Somehow most of it is blue; resizing the 2 into a 13

 I do love this color of blue

Which is good, because there's even more of it

Although the latest alteration was on the black part of the dress, not the blue

The problem is: the bodice for a size 2 is the same chest measurement as a 13, but the proportions are very different, and on a young girl, that neck line of the size 2 is too low.

This is a good place to discuss fit models; grading patterns isn't just a case of sizing up, but recognizing proportional changes in ages and sizes. Children are not small adults; their torsos are differently proportioned. Old ladies are not young ladies, their torsos have shifted again. I could math it for you, but this is a post about me trying to do too many things in too short of a time frame. Like writing this post. So let's put a pin in that for now.

Because the size 13s are lost in transit, there are a couple of available size 2s, and the concert is coming up.

Can I raise the neckline? No.

I can lower the shoulder seams.

And. well,,... yes. Stretch velvet is a little forgiving that way.

I'm saying this now: these are the best alteration tags EVER. 

KaBLAMMY!

In brief:

The minute I put the red line on the sketch, I knew this would work. The proportions look alright.

Picked off sleeves, made template of armsceye, remarked and recut lower

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca1HMQqAPOl/ for hot video action

I swear by the lint ball. Thread sticks to my fingers and I need to get it off so I can pull the next one. I drag the thread across the ball and it catches it and I move on.

Though the tablecloth also does a similar job. Or my sleeve. 

Spent a lot of time reworking the shoulder sleeve and the neckline facing.

One was a bigger panic than the other and I just hope that it doesn't turn out to be totally askew and awful looking on the chorister. Some alterations look awful at a distance.

(cringe face)

And then I put the sleeves back in.

The puckering is all coming from the part of the neckline I didn't touch.

Hanging up, they all look fine (well, it's stretch velvet for the bodice, ponte for the skirts, which both hide/reveal a lot of slapdashery on my part as well as the original manufacturer.

I should mention these dresses are pretty well made in general. Now and then there's a seam that could have used a little more attention, but the sizes are generally consistent.  And these dresses need new size tags, which I neglected to add.

And a related sewing link, to a tribute to a shirt and the Liberty Fabric that it is made from (and how long lived that print has been)

https://spitalfieldslife.com/2022/03/13/my-spring-shirt-o/

On a personal note, I am now done with Accounting 120, I will have a 92% grade, and I am just brainially beat. Lucky for me, work is going to be INsane.

Perfect timing.