobs in there with me. Stop counting - I’m a DDD - between a 36 an a 38 DDD. Terrifying isn’t it!

In this case, I added to the cup size about 1″ and tapered it to nothing at the size. I cut out a test pattern, sewed up front and back and put it on the mannequin. Hmmm not bad - it might be okay. The back seemed a bit too large at the top, but, I needed to sew up up for real and find out.

Well that was fun. Now what! There were issues… lot’s of em.

1. Gaping too much at the arm hole - need to add a bust dart
2. Too big through the upper back - need to add 2 darts from the neck to the mid-back where the waist darts are
3. The bust are is too wide (not too full - too wide) will regather 2 inches tighter each side
4. Need to take in the skirt 2 inches; French seams everywhere though, so a nice 2″ pleat on each side will help.

Here’s the first finished version - I made it work, but will fully alter the pattern to accommodate all the changed I’m making.

What I ended up doing to the pattern was:

• Removing 1″ from the front bust seam on each side to control the width
• Removed 4″ from the upper back! That’s a tremendous amount of unneeded fullness - big bust does NOT necessarily mean big back.
• Lowered the neckline 2″
• Curved the neckline deeper - about 1/2″
• Removed 4″ total from the width of the skirt
• Added side bust darts and redraft the arm hole accordingly

And here’s the second version - I’m much happier with it! Sorry for the only one-view picture, I’ll try to take another few soon.

You can see how much better the bust area fits; and that in turn shows off the waist! The wider neck is more flattering to my shape and the armholes fit well.

I have a workable pattern now that is going to get a lot of use. The next time you have to alter the bust area of your pattern, just send a little sympathy my way and be grateful you’re not fitting the DDD syndrome too.

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