Have You Recently Had a Close Encounter?

Well, I have, and I'm very satisfied with the result.  LOOK!!!  I finished something!  And it fits, and I'll actually wear it!  Actually, I already have.

 This is New Look 6808, and I think it's very cute.  Please don't try to disabuse me of this notion.  This is the first of the four patterns that I learned how to fit in the Fit For Real People class I just finished.  Over the past several months, I have completed multiple skirts and a blouse that did not fit at all, and even though I have had a copy of the book Fit For Real People, I couldn't make the transition from reading the words on the page and seeing the pictures to actually cutting into a pattern.  Luckily, I live in Portland, Oregon and was able to take the four-week version of the course from one of the book's authors, Marta Alto.

I made adjustments for a full bust, a high, round back and a slightly forward right shoulder.  My biggest complaints about the way patterns were fitting me were that they were too large over the decolletage area and too big under the bust and through the back.  Starting with a smaller size and making the above adjustments did the trick for all of these issues.

See how nice this fits from the back?  (Please excuse the saggy backside.  These jeans are actually really cute, but I had taken off my heels, so they weren't hanging correctly.)

The pattern itself is a great basic with several neckline and sleeve variations.  I will definitely be making up the other views.  As others who have made this version of the pattern have mentioned, the instructions to attach the collar are not great (at one point, you're stitching through the facing, two layers of interfacing, the neckline and two layers of collar), but I did follow them as I don't have the experience where I know a better way.  Also, the facing keeps wanting to pop to the outside despite understitching, topstitching and tacking at the side seams.  I will probably blind stitch it to the body of the blouse all the way around.  I would also recommend tacking down the knot for the bow as it keeps pulling the facing up as well.  The last change that I made was to use an invisible 12-inch zipper.  I checked out a few ready-to-wear blouses with side zips, and none of them zipped open all the way to the hem, and it's unnecessary to put the blouse on comfortably.

Anyway, despite the above, I love this little top, and I'll get a lot of wear out of it in the coming months.