Miraculous Doings

I have been making wonderful progress fitting the Cashmerette Upton dress!. I owe it all to Joi Mahon. I had been struggling with the FBA. I know. The irony of an FBA with Cashmerette. Here's the problem. As a pear, I have the opposite body type for the Cashmerette. When I purchased the Appleton dress and got confused about the measurements on the envelope back, I contacted the founder, Jenny. She broke the news about how Cashmerette was sized. She suggested I go with a size 20 to minimize the grading.

I tried the 20 in all three cup sizes. All too big in the back, wings over the bust and too small in the bust. I kept trying to do a traditional FBA and then rotate the wing out of the armhole. The waist dart was my nemesis. I couldn't get it right. 

Enter Joi Mahon. Her bust quadrant approach worked! Í couldn't understand it when I tried to learn it years ago. It was perfect for this dress because I didn't have to increase the already huge G/H bust dart. I also went down to a size 16. I'd have to suffer through the grading from the waist down.

It's not going too badly. The waist is done. As a bonus because of Mahon's method, I knew just how much to add to lower the waist on the dress. Some Cashmerette patterns have empire or close to empire waists. (I totally get indie designers design for themselves.) As a pear, no ma'am. I want a fit and flare to fit and flare in the right places for me. Save empire for gorgeous maxi dresses.

I was so nervous about these alterations after so many failed attempts, I used grid paper for the entire bodice. I a little overkill. I don't know why I pinned the waistband seams flat. Oh well.

So here's what I've corrected so far using Joi Mahon's bust quadrant approach

• The pattern bust point was 1 3/8" above mine
• The above alt required me to raise the shoulder 1 3/8" 
• I added 2 1/2" to the bust curve
• I needed 1 7/16" more between the bust point and side seam
• The CF was 2 1/2" from my CF
• I added 2 1/2" to the front waistband
• Raised the front neckline 2 1/2" 

Look at the changes to the armhole and neckline.

After all of the alts, the side seams no longer matched. I made the back longer, but I'm anxious to see how that works out in fabric. The other back alt was simple. I just widened the dart by 1/4"

The tissue fitting looks really good. I have taken the bra I will wear with the dress out of rotation and thrown it on the back of a chair for fittings. I know consistency counts.

To the skirt!