Simply Wrapped....

using Simplicity 1994 & a kelly green/white (cotton/poly) floral fabric. I've made S1994 twice with a mental note to make a wrap top using this same pattern and finally decided to take the plunge.  This time I would be using a woven and again trying my hand at doing an fba, round shoulder & broad back adjustments.   I find that I experience many fitting issues with wovens and trying to get in the habit of doing the necessary evil (tissue fit & make adjustments to the pattern).... Thanks to Rachelle's  & Cennetta's encouragement.

My sewing knowledge was acquired through the Sewing University of Whatever Works (SU of W)..lol and would customarily cut my patterns a size bigger and then go through the shenanigans of tweaking it to fit properly. For the most part it worked.. well more so for knits, but not for wovens.

 To get a better handle of fitting before sewing,  I tissue fit the already cut pattern pieces (which immediately required I cut a smaller size) made 3/4" FBA adjustment, as well the round shoulder & broad back adjustments and then traced, cut for a top (25" length) using my barely used swedish paper, transferred all the markings and was feeling like a big girl... umm yeah.

The first garment was an epic fail and although I did the FBA, etc., I still came up short on the front pieces... so back to the drawing board....

On the second go-round, I'd discussed with Rachelle & Cennetta my short comings and they clarified what needed to be done.  Once I was back on track, I serged all the seams, then did my usual stitching down of all the serged seams, which on the right side gives the look of a flat fell seam.

 Serged the facings, as well as the hem lines and then folded the hems under twice and final stitched.  Edge stitched along the neckline down to the hemline.  

For the ties I fold under the edges 1/4", fold in half,  ironed using steam-a-seam and stitched. Lastly, in mimicking my rtw wrap blouse I added a small sew-on snap below the v-point.  

The blouse fit nicely and met my wearability factor, paired the blouse with beige linen pants (Loft) and cream sandals (Easy Spirit).

Pssst... I was hoping no one needed CPR and thinking I was Nurse Jackie....lol

I also found an awesome tutorial @ The Sewing Divas on doing an FBA for a Wrap Top and using Ann's favorite words.... "I won't bother to repeat what has already been done so well..." 

However, the most important thing I learned after doing an FBA on a wrap top, is that the side seams end up out of alignment and requires that you....

  Excerpt from The Sewing Divas...

"Slash the pattern piece along the center front, all the way from the top to, but not through the bottom. Spread it so that it matches the spread on your FBA adjusted piece"

(Courtesy of The Sewing Divas)

Until then have a Great Week