Colette Laurel: Part 1

At the end of last week I found some time for some dressmaking, having suddenly been inspired by the warmer weather. While I've always loved Colette Patterns for skirts and trousers, I've been wary of using their patterns on my top half as their smallest bust measurement is nearly 2" bigger than my own. I've either tended to draft my own patterns or use those from Japanese pattern books where they're cut for a smaller frame. However, I've now realised that I've been depriving myself from a huge amount of fun as making a SBA (small bust adjustment) to the pattern was actually a very simple process. I referred to The Complete Photo Guide to Perfect Fitting and made my adjustment to the paper pattern out the outset. If you don't have this book (which, having now use it, I can say is brilliant), then I'm told by Kerry that this tutorial by Megan Nielsen is excellent too and it looks very similar to the one in my book.

My main concern in changing the pattern was that my small bust measurement comes from having a very small ribcage rather than a barely-there bust so I was unsure if an SBA would work in the way I hoped. But my worries were unfounded as the newly drafted darts give a perfect fit.

Nina commented that she was in the midst of making a Laurel herself and found that there was a lot of ease at the back of the sleeve head - I found exactly the same, although happily this was fairly easily rectified by shaving half an inch from the pattern in this area.

If this all sounds like a lot of changes and fitting issues, it's actually not at all and I'm so delighted with the finished top that spending twenty minutes altering the pattern seems irrelevant. It is a beautifully cut pattern and once I was happy with my toile, I knew that it was going to be worth risking cutting into two of my most treasured fabrics which I've had stashed away for a year now: a beautiful silk crepe de chine Liberty print and a plain, sand-washed steely blue silk.

I drafted a Peter Pan collar to go on my Laurel top and you can see it above before it's sewn into place.

I think that covers my construction issues, so tomorrow I'll hopefully show you the finished garment - I'm already planning my next Laurel as I love this pattern so much. I'm also contemplating a Violet blouse. Every time I use a Colette Pattern I'm reminded anew of just how good they are.

Have you been tempted into some dressmaking now that Spring has almost sprung from the gloomy dark box its been hiding itself in?

Florence x