New Blouse- S2938

This is what I did this morning instead of going to the grocery store. The thing I love about princess style seaming is that it is so much easier to get a FBA than with darts! Well, at least I think so. I use a combination of methods so this is how I do it.













First of all, I usually start with a 10 because it fits my upper bust measurement and it's the right size for my shoulders. As we all know, mainstream patterns are cut for a B cup - I think I last saw that in highschool. No wonder it was so easy to sew then! Anyway, you need to adjust for width first. There are a couple of ways to do this, but I like to use pivot and slide. This works especially well if you have sleeves because you do not need to change the sleeve. I will show how to do that in another post, since I don't have pictures. You can also see this method in Nancy Zeiman's book Fitting Finesse. I do mine a little opposite since I put the tracing paper on top, rather than underneath. The easier, quicker way to do it, which works great if you don't have sleeves, is to just follow the armscye seam out farther to the size you need. That's what I should have done on this one, because I need the armhole a little deeper in the front. OK, width problem solved, step 2.




This is the easy part. Cut the side front pattern 1" below the armscye seam from the front seam to the side seam, but not through it. Then, spread the pattern 1/2" for each cup size above a B. Spread it at the seam line, not the cutting line. So, for a D, you would spread it 1". Draw on the new curve on the cutting line either freehand or using a curved ruler. Now, with the side of your tape measure, measure the length of the line you just drew. It will should be a little bit longer that the amount you spread it. Using this measurement, spread the center front pattern piece the same amount. Make sure you are spreading it at the same place as you spread the side, by lining up the neckline or arm seam, depending on which kind of princess seam you have.