Description

Join Me for an Immersive 3-Day
Efficient Work Flow for Bodice Fitting
Hampton Inn
1432 Pleasant Valley Road,
Manchester, CT, 06042

March 20-22, 2026

 

Three Days of Bodice & Sleeve Fitting Fun

This hands‑on workshop breaks bodice fitting into a clear, logical sequence so you can work with your pattern—not against it. Over three days, we’ll move through my Blue Zone → Pink Zone → Sleeve method, giving you a streamlined, confidence‑building approach to fitting tops.

Part 1: The Blue Zone — Shoulders, Neck & Upper Back

We begin at the top, where tops truly hang from the body. Just like in my pants fitting process, we’ll start by customizing your pattern with body‑specific adjustments and adding strategic allowances at the shoulders. This sets the stage for accurate fitting all the way down the garment.

You’ll learn how to evaluate the shoulders, neck, and upper back using a clear order of adjustments, plus illustrations that show exactly what to look for—such as signs you may need a forward shoulder ball adjustment. Once the upper portion of your pattern agrees with your unique shape, you’ll cut a fit muslin and fine‑tune the Blue Zone directly on the body to reveal what needs attention next.

Part 2: The Pink Zone — Armhole Depth, Bust Dart, Waistline & Hem

Part 2 begins with practical tips for refining your Blue Zone adjustments, prepping your pattern pieces for a half muslin, and using a “fitting tank” to make solo fitting easier and more accurate.

With the Blue Zone dialed in, we move into the Pink Zone. We’ll work from the top down—starting with armhole depth, then evaluating the position and ease of the bust dart, followed by the waistline and hem. I’ll walk you through adjusting and truing your waist darts after making changes within the pattern so everything lines up cleanly.

We’ll wrap up Part 2 by adding ease and any additional body‑specific adjustments you may need. By the end, your bodice will be ready for the next big step: sleeves.

Part 3: Efficient Work Flow for Sleeve Fitting

Now it’s sleeve time! Before diving in, we’ll double‑check that your bodice is fitting beautifully—because a well‑balanced Blue and Pink Zone sets you up for sleeve success.

You’ll learn how to “walk” the sleeve along the armhole to evaluate sleeve cap ease, then adjust the sleeve cap height so it matches both your body and your newly adjusted armhole. From there, we’ll fine‑tune the cap ease and explore how to shift ease toward the back if you have a forward ball of shoulder.

This final step brings the whole workflow together, giving you a complete, efficient, and repeatable method for fitting bodices with confidence.

This Workshop Includes the Patterns, Fit Workbook and Fabric to Make Your Fit Muslin

Patterns, Efficient Work Flow for Bodice Fitting Workbook and fabric to make your first muslin are included with registration.  During this class we will be working with the Perfectly Fitted Shirt Pattern, available in Misses’ and Women’s Sizes and muslin fabric.  You will leave class with the tools and confidence to fit and sew all your tops.    If you would like to cut out and test fit your first shirt on Sunday, please check for yardage  for your size,  size/yardage charts  can be found in the photo gallery.

 

This workshop is limited to 10 students so we have time to dive in deep!

Here are all the Details.