This is the dress I had fitted with Alison Wheeler during my Fitting Weekend.

I chose to work on this dress with Alison because it had sleeves and as you read here it was the main issue I wanted to work on.

This is the first time I have used a pattern that has choices for cup sizes and whether you are slim, average or curvy. The decision for the cup size was easy, I used a B cup, Size 10, but it was when I had to work out whether I was slim or average that I got myself in a bit of a dilemma. I ended up using the average pattern size 12 for the skirt which turned out pretty correct.

Again I had my normal adjustments done:

Back
* Round shoulder – 1.5cm added
* High round back – 1cm added

Front
* Round shoulder – 1.5cm removed
* 1.5cm gaposis taken from the front neck edge

The first thing Alison did was check the sleeve cap height and got me to add 1cm to the sleeve and blouse armholes before she looked at any other adjustments.

Then further adjustments were made which then made my total adjustment list as follows:

Back Adjustments

* 1.5cm added back shoulder
* 1cm gaposis taken from the back neck edge
* Added 1cm to armhole edge
* High round back of 1cm”

Front Adjustments

* Round shoulder – 1.5cm removed
* 1cm gaposis taken from the front neck edge
* Added 1cm to armhole

Sleeve adjustments

* Added 1cm to the side seams to match the armholes on the bodice

I had taken some brown linen that I had purchased from The Fabric Store with me for this dress and DS was rather horrified that I would use this for a toile, however with the adjustments we had done and the other fittings that we would be doing, I convinced her that it would be a very wearable toile.

DS then proceeded to cut this dress out, whilst Alison and I worked on the Marfy Skirt.

Between DS and I we got the dress basted together with the sleeves in for Alison to check. It was here that we noticed that the side seams needed to be straightened at the hips (I’m fairly straight there) and there was 2cm of extra fabric at the centre back seam, even though the side seams were falling correctly so this extra fabric was removed and then we played around with the darts and seams to match the bodice and skirt.

This is where the dress was up to by the time I left Brisbane and I cut out the lining and had the construction finished with the hem being sewn during our 10hr drive to Ballarat for the ASG National Convention so I could wear it to the Gala Dinner.

Here I am outside our accommodation (jacket off for the photograph, it was too cold to go to dinner without it!)

Here is the back view (in my backyard a week later)

and here is how the dress has been worn so far, under my Chanel Jacket. It will be a great dress for Spring.

I am very pleased with this dress and can see other variations being made. Alison also pointed out that I now have a good fitting skirt and top pattern as well.