Blocks and Bags

I took some time this weekend to (a) get some bags finished for my shop restock, which was soothing; but also (b) work some more on my basic darted top block.

The block is a real challenge. To remind you, I am using the Connie Crawford pre-FBA'd basic top block.  I bought the F/G sloper rather than the more comprehensive blouse block that has everything from A to I because, to be quite frank, it was half the price. I am, strictly speaking, an H cup not a G, but when I looked at the measurements I thought I could work with the F/G block perfectly well.

So far, I am pretty pleased with my progress. My big adjustments so far have been lowering the bust point a long way and straightening out the shoulder. I've never thought of myself as having a square shoulder but when I adjusted the seam at the shoulder it was almost magical how it smoothed out a whole mess of bad fit at the shoulder and between the neckline and the bust. I also ended up pivoting in a little extra width at the bust. In fabric, I was letting out the side seams by about 1.5cm just around the bust point, but I couldn't quite work out how to do that on paper except to draw in a weird bulge. To be honest, I'm not sure my flat pattern alteration with the pivot will actually work when I put it into fabric, so that's the test with my next version. If it doesn't work, I'm going to do a classic FFRP FBA and add in the extra 1.5cm that way, even though I know it's going to screw up the waist and hip fit.

The big problem is fitting myself. It's really hard to get any idea of back fit. Last night I was too tired to drag out my camera and tripod to try taking photos but I will do the next time I work on it. I also haven't really touched the sleeves yet. I'm a bit concerned that I need a width adjustment at the back just based on the sleeveless version. I also haven't really 100% worked out the waist and hip fit either, having been mainly pre-occupied with the boobs of doom.

In between fighting with the blouse block though, I did get some bags made for the shop. This time they are both little bags, using Michelle Patterns' Half-Moon Handbag pattern. I could make these in my sleep, they are so easy, and yet they are so cute! I went mad and used giraffe fabric for one of them as well, which I unironically love. I still have two clutch patterns all cut out and interfaced ready to make, so hopefully I will be fully restocked at the end of this week.

New bags for my etsy shop.