Simplicity in "Pattern Fits First Time" Shocker!

Actually, that title is a) uncharitable, and b) not entirely true. ;)

I can usually rely on Simplicity patterns, in that a size 14 is usually pretty much my size. A bit big in the bust, a bit tight in the waist, but nothing that a little fiddling about with can't sort out. This pattern conforms exactly to my expectations - all I need to do is let out the darts a little bit in the front.

I'm talking about Simplicity 6373, which I bought the other week, and have been slowly putting together a toile for myself in between other work.

I'm making view C, with the wider skirt.
(I cut the skirt on a fold though, because I didn't like the seam down the front.)

The darts fit absolutely perfectly in the back, mostly because my back is very curved, and therefore the right shape for a 1950s pattern. Unfortunately my front is also curved, hence my needing to let out the darts a little bit! It's probably only a matter of an inch and a half though, divided across all six darts, and that should also give me enough room to fit a long sleeved t-shirt underneath in the winter.

I'm very pleasantly surprised that this dress has been such a joy to put together. I've bought any number of 1950s reproduction patterns, mostly from Butterick and Vogue, and every time the pattern sizing has been completely wrong for a modern figure. It looks as though this Simplicity pattern has been re-graded, which pleases me greatly. It's very demoralising to have to take out twelve inches from the bust of a Vintage Vogue pattern to get it to fit you.

Simplicity 3673 is also pretty frugal with its fabric requirements, expecially for a 1950s style. View C only uses 2.6 metres in my size, so it's going to be an affordable dress to make, as well as a practical one. I just need to add pockets into the side seams, and it's pretty much perfect!

I rather like quite a few of Simplicity's Retro patterns (type "retro" into the keyword search and ignore the costumes!), so I very much hope that it's a trend they're going to continue.

Rosealare's Toile...

I wouldn't normally show you the toiles that I make when I'm doing a dress for someone who I can't have fittings with in person. They're just plain, and not finished, so they don't look like anything much. They're an absolutely vital stage in the dressmaking process though, so I thought I'd show one to you for a change.

(Please excuse the photos. The viewfinder screen and the flash seem to be playing up now. Grr.)

The pattern is Butterick 5028, and the finished article is going to be made with Rosealare's knitting fabric!. It's Liberty cotton lawn, and it's gorgeously soft.

Rosealare has sent her measurements to me, and I've made the toile in the closest pattern size, with a few minor alterations such as raising the V at the back so that her bra strap doesn't show. The dark stitching around the neck, hem and armholes is to show where the finished edges of the garments will be. This gives a better feel for the fit of the shoulders and the neckline.

The next stage is for me to post the toile to Rosealare, and then she can try it on and tell me all the different ways that it doesn't fit! This is the scary part, as the customer needs to believe that the finished garment really will fit perfectly, and that the whole point of the toile is to make the necessary changes so that can happen. It's very easy to be demoralised when you try on a toile which doesn't fit, and panic that everything's going to be horrible. This is why I don't enjoy doing postal fittings very much - it's difficult to reassure someone when you're a long distance apart, and can't just pop in a pin and show them the difference in a mirror straight away.

Usually the toile needs to go back and forth between us a couple of times, until the fit is absolutely spot on. At that point I will take my scissors to the final fabric, and be sure that the finished article will fit properly.

There's a postal strike on at the moment, so I'm not sure how long it'll take for Rosealare and I to go back and forth with the postal stages of the project. I can't wait to get the fiddly fitting bits done though, and show you the finished knitting dress!