Close but no cigar for this one. Darn it!

It's been a long few weeks, but we're almost there. There will be and have been changes made for the next version, but I'm okay with this one. It will be worn with a jacket in public, so the minor issues I have with it will be invisible to anyone else. At least I hope so!

Since I don't fall "exactly" in any particular size in this pattern, with bust slightly larger, and waist closest to a 2X, and the hip between a 1X and a 2X, and knowing I was going to have to make multiple alterations anyway, I started with a 2X. My lovely friend Jo Anne, who has done a fashion degree and works with custom clothing and alterations daily, says with commercial patterns to start where your measurements fit closest to the size, so that's what I did. Then I started with the alterations. 

Alterations/changes made to original pattern (Straight Size : 2X used initially)

• Narrowed shoulders by 1"
• Initial sway back adjustment 1 1/2"; an additional 3/4" after other adjustments were completed.
• Narrowed center back seam by 1" all the way from neck to hem.
• Added 1" in length across the back at approximately shoulder blade level.
• At shoulder seam, lowered 3/4" front and back at outside edge, tapering to zero at the neck edge.
• Added one inch to back shoulder only. (I don't think this was the thing to do as now the "shoulder seam is down on the front of my body.)
• Removed additional 7/8" at back princess seam from armscye tapering to zero at about 13.5" down from armhole.
• Revised back armhole to remove excess fabric along edge, starting at shoulder seam and creating an arc with a maximum 5/8" indentation about the center of the upper back, ending at revised back princess seam. 
• Moved front princess seam 2" closer to center front. 
• Full bust adjustment of 1 1/8".
• Cut neckline down by 1" at shoulder joint and front, tapering to zero at center back seam. (This will be changed on the next version to add back in about 1/4".)
• Raised neckline edge by 3" to eliminate "oops" factor.
• Starting 3" from back princess seam at armhole, straightened seam to about 13.5" down. 
• Raised under arm at armhole seam 1 3/8 " at side seam tapering to zero at princess seams.  

WHEW! That was a lot of work for a simple sleeveless blouse, but I think in the long run this will be well worth it. 

So now the issues that will be addressed: 
1. Shoulder seam in the right location. 
2. Figure out why the under bust seam is wonky and fix that. It curves towards the side a bit and I think it should be about 1 1/2" towards the center seam at the hem area. I may need to add a piece at the bottom of the seam over the tummy area. 
3. Add about 1 1/2" to the side back seam and remove same from front as the side seam is way back from the center of my body. 
4. Neckline as noted above. 

Once completed, I will use this same pattern to revise my Hot Patterns Plain and Simple Princess Shirt and also will be using it for my Hot Patterns Great White Shirt. It will give me a good starting point to once again modify my jacket pattern. So I will be in much better shape TNT pattern wise once I get these alterations set. I'm thinking the previous post for the sleeve cap length is going to get added into my Pamela's Perfect tee TNT also. I will probably be considering the length of my sleeve cap in all of my future patterns. That alteration on the jacket was mind boggling to me! 

In other news, yesterday I took a fun quilt class at my favorite quilting shop, A Quilted Heart in Vacaville. It's called the 1600 Jelly Roll Quilt. You basically take a jelly roll, stitch every piece together, and then start sewing all of those pieces together until you have a quilt top. This one ends up at approximately 48" X 64", so I will be adding to it to make a queen sized quilt. It was fun, and in a few hours, you can have a great quilt top. The designer of the quilt, does a "1600 Jelly Roll Race" and there was someone that finished this in 35 minutes! (Of course, all the ends were already pieced and cut, and the pieces had all been seamed into the long strip before they started the "race.") Because I'm still figuring out this quilting thing, I am a BIT slower than that. 

Just in case you're interested, Here's a basic tutorial from the Missouri Quilt Company: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bEJLnaZQOU

But if you want to see a fun video, check out the race: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EomX7t7to_o

I'll post the 48" X 64" top later after I get it put together and before I actually start adding to it to make a queen sized, which I now have the directions for, based on this video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdiUxlglZH4

Unfortunately, I didn't find them BEFORE I started sewing this together, so I'm going to be adapting the process to get something that will work for what I want. We'll see how well that goes as things progress!

Very odd to me that with this particular quilt, you don't trim, you don't press, you don't do anything but sew until you've completed the top. So here's mine without being evened up, without being pressed, or anything. Just all the jelly roll pieces sewn together:

I used a Bali Pops precut Jelly Roll called River Rock. AND I am so enamored of this quilt and the speed of making it, I've bought several more Jelly Rolls for future use. :P}}

If you're in the States, Happy Memorial Day. If you're elsewhere in the world, Happy Monday!

More later,