Hi all!!! I’m so happy to be here today to talk about how I sew for my curves! Check out the others in the Sewing for My Curves series, too!
My Figure
I’ve long considered myself a pear. I’ve been at least 2 sizes bigger on the bottom ever since puberty blessed me with generous hips, but as I’ve aged I’ve developed more of a stomach and larger breasts, so I’m no longer sure if I fit into one of the main fruit shapes. I have an average back width, narrow back waist, full breasts, small stomach, ample hips, and full biceps and calves.
My measurements
Upper Bust – 38”
Bust – 42”
Bra Size – 36F/G
Waist – 36”
Hips – 47”
In general I wear a 12-16 in Indie patterns and a 18-22 in Big 4 patterns. I generally grade from the smallest size for the shoulders/back to the largest size for the hips.
I only wear RTW pajamas and tank tops. Usually a M/L on top and an XL/XXL on bottom. My goal is to eventually make all my clothing except shoes!
My Adjustments
This is something I am very much still sorting out.
TNT adjustments
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Full bicep adjustment– Admittedly I prefer sleeveless dresses, but I recently went on a quest to get a sleeve to fit and found I need to add 2-3 inches of width to the bicep.
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Full bust adjustment – Especially since I usually have to pick a size smaller for my shoulders, so a FBA is a must.
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Narrow front darts- This leaves me more room in the stomach of a dress.
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Grade between sizes- I grade out to a larger size at the waist, and then grade out one more size at the hips.
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Sway back adjustment– To eliminate pooling of extra fabric at the lower back.
Even with all those adjustments I found the back of patterns to be too wide so I have started using the narrow back adjustment in this article. It has worked wonders in eliminating the pooling of fabric I’d get between my shoulder blades. Now I only need a very slight sway back adjustment.
With all these adjustments I am more likely to hack a pattern I already know fits rather than attempt sewing a new pattern.
My Patterns/Styles
I love dresses. My mom told me when I went to kindergarten I asked for all dresses to wear to school. I know most people love them, but I find jeans to be really uncomfortable compared to the freedom of a skirt. Women have been boss ladies in skirts for centuries, who am I to argue with history? So here are a few of my favorite styles.
Mock Wrap Dresses/Knit Wrap Dresses – I love the way a wrap dress hugs my figure and shows off my narrowest part. Slinky and sexy.
A-line Skirts – Something that glides over my hips and helps balance my bust.
Pull on Knit Dresses – Because they require no iron and can be pulled on with no fuss when you’re exhausted.
Hacked Washington Dresses: 1, 2, 3
Classic Fit and Flare Dresses – My long time favorite style, but also the shape that is giving me the most trouble right now. In my youth, when I could wear spaghetti straps, these were so easy, and now that my whole body is fuller and need more support, I’m still learning to make adjustments. Recently I’ve stopped using dirndl skirts and find myself favoring pleats and gores.
Washi, Emery, Gertie’s Ultimate Dress Book
Future Sewing
Next up on my list of items to make items with a little more interest. Fun with stripe placement, dart manipulation, and incorporating more trims. And hopefully getting past my anxiety over tackling a shirt dress!
HELP please. As a very novice clothing sewist, I am having lots of trouble. Looks like a five year old made my stuff, very sad. I don’t want to give up but would like to have at least one garment I can wear. However, I did make an easy tunic yesterday that looks pretty good but am still having problems with the neckline. I always have too much fabric in the upper back just below my neck – doesn’t lay nice and flat like the front neck line. What am I doing wrong? How do I fix it? Any help would be appreciated.
Shirtdress anxiety? Babe you have it in the bag! I think the Harrison shirt would look really great lengthened to a dress. They are only dresses with either a half or full shirt button band and nothing to be scared about! I too love your Washington dress interpretations – reminds me of the skater dress by Kitschy Koo.
Thank you Tamara! I definitely plan to make Harrison into a shirt dress, but I don’t have suitable fabric on hand. Oh darn! Guess I need to go shopping! And yes, so much like the Skater dress, but the bust fit on the Washington is so much better for me.
Hey, I never realised we are really close in size! I love all your clothes and thanks for writing this post! 🙂
Thank you Gillian! It’s always fun to find someone with similar measurements!
Pretty dresses, Jessica!
Thank you Marianne!
I love your “hacked Washington dresses”! I have this pattern but I’ve not yet made it up but seeing them on you is definitely motivating! Lovely work. Great posting and so helpful to read your process – what works and how you’ve adjusted your patterns to suit your changing body. I’m turning 62 next month so you can imagine how many changes my body has been through. Our measurements are the same except the hip – my hip is the same as my bust but that has it’s own set of fit challenges 🙂
I imagine it does come with it’s own challenges. And thank you!
You’ve come a long way – so much talent. BTW I bought all those dresses for kindergarten at Sears for $10 each – a great bargain and you wore them all year!
Well, my dresses mostly no longer cost $10, but I still get a lot of wear out of them. Thank you mommy!
Love them hacks!! Very inspiring!!
Thank you Juls. I love hacking patterns!
Love your looks, Jessica!
Thank you Meg! It was a fun post to write.
Thanks for sharing your garments! Your dresses are lovely. I especially like your single coloured Washington’s. I think the tri-coloured ones put me off that pattern but yours look great.
Thank you Kate! The Washington top is certainly one of my TNT patterns.