Simplicity 2497: Sewing It Up (Part II)

So . . . this has become an ordeal.  First, voila

That face probably tells you all you need to know.

I finally finished this damn dress.  Guys. . . just. . . whatever.  

Here is my review.

Pattern Description: Misses dress in three lengths with neckline and sleeve variations.

Pattern Sizing: Misses sizes 4-20

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like the cute sleeve variations.  I do not like the whole size zipper into a pocket thing these Cynthia Rowley patterns seem to dig on.  I also did not like the proportions of the finished product.  I liked the sleeves of view B, but with my

Fabric Used: Rayon blend

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I did a full bust adjustment and added a few inches to the sides, waist, and skirt to make the pattern fit my body.  I outline that saga with a few cusswords and excruciating detail here and also here.  I also lengthened the bodice an inch and a half to make the bodice less empire and installed a center back zipper instead of a side zipper.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I will sew this again, mostly because I am not terribly happy with my first finished product and the potential for really cute dress-ness is still there. 

Conclusion: I really like the idea of this dress still, but so far not the dress I made.

My specific points of contention with this finished product are as follows:

 

I love these sleeves but. . .

• They add too much bulk to my upper body silhouette.
• They are also much too puffy to layer comfortably, that goes for both variations. 
• The sleeve band is too snug for comfort.
• The armsyce is weird.   (I don't know why or what I even mean here either)
• The neckline gaps a little, against all odds really.
• The waistband is still tilted!  Keep in mind that I picked the entire thing apart and re-cut the bodice to correct this issue. 

I did make some tweaks to make it more wearable.  I removed the original sleeves and re-cut the sleeve lining from view A to make simple cap sleeves instead.  These sleeves will fit inside a jacket or cardigan  which is good because my quick and dirty waistline leveling fix on the back of this dress is far from attractive.

Ultimately, I am giving in on this version of the dress.  I think I made some mistakes here that, even if corrected and executed perfectly, would not result in a staple wardrobe garment.  It's not bad at all.  I've already worn it out once and to a job interview at that. . . but I don't love it. 

Simplicity 2497: Sewing It Up

This is quickly becoming a saga. . . here's why.

Once you've made your muslin and checked your fit, your next steps should be selecting your fabric and sewing up the real thing.  This is where I made my potentially fatal error.

I decided I wanted a red dress.

I did not think at all about the composition of that fabric other than that I wanted a woven fabric-not a knit for this first dress.  I picked what I found to be the perfect red in Joann's that also met the qualifications allowing me to use a 60% off coupon.  I got a great deal on four yards.  (No, I didn't actually need four yards but just in case.)  

I pre-washed it and dried it and that's when I realized that my "perfect red" fabric was also a linen.  Or maybe a "linen"-I did get it at Joann's.  Linen is nice and all, but it is a stone BITCH to sew if you aren't that great at sewing in the first place and in any way inattentive.  If you are me, in other words.  It shreds if you look at it funny.  Not quickly or dramatically . . .  the threads just quietly unravel as you cut and sew it. 

Like dark, diabolical magic.

It also grows miraculously . . .  perhaps to compensate for its tendency to slowly disappear as you handle it.  It expands . . . almost overnight.

This should show you what I mean. The only length I added was at the bodice bottom.  This thing is huge on me and it shouldn't be.  I ended up trimming off four inches from the bodice sides.  That's insane.

And look at this sleeve.   What is up with that upper arm weirdness?  

Here it is with a lot of the bodice fullness removed and a last minute sleeve change.  The 3/4 sleeves just looked too weird so I did the short puffed sleeve instead.  

Better, but some things are still off:

• You might wonder why my waistband is so tilted.  Me too!  I have this problem a lot and I think I may need to add a different alteration to my repertoire.  I requested Fit For Real People from the library so hopefully I can find what I need there.  The internet's best advice so far has been . . .  This is in FFRP.   

• Where did all that back fabric come from?  I like the fact that the dress is not getting intimate with my back fat but something about this looks suspicious.  Like I'm trying to hide the fact that I am hiding the partially reanimated spirit of Voldemort on my back . . .  or something.

• Are these pockets low?  This is probably due to my lengthening the bodice.

• The zipper looks damn good from this side.  I tossed both the pattern instructions and the general guidelines for installing an invisible zipper.  I vastly prefer this method.

• This side zipper is also almost entirely unnecessary.  It's inaccessible for me-my T-Rex arms can't zip or unzip it easily while I'm actually wearing the damn thing.  Plus I haven't used it since putting it in.  There is enough room to just pull it off and on over my head.

• The puff sleeves are cute but they are a little snug.  I also made a mistake in the construction order and I have an exposed seam that should have been covered by the lining. 

I am feeling very meh about this dress now. . .  and it's a bit of a bummer because I was seriously pumped before.  

I don't think I will finish this as is.  In fact, I think I will take it apart, make some more alterations, and then put it back together.  I still love the color and at this point it's gotten personal.  I can't let the fucking pattern win.  It thinks it has beaten me!

I did a little more internet research and here's what I think I will do.  

• Raise the waistband back up an inch or so.
• Make a tilted waist adjustment
• Reconstruct the sleeves and add a little more ease.
• Remove the side zipper and put it in a center back seam*.  It will be a lot easier to fit and make changes once I do that.

I'll have to pick the whole damn thing apart and re-cut a few pieces but eh. . .  I can do that while listening to podcasts and thinking about all the stuff I haven't been writing for this blog.  

The plus is that it shouldn't take me long to sew it back up again once I get started.  I know how to do all the annoying bits now.  

*I won't share with you the various contortions that make it possible for my short armed self to pull up my own zippers.  It would be really awkward for us both.

Simplicity 2497: Fitting the Muslin

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Once your paper alterations are done it's time for a muslin fitting so you can see all the many ways your alterations went wrong.  You can skip fitting the muslin if you are confident.  Hubris is always punished but you know, whatever floats your boat.  When I make a muslin I, do the bare minimum.  I skip facings, finishing, and I only attach one sleeve.  You might also leave out zippers and other closures and pockets unless you want to test the installation or application.

Behold, Simplicity 2497: the Muslin.

All in all, my errors were not egregious but as you can see there is some awkwardness going on.  some of it, like the wide neckline in the front and in the back will be corrected further along in construction.  Other issues, like the too-tight sleeve cap and awkwardness around the zipper will require further attention.

The sleeve in image 2 and 3 is after further sleeve alteration

I mean, this sleeve was fucked up.  The top part of the sleeve was sooo tight and the armhole itself seemed too small which didn't seem possible considering how much length I added to the bodice sides.  After much googling, internet tutorial research, youtube video watching, and redrawing of patterns, I went back to Sewing for Plus Sizes and realized that I forgot to add the length from the bodice to the sleeves. 

1. Too tight sleeve cap, 2. Dart detail and high waistline, 3. Too much length in the neckline, 4. Zipper into pocket detail

Problems:

1. I added unnecessary length to the neckline pattern.  
2. The invisible zipper into pocket application was fussy and not well done.
3. This waist seems much more empire than other finished versions I've found online.

Solutions:

1. Restore the neckline pattern pieces to their original forms to remove the extra fullness.
2. I decided on a slightly shorter zipper than the pattern calls for.  My FBA translated to much more length in the bodice as well, so my pocket only contained about an inch or so of zipper anyway.
3. I am going to add an additional two inches to the bodice length.  

Simplicity 2497: Research, Research, Research

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Most of the pattern companies make plus sized patterns.  I own a few that I have yet to try out.  Part of that is laziness.  The other part is that some of them are just less aesthetically pleasing or they would be better suited to that rarest of plus sized creatures-the ten foot tall perfectly proportional giantess with curves everywhere except her belly.

In any case, I prefer dicking around with straight size patterns.  There's that moment of triumph when I make the damn thing fit.  There's also the thrill of slashing and taping and all of that . . . it feels like I'm going rogue.  I pretty much love anything that lets me feel like I'm going rouge.

The first step in fitting the pattern is deciding which areas will need the most adjustment.  If you are just starting out sewing garments, I recommend Simplicity's Simply the Best Sewing Book.  In fact, this is a great general sewing reference book that has a comb binding so it opens and lies flat.  You get a great overview of how patterns are created and sized, how to pick the pattern size best for you, and an overview of basic alterations you might make.

Check it out!

This book suggests using your high bust measurement to determine your size.  This little tidbit is what opened up the world of straight sizes to me.  If you use the high bust measurement, you can pick a pattern size that might only require a full bust alteration and the neckline and shoulders will still fit.

For those who might be interested in plus-size sewing, I really like, and use pretty much every time I work on a new pattern, Sewing for Plus Sizes by Barbara Deckert.  The photos and illustrations feature some banging eighties and nineties fashion, but you can pretty much find info on how to do anything you want.  I also like that there is a emphasis on alterations that might be especially beneficial to plus size people.

Check it out!

In addition to these two resources, I also do fairly serious internet research.  If you put a pattern title and number in google image search, you can find personal blogs of people who have sewn it before.  This is really helpful if you have the time.  If a pattern has some quirks, reading about others' experiences will help you plan ahead.

Pattern Review is another great web resource.   In addition to pattern reviews, you can see images of finished garments.  Additionally, questions posted on the forums are answered quickly by people who know what they are doing.

This pattern has some pleating on the sleeve and an inseam side zipper that opens into a pocket.  I researched both of those details as well as the full bust adjustment and adding width to sleeves and waist.

Simplicity 2497

I had some time off a couple of weeks ago and having time on my hands led to several ideas. . . . Some considerably better than others.

Idea 1: I should make something. (Inner Me: I totally should! I love making shit!)

Idea 2: I bet I could thread my own eyebrows. (Inner Me: I totally could! I'll learn how on youtube!  This is a great idea!)

I'll talk about Idea 1 today as I do, indeed, love to make shit.  I'm still trying to come to terms with Idea 2 as I do, indeed, occasionally lie to myself. 

I think I originally cut this pattern out two years ago.  Is letting it languish in my pattern books laziness-or something more sinister?  (I don't really think it's sinister. Probably just lazy.  Had the opportunity to use the word "sinister" in a sentence and didn't want to let it pass.)

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 Whatever, it was kind of a nice surprise to find the fussiest part already done when I finally unpacked my pattern books.

I am working on view B because it has sleeves and does not have the neck ruffle.  A basic Google image search suggests that View C seems to be the most popular version by far.  

Google Image Search

It's cute and all, but I'm pretty sure it's not for me.  I don't think I have enough neck for a ruff and this particular neck ruffle makes me think of those dinosaurs with the neck thing. 

 

Google Image Search

I also don't think I have to poise to pull a neck ruffle off.  I have this idea wearing a dress with all that going on around the collar would be a lot like feeling like you walked into a cobweb without being able to find it . . .  like all the time.

I'm uncomfortable just thinking about it..

View B is more my style and might result in a dress I feel comfortable enough in to actually wear.  The fun part, is figuring out how to make this bad boy fit.

Project Wedding Dress: Finale

Would you like to get a good look at the final project?

I went from this muslin . . .

Image is my own

. . . to this dress.  What do you think?

Image by Love Joleen Photography

The dress is made from 100% dupioni silk ordered from Fabric.com.  If you remember, I really wanted a peach shade and this color turned out to be perfect.  You also can't beat the texture of dupioni silk.

The fabric was pricey so I skimped a little on the yardage.  That meant I had to cobble together the cumberbund waist overlay and I was not able to make the effect as pronounced as I wanted without sacrificing length.

Image by Love Joleen Photography

Here is what I have learned about sewing my own wedding dress:

• Muslining is essential--if for no other reason than that it will make you less nervous to cut into the pricey fabric.
• If you want silk, go for silk dupioni and make peace with texture.  That way you can throw that sucker in the washer and dryer.  Which I totally did.  Twice.
• It might be worth it to shell out the cash for a half yard more than you think you will need.
• Petticoats are a pain in the ass.  I made what I guess is called a can-can slip for this dress which was a lot less involved than your traditional petticoat style . . . but still.  PITA.
• Don't skip the horsehair braid hem.  I did and it made walking way more difficult than it had to be.
• Plan for more sewing time than you think you will need.

Image by Love Joleen Photography

The wedding is long since over and at this very moment my wedding dress, that I slaved over, is draped unceremoniously over some shelves in our bedroom.  It's too long to hang in the closet and the attached petticoat means it really can't be folded.

I have plans though . . . and those plans include taking it apart.

Stay tuned . . .  Project Wedding Dress is about to become Project Something Else.

Pattern Haul

I think I've developed a problem.  I can't pass up a.99 cent pattern sale.

You know, when I first started sewing I used to pay full price for these things.  Maybe I just feel like I've been had and I'm trying to get a little of my own back?

I have been had!

First up, the infinite wrap dress.  This is supposed to be an easy pattern but I already have doubts about my ability to do all this wrapping and whatnot.  Yet, I am intrigued.  It's like this twobirds dress right? Except not as fancy and attitudinal.

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Now let's talk about cloches.  I have no idea if these are going to be a Thing or not this winter.  I also suspect that it won't fit over my rather tremendous hair.

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HOWEVER . . .  this particular episode of Ugly Betty. . .

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. . . totally made me want one.

Work in Progress

I have been sewing, off and on, since I was in elementary school.  My aunts and grandmother were major crafters although not in the hobby sense.  They made things because it was more cost-effective, more practical, and traditional to do so.

Sewing my own wedding dress was an option I've always had in the back of my mind.  Making that decision was pretty easy.  However, sewing my own wedding dress while incorporating structure, shaping, and some couture technique-that's pretty new.

Sewing my own clothes was easier when I was in high school because I was smaller.  I weighed a lot less and my shape was more in line with pattern sizing.  Things have definitely changed since then.  I find that now that everything up front is bigger I have to make considerable alterations to any garment I want to make.

Take this dress for example.  This Cynthia Rowley pattern from Simplicity is really cute and it is designed for a stretch knit.  Should be a piece of cake right?  Not so much.

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The finished garment measurements on the back of the pattern envelope were way off so I decided to make a muslin and do a full bust adjustment to be on the safe side.  This is what I ended up working with.

Not cool.  Not cool at all.  (I cut up a jersey dress I found at Goodwill on the off chance that the muslin would be wearable.)  The bodice fit okay but the neck band and shoulder straps were not happening.  These pieces are interfaced so the really don't stretch much at all.  The neckline was basically a turtleneck.  The skirt had no fullness, which made the pockets gape.  Awful.

 

This is what it looked like after some clipping and tugging pieces into position.  I need to add from an inch to an inch and a half of length to the shoulder straps, the center front of the neckband, and the sides. I also want a really full skirt so I will double the width of the skirt and gather it to fit.

 

 

 

Additionally, the neckband curves around the bust need some reshaping to correct gaping.

I think it will be really cute once I correct the fit!  I am planning to live dangerously and experiment with horizontal stripes once I have a workable pattern.

* All un-sourced photos are my own.
** I decided to name my dress form Kiki.  It's usually naked and I decided that if I was ever a stripper Kiki would be my stage name.  Kiki's doing a pretty awesome job right!

Project Wedding Dress-Fitting the Skirt

My last update concerned creating my custom dress form.

I've already put it to use and I have to say-it's awesome.

I reattached the bodice to the skirt and placed it on the form to check the fit.  My major goal in fitting the skirt was matching up the side seams.  I will need to add more fabric in the skirt front to make that work.

You can kind of see how I did that in the center front.  I slashed the skirt muslin and and spread it until the sides fit the way I wanted them.  Then I covered the slash with as scrap of muslin that I taped into place.  (Yeah, I'm professional like that)

Check it out.

It's actually starting to look like a wedding dress right?

Now that I am pretty much done fitting the bodice, I started experimenting with where I'll place the detailing.  My inspiration dress has a pleated cummerbund that circles the waist.  I taped some fabric in the front to get an idea of what that might look like.

I also need to shape the upper edge of the bodice.  These curves definitely need smoothing.

Once I work out the kinks on this muslin, I'll take it apart and use it to redraw the pattern pieces.   I also have plans, probably really over-ambitious ones, to add an inner corsolette for further support, steel boning in the lining, and maybe button looping on the back closure.

Then, I'll probably make another muslin, this one nearly complete so that I can practice some of the detailing and finishing techniques I would like to use and perfect the fit closer to the wedding date.  I will also experiment with a sleeve option involving lace.

What do you think?

Project Wedding Dress: DITing a Fitting Assistant

I had Friday off last week so Wes and I put our time to good use.  (By which I mean we had our weekly lunch date--this time at Agua Linda's, puttered around Academy and Goodwill, and watched even more South Park on Netflix).  Bliss.

Then we got down to business.  I put on Hudson Hawk (Netflix gets a lot of play around here) and busted out a bowl of water, a Pyrex pie plate, and coils of paper tape strips I prepared the night before.  It was time to get busy on our latest DIT project.

I've already started working on the fit of my wedding dress muslin.  I talk about that more here.  However, fitting on yourself is pretty damn difficult.  I was finding it pretty much impossible.  So I finally bit the bullet and purchased a jersey covered dress form.

I got this one . . .

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. . . from Store Supply Warehouse.*  It came with the topper and the base and it's pretty much awesome.  It's also a size 8.

I don't know if you noticed-but I am not a size 8.

Why order a size 8 form then?  Well, the price was right.  It's foam which means it is pinnable.  Larger forms have triple digit prices.  Larger forms would not be any more helpful than this form because even though they are bigger they are not bigger in the right places.  A plus size form with a flat belly--what would I do with that?

I bought this form because I knew that, while sewing for myself, I could customize a paper tape form molded to my body to go over it.   The adjustable base and the form underneath make my paper form a lot more stable and usable.

What's a paper form?  Only the most awesome thing ever for the home sewer.  Mine looks like this-disregard my hair situation . . .

 . . .  and it is made from the gummed paper tape you can buy from Staples.  There are really awesome tutorials that outline the process, but essentially you moisten the gummed paper tape and wrap it around your body to create a molded form.  This one has lots of pictures and this one, on jejune.net I found particularly helpful.  The tape hardens as it dries and what you are left with is essentially . . . prison armor.  (You can thank Wes for that one.)  The hardened shell is stiff enough to stand up on its own, hold its shape, and it is pinnable.

I do have some additional tips if you want to undertake this yourself.

• We cut our strips to about 12 inches long and then we cut them in half lengthwise.  This really does help them get around curves more efficiently and smoothly.
• The criss-cross action is essential.  It cuts the taping time down a lot because it essentially means you are doing two layers at once.
• Don't wet the tape completely.  Just moisten it.  If you over saturate it with water you will rinse away the adhesive and then the edges won't lie down.  Think of it as licking a stamp.
• Don't be afraid to clip puckers or wrinkles in the paper tape as you wrap to make it lie smoothly.
• Apply a layer of paper tape to the inside of the form as well.

Then you'll have a really nice, smooth form that is customized to you for less than ten dollars.

Here she is in action.

*Seriously you guys-this business is pretty awesome.  They shipped quickly and they called to let me know when my order would go out.  They emailed The prices are pretty fantastic too.  I have my eye on some wooden hangers-which they sell in bulk and for less than what you would spend at Target.  Check them out.

Wedding Adjacent

So I've noticed a phenomenon recently in my wedding planning journey.  In the process of unplanning the wedding, Wes and I have been spending the wedding budget on things with long-term usefulness.

Exhibit A: The Mixer of My Dreams

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We bought this stand mixer.  The mixer I've been lusting after.  And we got a pretty decent deal.  Why did we buy this?  Well, I've mostly written about Project Wedding Dress so far however, there is also a Project Wedding Cake on the horizon as well.  So far Wes has made a pound cake.  I'll be testing out the dough hook soon and bake some bread.

Exhibit B:  A Fitting Assistant

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Continuing on with Project Wedding Dress requires more hands and agility than I have.  Fitting on myself is just hard and while Wes is a real help, I just wish I had a little more control over the whole process.  Hence, the dress form.  Beyond Project Wedding Dress, I also plan to make a lot more of my own clothes.  I'm pretty much over ready to wear clothes that just don't fit right.  Project Wedding Dress has really given me a lot of confidence in my construction abilities.

Both of these are fairly major purchases.  (Of course, anything over fifty bucks is a major purchase to me.)  However, they both will have usefulness that will outlive the wedding. 

Yay! for longevity.

Project Wedding Dress: Muslin Woes

After all the fiddliness of altering the pattern, I was really surprised at how quickly the dress muslin came together.  This might be the easiest pattern I've ever sewed.  The skirt isn't even gathered . . .  and just so you all know, gathering is a pain in the ass.

Here she is in all her cheap cotton glory . . .

Right away, I notice issues that need correction.*

All photos by me unless noted

 First, I made the boning channels just a little too small which means that the boning in the front especially really did not want to lie flat.

Second, my regular strapless bra is just not going to cut it in a top this close fitting.  I need a bustier.  Dammit.

Third, I have way too much room in the top which equals gaping.

Fourth, which you can really see in this side shot (where I apparently was trying to imitate Kate Winslet in Titanic), The bodice is just a little too big which caused a little pleating and blousing at the waist.

Fifth, linebacker shoulders are in full effect.  This shot right here has me considering sleeves.

Sixth, I am either short or the garment industry in general thinks everyone is six feet tall.  This skirt is supposed to be tea length.  On me it's dragging three inches on the floor.

What do you think?  Remember-it's supposed to look like this little number here . . .

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I didn't do all the finishing details on a muslin.  That would be crazy since I really need to focus on the foundation and the fit.  So this dress is basically the lining without the tulle ruffle or the horsehair braid to make the skirt stand out.  I also didn't include the pockets in the muslin because I wasn't sure the side seams would match up the way I wanted them to.  The pleating will be an easier detail and it doesn't even necessarily require a pattern.

With a less full skirt and a flower detail, it could be a Mimi.

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And I'm thinking that if I just can't deal with my bra situation or my linebacker shoulders, I might go a sleeve option with more coverage, I can add a lightly lined overlay like the Escalante.

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The muslin looks like crap but I am very excited because the shape that I want is there and I know how to fix it.  I detached it from the skirt and I'm already making improvements.  I'll show you that travesty later on.

*Now I will only subject you all to my personal lumpiness in the interest of a loftier goal.

The New Housecoat

Y'all know what a housecoat is right?  Not quite a robe, not at all something you'd want to be seen in public in?

Well, as I continue on my journey of slowly but surely becoming my own mother, I have finally understood why such things exist.  Why continue wearing respectable clothes when you're at home and not planning to go anywhere?  Why give in to the schlubbiness of rocking the same pair of around-the-house sweatpants everyday.  (Calling them yoga pants doesn't change a thing) 

Put on a damn housecoat!  It's comfortable, it's usually patterned and therefore an excellent hider of stains making it wearable for, well, days.  It's a dress so from a distance it looks like you're trying harder than you really are.

Hence, my housecoat creation.  I could have gone all out with sleeves and snaps and piping and pockets for random munchies . . . but I couldn't bring myself to take it there.  Maybe I'll be ready for the big housecoat leagues in about twenty years.  For now, I would like to maintain some sort of semblance of youth.  However, in the interest of maximum schlubbiness, I kept it simple and made it work with just elastic.

As long as the boobage stays above the elbows I'm considering it a win.

Project Wedding Dress: Fitting the Pattern

Remember Plan B?

I am pleased to announce that we are a go!  My unaltered muslin of the bodice just was not happening, so I went back to the pattern and used my handy freezer paper to make some adjustments.

Most patterns are drafted with a B cup bust.  And, well, I have way more than that up top.  I measured my bust and decided to try a full bust adjustment because the difference would make up a lot of those inches in the back.  I followed these instructions from Sew, Mama, Sew! for how to make a full bust adjustment on princess seams.  If you want to try this yourself, I suggest you follow her tutorial, since she has respectable and clear pictures without all the background clutter that I have here.

First, here is the unaltered pattern which I laid out for tracing.  You can kind of see how slight the curve is so really, I should have known this was not going to handle my bust.

Note: lay out your pattern pieces the same way you would on actual fabric.  If it says cut on fold or cut two, for example, go ahead and do that.  Here is a traced off piece.  Also, make sure you label them once you trace them.  I also had to do some fiddling to find the bust point since it wasn't marked on my pattern.  (Fiddling equals eyeballing and boobage poking.)

And here, is the final bodice side front.  I spread like five inches here.

You also want to make sure that you lengthen the bodice front as required.  Here is the altered bodice side front as compared to the bodice front.  See how it is longer.

Here it is evened out.  You want to spread the same distance so don't just eyeball this.  Measure.

Now it's time to put your paper pieces together.  Follow the seam allowances called for in the pattern.  I tried to stitch mine on the sewing machine.  People stitch paper right?  That didn't work well for me, but you might want to try it yourself.  My stitches were so close together that it ended up kind of cutting the paper.  I ended up pin fitting it along the sides.

Pin fitting on pattern tissue sucks, but freezer paper didn't tear or rip unless I applied focused force so it worked out pretty well.

The finished product.  Easing the curves in creates the bodice curve.

Here it is on me.  I didn't put a zipper in or anything but I did put on my strapless bra to try it.  This was just to pin fit the pattern.

This is a much better fit than the first, unaltered muslin.  It comes up higher in the front and fully covers my breast.  More to the point, it now meets in the back.

Next steps:

I need to take this apart and retrace these altered pieces and transfer and relocate markings. 

I think I'm going to buy some plain muslin to fit as well so I can have a nice clear background and to get a better feel for how it looks along the upper edges and pin out any extra fabric.

I also have plans for sweethearting the bodice front. 

Then, I think I will probably add more boning and more support to the bodice than the pattern calls for. 

I also think I'm going to use a skirt from another pattern so hopefully I will only need to adjust for length there.

Then . . . I will take apart that muslin and use those pieces to cut out the pattern for the real deal wedding dress.  Definitely a long way to go but I'm excited to be making progress.