I thought I would write a little about potential fitting changes you might need to make to the 1301 summer top.
Shorten or Lengthen the Bodice
If you’re petite or long in torso length then take your bodice pattern and fold it into thirds horizontally (from the shoulder notch). Cut along the crease lines that you just created, then either spread or overlap by as much as you need to, and smooth out the curves and seam lines where you overlapped or spread the pattern pieces.
If you’re just short-waisted or long waisted, you can fold the pattern in half from the hem up to the bust dart apex, and slash and spread/overlap where you made the horizontal crease.
Full or Small Bust Adjustment
Maison Fleur patterns are designed for a C-cup, if you’re smaller or bigger then you’re likely to need to make an adjustment on the front bodice to either remove or add room for you bust. There’s a million tutorials out here on the internet so I won’t be reinventing any wheels here:
If you’re doing an FBA and it feels like there’s way too much fabric in that dart, you can draw seam allowance around the dart legs and trim away the middle excess fabric.
Sleeve Adjustments to version 3 Puff Kimono Sleeve:
Adding More Puff to the Kimono Sleeve
If you want more puff or room around the shoulder for the sleeve variation you can approach it one of two ways; either with a slash and spread method or by blending from your overall size to a larger one that will accommodate the additional space you want to create. Below is an illustration of slashing and spreading/overlapping for a balanced change in the volume of fabric at the sleeve.
This will increase/decrease the amount of fabric that is gathered and sewn to the sleeve facing. For wearing comfort I would suggest that you have the majority of the fabric gathering on the outer areas of the arm, and avoid adding too much bulk to the underarm area.
Wide Bicep Adjustment
The kimono sleeve sits at the bicep on the arm. I would recommend measuring your bicep and comparing it to the measurement of the sleeve facing. Ideally you’ll want some ease for movement and comfort. If your bicep measurement is smaller or larger than the pattern size you would start by completing the above step to adding more room to the sleeve by slashing and spread/overlap the pattern piece by however much you need to, then you’ll want to adjust the sleeve facing so it will fit better around the bicep.
Cut along the long ends of the sleeve facing, parallel to the short edge. Then spread or overlap by the amount you need and secure into place.
I think that covers some of the most common changes for bodices I can think of for now, let me know in the comments if there’s anything else you’d like me to cover.
