Emery #4: Deer Dreaming

Still no photos taken of Emery #2 ... it's deep undercover on a secret mission and cannot be recalled.   Uh, or maybe it's in my closet, but kind of wrinkled and I'm not in the mood for press and photograph it.  Not when I could be sewing Emery #7 instead!

Meanwhile, here is Emery the fourth, which is a rather psychedelic number featuring deer.  The fabric is "Oh Deer!" by MoMo.

The fit of this one is the same as for Emery #3, Mod Houses, but somehow this one looks a bit loose in the lower bodice.  It is actually, if anything, slightly tighter, and I'm not sure I want form-fitting anyhow:  I like taking deep breaths, eating, etc.    Perhaps the problem is that the front bodice is slightly too long?

Check out my awesome totally accidental pattern matching on the back.  I cut the back bodice pieces along the selvedges and it just worked out.  Hooray blind chance.  Too bad that in real life it will always be under a cardigan!

I promised (threatened?) to list the modifications I made to the bodice pieces.  (I used the skirt from another pattern.)  Here goes:

• Increased bodice length 1 1/4"
• Doubled width of back upper darts, and made them about 1/2" longer
• Made the front and back lower bodice darts 1/4" longer
• Used the size 0 bust darts, but shortened them about 3/8" (I made the size 4 otherwise)
• took a 1/8" deeper seam allowance on the shoulder seam at the neck, tapering to nothing at the shoulder
• Pinched out about an inch or so from the front upper bodice, tapering to nothing at the bottom
• Took out 1/4" at the armhole on the side of the front bodice, tapering to nothing at the bottom
• Adjusted armholes for a sleeveless version by making them 1/2" shallower, like so:

Cribbed this adjustment from vintage Butterick 6570.

... and probably some other stuff that I forgot.  I'm also sewing the side seams at 3/4" rather than 5/8".  All this for a pattern that had a pretty promising fit out of the envelope!  This may be why I like to stick with a good pattern once I find it.

OK final gratuitous shot with dog (though it's not his best).  Emerys (Emeries?)  5 and 6 have been completed in the time it's taken to get around to posting this, and #7 is on the horizon.   My photo editing situation has also improved, so expect to see photos taken with something other than iPhone and lots of gratuitous post-processing in future posts.