adult's clothing, sewing

spring is busting out all over

As some of you may know, I don’t mind showing a little cleavage in my dresses.  I am currently making a dress to wear to Frocktails this Saturday night.  After sewing together the bodice, I thought that I’d better try it on for fit and see if I needed any adjustments.

Vogue 1256 bodice

Holey moley! There is a whole lot more than a LITTLE bit of cleavage going on there; it’s major bra exposure! The dress is Vogue 1256. I could only find one (incredibly comprehensive) review of it on the internet, and the reviewer didn’t have this problem occurring at all. I do note that she did a FBA for the dress, and I didn’t. I usually don’t for knit dresses, as I haven’t found that I particularly need to (although I sometimes do need them in wovens). Here’s the line drawing of the dress.

V1256 line drawing

In addition to the amazing gaping going on, the dress doesn’t look as though it comes down to my waist. Maybe I really should have done a FBA. I cut this out at size 14, and didn’t make any of my usual short waisted alterations. I actually considered it, as well as considering making a small FBA, but decided that the pleating in combination with not making short waisted alterations would accommodate a C cup without much hassle. Once the extra weight of the skirt is there, it might alter the way that the bodice is sitting too.  At the moment the bodice looks high-waisted, but in the pattern photo it isn’t.  You can see how it fits the incredibly slender model on the pattern envelope here: a low neckline, but not a wide open one.

V1256 pattern envelope photo

Everyone, I need your advice! I have considered doing a few things.

  • Tacking the neckline in place at the centre front as in the following photo, but it makes the pleats and folds look a bit weird:

Vogue 1256 bodice

  • taking it in a bit at the top of the centre back (to keep the shoulder seams in the right spots) and wrapping the fronts over further
  • undoing the pleats and refolding and stitching them to sit better after pinning the neckline into a better position
  • a combination of these

What do you suggest? I’d really like some help with this one. By the way, I eliminated the centre back zip, and the bodice is fully lined.  I rather like the sleeve treatment, and think that overall it will be a successful dress. Even if I do have to wear it over a black cami. But I’d rather improve that neckline! Please help!