Simplicity 8246: the return!

 Over the Bank Holiday weekend I finally got round to finishing my second attempt at Simplicity 8246, a reprinted 1960s pattern. And this time I'm happy enough with it to wear it to work!

It's not perfect, but looking at it and what I've done, I've made a big leap forward since making my first version. (Post here.) I made that one in the correct bust size, but there was far too much fabric above the armholes and across the front of the neck. For this version I cut a smaller size and did a full bust adjustment (FBA) – if you're not a dressmaker, that basically means hacking apart the pattern and spreading it to add extra fullness lower down. When I'd got it all together I decided the shoulders were still too wide, and unpicked the arm facings to trim them back, then restitched.

So, what bits aren't spot on? There's still a little extra fabric above the bust, but going down another size would've meant an even bigger FBA, which would have been tricky. Even with the adjustment I did make, I could possibly have done with an extra half-inch in the actual bust. There's the teeniest irregularity below where I put the zip in. However, those are nitpicky things, and when I buy stuff from the high street I get the 'extra fabric' problem even worst with high-necked tops, and high street tops also have gaping armholes. Can you see my bra? No, you cannot. That alone makes this a success!

I'm not going to make another one of these straight away as my next make will be a Colette Sorbetto in rocket-print Liberty Tana Lawn. But now I've got the pattern pretty much the way I want it, I will make others, and I'm seriously considering having a go at the shift dress version – as I'm cylindrical I don't have to worry about bringing the FBA in again at the waist, I can just attach the top to a larger bottom. Looks like there are advantages to being apple-shaped after all...

Other lessons learned: if taking photos in the living room in the morning, face the window otherwise all the light hits your back, and turn the light off as the filigree lampshade makes really weird light patterns on your face.