I would love to see your adjustments MrsB. I have to shorten mine 3" and adjust for my curvy hips. I hadn't even thought about the bust point yet either. It says very fitted, so should I focus on the bust for size choice or for hips? Which is easier to adjust? I would be a 42 with bust or a 46 with hips. Any advice? I don't normally work with a single piece that is so fitted.

Hi teresaschwarz...You may have to adjust both the bust and hips. The hips may be easier to adjust, but the bust is more important to get right first. Choose your pattern size by the bust size only if you wear a B cup or smaller. Otherwise, measure the "high bust", under the armpits and above the breasts and choose the pattern size that matches that measurement, then enlarge for your bigger boobs. The B cup standard in commercial patterns can only assume that if you have a 38" bust that 2" of that is breasts and the rest is your bone structure. In other words, pretty broad shouldered. So, for example, if I use a pattern indicating a 43" bust (my size) on my frame the shoulders are always falling off because I'm a D cup and it's not all in my skeleton. Does this make any sense? The other thing about pattern adjusting is that it's very important to make your changes in a particular order because one adjustment will affect another. Make your bodice length adjustments first; then your bodice width adjustments; skirt adjustments come last. So that bust point is the first thing to check, especially with a very fitted princess line such at this. Is that curve over the bust going to go around your curve or just pooch up on your chest somewhere? Sorry to make this so long-winded. I haven't figured out how to post pictures in the forum yet but I'll try to get my pattern pieces posted here today. Please let me know if you need more clarification.

OK, hopefully, here are my adjusted bodice pattern pieces: OH YAY! It worked...but they're so huge :-D

thanks MrsB! That's actually very helpful. I was wondering what order to try it out in. I'll let you know how it goes once I get started. I need to finish my recycle challenge first (more like procrastinating a little because it seems a little overwhelming, but I'm going to do it this weekend if not sooner!) Yay on your pics=D My friend Jen needs to talk to you! She's like a G cup on a size 10/12 US woman. She can only wear knit tops, poor thing! If we start a project for her, I know who to ask! Thanks again!

Happy it helped. The pictures are mostly for amusement rather than to be instructional. There are about 4 different adjustments on these pieces and I wouldn't expect anyone who didn't know what I'd done to actually see the different steps represented here. I can explain in more detail if and when you're interested. And wow! Poor Jen is right! Princess lines would be a good start for her if she wants to try woven material. You can actually make a princess line bodice that also has a side dart. That's a perfectly acceptable way to get the curves in that she'd need.

I have mine finished and will get it posted as soon as I get some photos taken. When does the sew-a-long end? I got it all finished and realized that I could have fitted it even more (I've lost weight in the past 4 weeks--the bestest sort of problem ;) and will drop another size when I make my next one.

So far I am finding the so called "instructions" not very instructive. I am finding them extremely vague, ill-worded and just not very good. I feel that a novice on the sewing machine would have no clue what they were meant to do. But enough of my rant about that. Onto my modifications, so far all I have done is to leave off the pockets as I don't want to draw attention to my bottom half. I have also cut the centre back bodice panel larger and have sewn rows of gathering elastic to add a bit more ease - my fabric has no stretch and I was concerned about the fit of the bodice. So apart from my issues with the instructions, hopefully my dress will turn out ok, I am hoping to finish it tomorrow!

Well, my Laura is all done! In typical 'me' style I couldn't be bothered doing a dummy one (didn't have time or fabric as well) so I kind of paid the price there. It isn't as neat on the inside as I would like, and I think I still need to take up the shoulders a fraction more, but on the whole I am quite pleased with it! I think if I was to make another one the whole thing would go a lot more smoothly - yesterday I sewed the skirt on back to front so had a fun time unpicking! I also had to fiddle a fair bit to get the fit of the skirt right. A few changes (some deliberate, some by mistake) No pockets - by choice, no front split mainly a whoops and me not really understanding the instructions, 2 back splits not one - again a bit of a whoops as I didn't read/understand properly. I am really happy with the gathering in the back panel! makes it more comfortable I think! Will post pics soon, I have a new camera and took pictures on the best setting and the files were all too large, so I need to either take more or figure out how to change file size.