Lisette Pattern Progress

I finished the muslin of the Lisette dress that I started yesterday. I made it from the exact same fabric that I made my Vogue retro apron from.  This is the first time that I have made a muslin.


I cut a straight size 16, which was the size indicated on the envelope that I needed. However, after trying on my muslin I have came to the conclusion that I need to be cutting a smaller size based on my upper bust measurement and doing a full bust adjustment. The shoulder area and the area just above my bust is too loose and I can pinch out excess fabric. Since I don't know how to do a FBA yet, I am not sure what my strategy is going to be to get the bodice to fit better. If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate the feedback. The waist and hips of the dress fit quite well however, which leads me to believe that this pattern contains less ease than you would typically find in a Simplicity pattern. If you typically size down when making a Simplicity pattern it may be wise to first attempt the size that it indicated you need.

This dress was super, super easy to assemble, though I did leave off the facings, bias binding, and hem since I was really just testing for fit. The bodice front has two very interesting overlapping darts, the back bodice has four darts, and the skirt front and skirt back each have four pleats. I should also note that I omitted the zipper in my muslin and as a result have been performing contortionist acts to get it on and off. The final version will most certainly contain a zipper, which must be inserted into the side of the dress.

The instructions for this pattern are EXCELLENT! I am very very impressed with the details and tips that are included throughout the pattern, including suggestions and specific directions for finishing seams. Make sure that you follow the directions for the darts on the front bodice piece exactly, as it does matter that you make the left dart first and then the right dart. When I finish my final dress I will write a pattern review with more of the construction details.


Finally, here are the pictures of my muslin. I would love to hear any suggestions that anyone may have on how to make it fit better without having to do a FBA.

As you can see there is extra fabric that quite a bit of extra fabric that needs to be removed from the shoulder area. Though I don't have a picture of the back there is also some fabric that needs to be removed from the top of the bodice. Is it possible to cut a 14 in the should and a 16 everywhere else? I think I will work with it a bit more tomorrow and make another muslin of just the bodice.


Happy Sewing!