Using Wrap-a-mouse to help fit a top

Another detailed post. This time, having one more go at fitting a basic short-sleeved shell top. The pattern happens to be an out-of-print wardrobe pattern picked up in a charity shop, Simplicity 8849. I traced the top, View B, in size 14, then widened at the side seams to suit my own shape. 

At first I hoped to use the Wrap-a-mouse torso model directly, but the incomplete armscye was awkward to line up, so I went for a hybrid approach, using the horizontal wedge method and looking at the Wrap-a-mouse model for how-much* and for back dart placement. As suspected, I had to add wedges very close to my shoulders! 

* How much to swing the sideseams out at front and at back, how much to lower the dart, ...

Working with the traced half-pattern, a small front shoulder wedge brought the centre front into line, while the back needed a tiny shoulder dart and then a larger neck dart to align properly with my spine markers*. I didn’t need a back wedge once the shoulders were right (EDIT: maybe revisit that decision, looking at side view back high waist area)

The bust dart was lowered as usual, and I reduced its intake slightly to allow for tummy fullness and a more semi-fitted shape.

* Reach round and feel for a line of pin heads.

Cut and stitched in waste fabric (damaged parts of an old duvet cover). The first fitting was encouraging: the darts sat fairly well, and the hem hung almost straight. As a bonus, there's no need for a back slit and button with this neckline. The main issue was the front shoulder - I’d put the wedge too low, hence added width without enough height. A second fitting, using an old underdress I could pin into, tidied up the shoulder and collarbone area. I adjusted the front neckline and shoulder edge. Then narrowed the back neck darts and raised the back hsp a smidge, which got the upper back and shoulder line sitting more tidily.

The sleeve needed some pattern work. The original appeared to be very close-fitting, to sit under the matching bolero, however I need more movement ease for everyday wear. After checking the sleeve and armscye measurements, I added a little extra bicep width to the flat pattern. The first insertion attempt showed the balance points were sensible, but the cap was still too tight for comfortable arm movement, so I revised the adjustment and added the ease higher up. 

By this time, the pattern was almost there. I adjusted the front neck curve to fit around my own lumps and bumps, then pinned the hem. I tried on the jacket I want to wear over this top, and found that necks and hems are compatible. 

There might be a few small final tweaks: maybe a smidge more intake for the bust dart; decide whether to reduce the bicep adjustment; and whether the inner half inch of the shoulder seam conforms well enough to my own changing slope to work when the neck edge is bound.

Overall, I’m pleased enough with the prototype to move on to a wearable toile. And while I couldn't use Wrap-a-mouse directly for this much looser fitting, the how-much was invaluable.  

Wrap-a-mouse, a fitting model

Ì want to revisit fitting woven tops. However a tape measure isn't working well to model my pronounced sway back, curved upper back, and tilted hips. (For instance, my neck area gets in the way of a shoulder to shoulder measurement) Someone moving house donated a half roll of midweight plastic wrap... Let's try the cling film method of making a fitting shell. That way there are no preconceptions. 

Mathematically, you'd get best results with a narrow strip and a continuous build over several hours. That is not going to happen in the heat, or without a sewing-savvy helper. What is possible is to build a sketch in sections, about the width of the roll. 

Step 1, wrap the first section. With a little help from DH, wrapped ribs to thigh about 6 times. I could reach to mark centre front, tummy button height and most forward point of hip crest bones. DH roughly marked my spine.

No point being too precise, since the plastic has stretch and recovery. After cutting myself free, I estimate it recovered by 10%-15%, depending on the tension in each area.

Step 2, where should the seams be?

No preconceptions, I  said. I want a flat pattern so need to snip into the areas of greatest curvature. Not surprisingly to me, the sideseam position was fairly flat, but there was a strongly curved area a thumb length towards back and front. I chose to follow my own anatomy, snipping long 'darts' above the most prominent point of hip crests, back and front. I also followed my own anatomy either side of centre front, cutting long 'darts' from the raised bone a fraction below empire line, not far above where my ribs divide, to the side of my tum at the height where it's pushed forward most.

Step 3, assessment 

First, some words for the horizontals, all about a thumb length apart:

Empire line, my smallest circumference is underbust;

High waist, the bend point; 

Low waist, the lowest point above hip bone, most recessed part of the spine.

High hip, at the most prominent bone at front, a ridge of bone at the back, and yes, some tummy flesh at centre front;

Low hip, the widest part of my bum, which sticks out at the back because of hip tilt, recessed at the front.

Because of rib tilt, my front is a part-cone from Empire line to low waist. The back in this region is closer to a conventional inverted part‐cone, more tilted than the standard. 

  At the empire line boundary, there's tissue above, a more prominent rib below and the next rib is even further forward. I can barely fit a thumb in the gap, so will model for fabric to fall about half an inch further forward.

  The other empty space to consider is about a thumb length below my tummy button, where my hip tilt causes an underhang. Skirts look better if loosely fitted in this zone. Trousers likely need slash and spread above the knee - think pleated pants drafting. I want my model to reflect the more fitted shape. 

My working hypothesis is that I should smooth over low waist in the side seam area for tops and dresses, but compress a little bit for skirt and trouser waistbands. Why? That height is the most forward part of my tum, and indeed the most forward part of my spine, so I have to take the fabric weight on the hip bone, not risk a garment sliding down the overhang. 

At this point I have a mental model and a very rough physical model in plastic film - which deteriorates each time it is handled. 

Step 4, transferring to paper

I used paper tablecloths for rough drafts

Added 1" at centre back and at centre front.

Using the plastic film as a guide, and remembering to add in the stretch/recovery factor, treated the slashes as vertical darts around my circumference. My piece of paper was long enough to reach almost up to Empire line, and down to low hip.

Folded, pinned, adjusted until it was close to my shape.

Step 5, transferring to scrap fabric, an old sheeting rectangle that reached from Empire line to thigh. I allowed extra at centre front. Since fabric drapes more naturally, there was a little bit of adjustment of dart length and intake. However it was pretty close to what I wanted.

I took a tiny fisheye dart in side seam area to mark low waist position.

Tapered the thigh portion to match my own shape. Not that mini skirts work for my lifestyle.

Put tactile markers (a few stitches) at centre back low waist, where (bridget jones big but comfy) knicker elastic crosses spine, and on tummy button. These fix height, tension and rotation.

Section 2 Underbust to overbust, and shoulder blades.

I managed this on my own, underarm to Empire line. Of course, a certain amount of compression went on. Nevertheless I got a good first approximation to mouse shape.

Followed the same steps as before, trace the wrap to a bit of paper tablecloth. Add width to compensate for compression. Make more symmetrical, and divide the darts. Fold and pin and try on. Then add a bit more width before tracing onto a worn out pillow slip. Keep pinning until fit is improved. The thing that surprised me was that, for this close fit, I couldn't back the darts away from the apex, the fabric chose to move so the point filled the corner.

I divided the dart intake into one small very near the armscye, and two large under the apex. A nice detail, keeping seams a couple of inches forward and back of the usual line. Could let that small dart form a mini princess line running into the low scye. In the same way as section 1, added an inch to the empire line rather than model unusable space. 

Section 3, yoke and shoulders. 

Poor DH agreed to wrap me again. This time from a line roughly 3" above my elbow to a high scoop neckline. The shape of the Mold* cape, though plastic film is a very poor substitute for prehistoric gold.

No surprises about cutting darts at back shoulder and back neck, compensates for vertical curve. 

My shoulders are sloping and forward, so the ball is prominent here. The pattern angle can be adjusted by folding out a wedge at scye from collarbone to just below the ball of my shoulder. I'm also looking at the shapes and thinking a saddle shoulder, about 4" total, would give an even nicer fit at back shoulder and possibly be a low waste design on a fabric remnant. 

Went through the same process as before: trace onto paper, pin fit, adjust, cut in waste fabric, fine tune...

* Mold is a small town in north Wales. The archaeology is amazing! 

Step 6 merging the sections 

Preserving the work done in fabric, transferred changes back to the paper. I chose to keep my model in two sections, boundary at Empire line. For the top, I lined up at centre front and centre back, and traced. It had been clear for some time that I didn't have a good model of the sleeve cap and armscye - though the cap/flap was useful to haul on while aligning everything yet again with my shoulder points. Dug out the flexible ruler and did the best I could, matching the dimple where yoke crosses armscye at the front. At the back* the scye was my best guess because the back/arm boundary moves around so much. I chose not to deal with a sleeve cap but to let this version of my model be sleeveless.

* I have debated for years how to get movement ease and excess fabric balanced, whilst shared between back and sleeve cap. It has to work whether standing up, reaching up and forward, or falling asleep on a long train journey. 

From the tidied up tracings, I made one more physical model in worn out fabric. There were still a few challenges. With five darts and four seams around the torso I lost precision. Some user error, I'm reasonably competent with marking and stitching now, but not expert. And once I saw it, I realised the lower section, scrapped sheeting, had different turn of cloth than the upper, a scrapped pillow case.

Rather a shame that I have no use for a tennis dress. The final model fits me nicely. There's little ease, but I can sit, read, do housework. Not brave enough to show my legs on the balcony, however we have been closing our curtains against the unusual heat, so it's been OK to test wear inside.

This project has been time well spent.

2026 June and July. Tinkering and Wrap-a-mouse

No single make, but cleared a lot of small tasks. 

June was a tinkering month. I reluctantly accept I've gone up a size, and I'm exploring what that means in terms of fitting. My skirts and dresses are more forgiving than trousers, so that's mostly what I've worn. A change in my meds means I'm coping a little better with temperature variations than usual. It's been nice to get some wear out of my short sleeves this month.

July, more tinkering and some fitting. Mostly the Wrap-a-mouse project, another attempt at a cling film model of my current shape. Wrap, cut plausible darts, trace to paper, adjust, trace to fabric, adjust. Not doing it by the book, but have attempted three sections, Empire line to thigh; Empire line to underarm; and shoulder and upper arm. By the beginning of August, the shoulder to Empire line pieces had been merged, and the lower section tried and traced. Haven't done much with the sleeve cap beyond recording the cling film shape. The scye seems a good guess at fit. However I have thought that before, then found it not to be the case. We will see in August. 

I also had a quick go at adapting the bog coat to my narrow sloping shoulders and curvy upper back. I looked at the Balenciaga diagram, but ran out of time before heading off to a relative's momentous birthday celebration, miles from my home. I'd like to come back to that idea too. My idea was a light wrap from a thin scarf, a bit of sun protection at this time of year. 

Knitting:

The blue and purple merino legwarmers, with Lucas number stripes. Both legs were finished in July, despite only being worked on at knit and natter. Where I'm generally nattering. 

The experiment to adapt S6614 cardi pattern for knits is also progressing slowly. Back and sleeves went quickly. Somehow the fronts sat longer in my bag than in my hands. Finally sewed them up during a bands* in the park concert, but should have known there'd be a trapezium needed to level it at bust height. Well, the half-lining of the parent garment wasn't level, why did I expect the adaptation be different? I've put this down till I get some conclusions from the Wrap-a-mouse project. 

* International readers, brass band in the park is a very informal affair. Stop as long or as little as you like. Bring children, bring picnic. Knitting brings out a little friendly curiosity.

Repairs

Shortened and added sitting ease to refitted sand-coloured trousers - let out cb and side seams. I really do need to start with a UK 16 and take in, rather than let out a 14.

Popped seam under sleeve on H's jacket

Stretched neckline, white V-neck tee, taken in ¼"

Shortened blue and sand checked shirt 3.5", above small worn holes. Want to think about sleeve alterations - I'm currently wearing it with cuffs turned up.

Shortened bright floral shirt 3" to improve proportions. Could have been 3.5".

Coral flower maxi dress, for 90th party. Stitched up sleeves by 1.5" to cover bra band at underarm. After the party, I wore it as a hot weather night dress. Would like to take up an inch at shoulders, and maybe fill in the V-neck for sun protection.

Around the hottest days, rejigged ancient cotton jersey bra to add triangles to band where ribs flare. Stole a little from seam to add cup volume.

Three pj tops altered. These were originally trial garments for woven tops, and were comfy when I first made them. However with shape changes they are all cutting into my underarm, especially the left. I realised that the shoulder slope no longer matches my current angle. One had facings, and I stole seam allowance at Hsp, which worked. Another had a proper collar, it sits rather better now reduced at Sp, but is still tight in some sleeping positions. The third suffered from sheer laziness. I zigzagged where I'd cut the neck binding at HSP instead of searching for a compatible scrap. now the zigzag irritates the eczema on my neck.

Key ring teddy bear left by house guest. Hanging loop repaired.

DH's old zip pouch has a new strap. Which gives him a spare.

Finally finished faffing with the red event tee. It now has a hexagon patch with bees, and has been returned to DH.

Other crafty activities. Visited the May Morris exhibition at Port Sunlight. It's good to see credit for these iconic designs going to the creator not her father. She was known in her lifetime for her embroidery. The exhibition centrepiece was an absolutely stunning dress which she had made for a friend. 

And in August? 

Finish the Wrap-a-mouse lowest section. See how it informs yet another attempt at a fairly standard woven semi-fitted short sleeved top. Not sure how much time I can devote, given that I also need to complete the household summer tasks - paintwork, washing thick bedding and so on.