The Fira Dress caught my eye because of its clean and simple silhouette. I have a thing for dress patterns that feature a one-piece front since it allows me to highlight awesome prints without having seams disrupt the design. I'm going to walk you through how I achieved the perfect fit for the Fira Dress.
My measurements are as follows: high bust 37", full bust 41", waist 35.5", and hips 44". The 4-inch difference between my high bust and full bust puts me in the D cup sizing category. Normally, with a 37" high bust, I'd go for a size 10D, but given my hip measurement of 44", I felt that the difference might be too significant.
The Fira dress has a relaxed fit, so I didn't need an overly fitted bodice. Looking at the line drawings and photos of Liesl wearing the dress, I noticed that the sides were only slightly flared. I decided to start with my hip measurement, which is my widest point, and work backward a size or two for the bodice. I began by creating a size 14 muslin without any initial adjustments to determine what changes I'd need to make.
First, as is common for my body type, I required a 1/2" forward shoulder adjustment. The shoulder seam should align with the midpoint of your shoulder joint, but in my muslin, the shoulder seam sat behind this point. To correct this, I added 1/2" to the back yoke's shoulder seam and subtracted 1/2" from the front yoke's shoulder seam.
Next, I realized that the bust darts were positioned too high for my body. Ideally, the darts should point toward the fullest part of the breast, but in my muslin, they pointed above the fullness of my breast. For the adjustment, I lowered the bust darts by 1" and moved the bust point back (toward the side seam) by 1/2". This adjustment also affected the side seam, requiring me to "straighten" the curve at my waist.
Moving on, I anticipated that the hips would need some width adjustment, and my muslin confirmed this. The horizontal pulling across my abdomen indicated that more space was necessary. Checking the finished measurements of the size 16 pattern, I found that it provided 4 3/4" of ease at the hips (49 1/4" - 44 1/2" = 4 3/4"). Since my hips measure 44", to achieve the intended ease, I needed a finished hip measurement of 48 3/4". The size 14 pattern had a finished measurement of 47 1/4", meaning I needed at least 1 1/2" more. I decided to add 1/2" to the side seams on both the front and back pattern pieces for simplicity.
I also found the armholes to be too low for my liking. In the muslin, I could see a glimpse of my bra when I raised my arm. Although not essential, this was something I wanted to adjust to feel more comfortable when wearing the dress. I raised the curve of the armhole by 1" on both the front and back pattern pieces. I didn't measure precisely; I just estimated!
Additionally, I noticed excessive fullness in the back of the dress. While I typically take a sway back adjustment, I was unsure if I should apply it here. The dress's relaxed silhouette and gathers on the center back meant there would naturally be some fullness in my back. However, I observed that my back hemline was uneven, being longer at the center back than at the side seam. When I pinned up about an inch of fabric at my waist, the hemline straightened and the dress lay better. I decided to take a 1" sway back adjustment, splitting it into two 1/2" sway back tucks on the dress back pattern piece.
After completing these five adjustments on my size 14 pattern, I sewed a second muslin. I don't always sew a second muslin, but I had chosen an investment fabric for this dress and wanted to ensure I'd be satisfied with the fit before cutting my fashion fabric.
These adjustments made a noticeable difference. The dress hung better from my shoulders with the forward shoulder adjustment. The bust darts now pointed to the right place, creating better shaping. The hip ease was much improved, and surprisingly, adding width made me look slimmer. The armhole was now at a comfortable height, and the back of the dress had just the right amount of ease after the sway back adjustment.
If you're new to pattern fitting, it might seem like I had to make a lot of adjustments. However, four out of the five adjustments I made (forward shoulder, bust dart height, hip ease, and sway back) are typical adjustments I make on nearly every pattern I sew. After doing them so many times, I can make these adjustments quickly.
Fitting improves with practice, and even minor adjustments can significantly enhance the fit compared to ready-to-wear garments. With a few tweaks and great fabric, the Fira Dress has become my new favorite!
Face Wash Hair Band
Hair Band For Face Washing,Skincare Headbands,Fuzzy Headband For Washing Face,Hair Headband For Washing Face
ZHOUSHAN FOISON IMPORT AND EXPORT CO.,LTD. , https://www.foison-fashion.com