Hi toileandtrouble, that is an interesting way to try and deal with a much larger ‘cup’ size, shall watch this space with interest. I do in fact favour princess line seaming
I am currently working on a Connie Crawford Shoulder Princess line sloper, and my first toile has thrown up some problems which I am now working on. I have already dropped the bust shaping down on the first toile, and feel I need to drop this a little more on the second toile, I also feel I need to make the centre panels wider, and somehow extend the side panel over towards the armhole where I have quite a bit of gaping. Help according to Peggy I need to go up a cup size, but I am working outside of a ‘D’ cup size already. Of course I do not want it to become too baggy above the chest and that is what could happen if I am not careful when adding to the width of the centre and front side panels. Needs a lot of thinking through.
Whilst I do not mind making toiles, it would be nice to get this sorted once and for all. The calico is never wasted though as it can be used for other things, but I do need some new clothes and fast.
The Connie Crawford Sloper I am using is
CS1 301 Shoulder Princess Blouse Master Pattern which comes in two groups of sizes:
Misses sizes 8-20 covering cup sizes from A/B, C/D/DD/E, (DDD)F/G, and H/I cup sizes. So bust sizes 34/35” up to 52/53”.
Then Women’s sizes 1X – 6X covering cup sizes from A/B, C/D/DD/E, (DDD)F/G, and H/I cup sizes. So bust sizes 48/49” up to 72/74”
I first saw this sloper pattern in Threads magazine December 2013/January 2014 where there was an article called ‘Add a Princess Seam’. Connie also does an armhole princess seam sloper pattern as well and this is CS1 302. Connie’s website is
www.fashionpatterns.com.
It is my intention when I finally get the fit I am seeking is to have the armhole just as I want as well as the shape of the top of the sleeve, and then these can be interchangeable.
I also treated myself to a Grading Book by Connie so I can hopefully alter many patterns that I have from the era of Vogue Couture and Vogue Designer, that are now far too small for my figure but are what I call classic patterns. However I haven’t got into using the Grading Book yet.
In fact I am surrounded by books, articles from Threads, fitting books, drafting books, Fit for Real People and Full Busted DVD trying to find the best way forward for me.