As former very passionate sewer, this is my tip; it will take extra steps and time however in the long run will save you so much frustration... Try to get into the habit of basting (by hand or machine) your fabric pieces together first, then try the garment on, look to see what need adjusting etc. It is so much easier to re-work a pattern before you do the final sewing. Some people even go so far as to pin together the paper pattern prices and do their adjustments at that stage.

Thanks, Paula. I did try on the top several times before I did the final seams. It fits fine. I think my problem is that as a newbie seamstress, I kept thinking, well if the pattern calls for these stiff facings, there must be a reason. Once I had it all finished and wore it for a bit though, I decided I didn't care what the reason, the big facings were ugly and unnecessary. I don't really know much about making adjustments, so it's a little intimidating to change the pattern, but I didn't like it the way it was, so I have to try.

I bought good tracing fabric that I can baste together to use for the Butterick top. That's a much more complicated top and some have had fitting issues, so I do plan to baste that together and do adjustments before even getting to the actual fabric.

I'm sure I'll need lots of tips on adjusting once I get to that stage next week!

I am impressed by you. Im PRESSED. teehee! :)
You are making a sophie? I love that bag! The color is great! Purpley! The barney bag? No, that would ruin it! Eggplant bag? Yes,that's better!

Making the pattern suit you is the only way to go. I don't know what the pattern drafters are thinking sometimes. When was the last time you saw a garment with 5/8" seam allowances in a store, for example?

i HATE the facings that pattern makers put in tops. i never understood it. if i were making that top i might consider bias tape to make a very light and neat edge. the bias tape was a little tricky to maneuver at first, but once i got comfortable with it i used it alot.

My sewing projects always take longer than they should ...ugh!

I love the fabric you are making those PJ pants out of, it is just gorgeous!

Yeah, I'm diggin' that PJ fabric...love the purples & blues!

Oh, and hey - I started my Drape-a-long finally, ha ha!

Jody, it's such a relief to hear someone else say that they hate the facings! I really have no idea what I'm doing and was worried that I might be making some terrible mistake by cutting down the facings. I had thought about taking them out entirely, and just doing and edging like you said. But I've never used bias tape. Would I have to make bias strips from my fabric or could I buy the bias tape from the store? And how exactly do you sew that on?? Any quick tips for me??

If I may jump in here...

You can buy bias tape in little packages, in about a zillion colors, or you can make your own. Basically, just cut yourself a square of material (making sure it's properly on grain), take a yardstick and a pencil and mark lines across the true diagonal of the square, say 2" apart, then cut on those lines. Seam the strips together if necessary.

You apply it by pinning it to the armhole edge, right sides together, and sewing it on with a regular 5/8" seam. Trim the seam allowances to 1/4". Fold the binding over to the wrong side, adjusting the width to your liking, and press. Turn under the raw edge, and pin. Sew down on the wrong side with a hand blindstitch or catch stitch.

If all of this seems like too much, you could instead use a simple, narrow bias facing. Cut your strips 1.5" wide (or maybe less), sew them on, trim the seam allowances if desired, and turn the strip under like a regular facing. It's less obtrusive, doesn't need interfacing, and the raw edges may not need finishing, depending on the material.

Wow this got long...I hope it's of some use to you! Please email me if you have questions, I'm happy to help.