Simplicity 4076 Muslin

After my last post I went and had another look for a suitable knit top pattern. I found Simplicity 4076

As is always the way, I was held up at work and got to Textile Traders literally two minutes before closing on Friday afternoon. Fortunately I had called ahead and the lovely ladies had the pattern out and waiting for me.

I was looking at modifying View A and turning it into a plain, V-neck top. Reading through the reviews at pattern review, I found that this top has 4″ of ease through the front, but less through the back. My measurements are very close to a size 20 on the pattern envelope, but I have a DD cup bust, so I’ve suspected for a while that I need to use a smaller pattern in the back. Because of all that ease, I decided to trace an 18 and make a muslin.

 To make the front piece, I traced to the center front line on the wrap pattern piece and then flipped it over to make a plain V-Neck front. While tracing the pattern pieces, a friend came to visit and we spoke about procrastination and perfectionism. I believe I procrastinate on my sewing (and other areas of my life) because I’m a perfectionist. It’s easier not to try than it is to try and fail.

I completed my muslin, using every scrap of cheapo knit I had left (I had wanted to buy more on Friday but there was no time). It was too small! Not miles too small, but smaller than I would like to wear. Looks pretty good on my dress form though:

;

The fitting problems are more evident on my dress form than they are on me as the lack of ease stretches out the wrinkles! (It would seem I am “fluffier” right now than I was when I set up my dress form. Time to do some exercise….) It probably needs an FBA. You can see the little fold at the armhole that doesn’t have the sleeve, and the diagonal lines pointing above and below the bust.

After much deliberation, I think I have pretty much decided to make it up in straight size 20, FBA be damned! Right now I want the satisfaction of a completed garment, not more learning opportunities. Assuming going up one size doesn’t exaggerate the fitting problems, it’s definitely not in any worse shape than most of my RTW tops and I have five metres of that wool jersey, so it’s not like I’m risking irreplaceable fabric.

I’m very sure that in time this will become my first TNT pattern. But I don’t have to get it right on the first iteration. Right?!