Mrs Mole's Fit-a-long: updating the flat pattern

Except for the armscyes, I traced the seam lines onto the existing pattern pieces. That was OK except for a 1/8“difference around high hip between front and back. Pasted the extra onto the front (it's easier to remove if not needed than to add it later). Folded in the excess. Most of those extra 3/8" allowances have been eaten into, but not entirely used up. 

Remembered the clever stuff to move that long thin dart to the sides, too. 

I took the chance to lower the bust point 1/8“. Happily it makes the dart legs more even, too. 

Then added a tracing of the original armscyes. Moved the shoulder point in 1/2“, front yoke 1/4“, no change to back yoke. After pivoting to my intended 5/8" higher than the last armscye depth, my front scye length was unchanged, and the back was only 1/8“ shorter. I can live with easing in that little extra. 

The green lines are my measurements, the red my latest stitching lines. Don't worry about the lapels overhanging the table. 

What we've got are additions to the shoulders to drop the neckline. A much bigger bust dart, and more width at that height. Wedges back and front to straighten grain lines. And a slight dome to the outer part of the shoulder seam to cope with padded bra straps. 

These pattern pieces are going to need retracing, but let's do one cut-and-check first.

Dug out a dead gingham shirt of DH's. It has a tear on one of the tails and a leaky pen stain, but that's ok for a test. 

But bother! While it buttons round me, I found (when I'd unpicked sleeves and side seams) that the fronts aren't quite wide enough at bust or hip. What a pain! The best I could do is unpick the yokes (and all that top stitching) and I'll join them to the sides tomorrow. No chance of turning upside down to get the buttons to be women's side, but again that's ok for a test garment. 

All the bits have been separated and seams pressed open to give me the best chance of cutting out.

EDIT Monday: of course piecing always takes me longer than estimated. (Why don't my estimates get better then?) And two nice and unexpected opportunities for company were grabbed with both hands. But I have got the yokes pieced to the fronts of the worn out shirts. Not thread-perfect, but within a couple of mill. And got my fronts cut out. About 1/2" shorter than my preferred length, but good enough for an evening wear test. (Buttoned the fronts right sides together, and placed the cf line down the buttonhole line) 

Something I know but somehow always surprises me. If you want to use a men's shirt hem, the armscye can eat your shoulder seam. I had not even a thread of wiggle room. 

BTW, the knitting needle runs along a stripe to connect the waist notches. And there is a lot of shirt tail underneath the pattern pieces. 

Something I wouldn't have noticed if not using woven squares. After I dropped the bust point by 1/8“, the top leg of the dart  points very slightly down Should have dropped the whole dart, and need to fix on the next tracing. 

I didn't get the back cut out tonight. I planned the layout and chalked the shoulder and waist points. There's barely enough width wise, but it'll just squeak out. There isn't enough fabric for the planned curved back seam, but I can use a dart above the yoke line, where the seam would have been. Again, good enough for a  test.