I’ve had a model such as Muse on my mind for the past 2 years: a top or dress with straps, made only for summer!!

This new women pattern offers two versions: It’s either a chic summery dress,

Or a charming and refined top…

The yoke shapes the whole bust, but the garment is rather loose below, babydoll-like. It means that the yoke is not tight and the bust is not held by the bottom of the yoke, that’s how I designed Muse!

Regarding comfort, whether you have a small or large bust, be assured that you will be able to wear your Muse without any hindrance whatsoever, even if a small bust dart may shape the underbust.

Many variations have been designed for this model.
First, the yokes:
– The modest front yoke, which is a straight front,

Or it might be sexy with a sweetheart shape, rather discreet, but with enough glam to feel good and feminine.

There are two yokes for the back too.
– The modest back yoke is bra-friendly, hiding the bra closure,

– Whereas the sexy back yoke is deeper and is not for traditional bra wearing. But you can nonetheless wear a bra underneath provided it’s a bra for backless garments (Wonderbra, BacktoGlam).

As shown above, Muse also offers various lengths.
There’s the top version,

Or the dress version. But the dress can also be made WITHOUT the flounce (at the bottom of the dress),

Or a dress with the flounce

But, there are also variations happening at the top of the skirt, either for the top or the dress.
The top of the skirt can be gathered,

Or it can be pleated (knife pleats): 8 knife pleats at the front and 6 at the back. The second front pleat from the center front is aligned with the bust dart (at p&m, nothing is done haphazardly!).

But what is the most striking feature in this new model, is the many variations on the straps!!!!
* Plain straps, for those who like plain and simple sewing,

* Straps with ties.  The ties are the same width as the straps and are sewn on either side of the shoulder marking on the plain strap. You’ll just have to tie them into a nice bow on the shoulder,

* Straps with romantic bows. The bows (made of three pieces) are sewn exactly on top of the shoulder marking. Whatever the fabric used, they will fall nicely on either side of the shoulders. You can choose to sew the bow on a single shoulder, or on both: the choice is yours!
Here in a light and airy silk,

There in a stiffer eyelet.

* Gathered ruffle straps. The ruffles are sewn on the armhole side of the straps i.e.really close to the armholes had it been a classical top and not a corsage.

The straps at the back do look like the child pattern  Pimprenelle, don’t they?

* And last but not least, the half-moon double ruffle straps: these ruffles are not gathered. They were designed as a circle arc (half-moon shape) to get that airy feeling. Contrary tp the gathered ruffles, these half-moon ruffles are sewn on the neckline side of the straps (i.e. closer to the neck) and then, they are flipped over the straps. You can tack them with unnoticeable stitches along the strap or with only a few stitches or let them loose, as I did below.

I’m sure that these straps will remind you of the Blue Princess child version!!

So, at that stage, you will have understood that it’s easy to lose count on the number of versions of Muse you can sew!

This pattern’s bonuses are:
– The lining: depending on your choice of fabric, you may need to line the top or dress. No worry, everything is fully explained in the instructions!
– The How-To-Sew these cute little bows that you see on my blue gingham version below is included too. I’m sure you will love them! 🙂

What about sewing techniques?

Choosing the right size…
This pattern base is a bustier so that means it’s very fitted at the bust. You will need to measure your full bust (with a bra on) to determine the right size for your Muse. Whether your bust size matches one size or it’s between sizes, I will give you some advice on how to choose.

Height
Like the other p&m patterns, Muse has been designed for a height equal to 170 cm.  If you’re below 168 cm, you can follow my instructions on how to adapt the length of certain pattern pieces to get the best fit: having a too-long garment is not an option!

Invisible zipper
No need to sweat over installing an invisible zipper! This type of zipper is as easy to install as any other type of zipper and you don’t even need an invisible zipper foot. The instructions will give you detailed steps with illustrations for each and every action (I said ‘each and every action”, not ‘step’…talk to me about ‘detailed’!) and you will be amazed at your sewing such a perfect zipper!!!

Interfacing
Interfacing the top edge of the front yoke is of paramount importance otherwise it will sag in the long run or be distorted. You will just need to use fusible interfacing. On a lightweight and thin fabric, you’d better interface the whole of the yokes (main and lining) and if you plan to use a heavier fabric, you can only apply fusible interfacing on the top edge of the yokes.

Well, is there truly a difficult step in that pattern?
There is, and that’s why I set the difficulty to **.  Against all expectations, the trouble comes from the straps. What??? Let me explain that…
We all are different: tall or little, slim or curvy, saggy or perky breasts… In short, a designer could pull her hair out when it comes to design a bust that would fit a majority of women. Actually, I can confide in you that there’s no need to become bald on that point since there’s no universal bust!
That’s why each of you will have to modify your own creation to place the straps to fit your own body. It’s rather simple per se because it’s just trying the garment on, but it requires precision and time. Don’t worry, everything is thoroughly explained in the booklet and I will hold your hand throughout that process !!

That’s it! I think I’ve covered everything you need to know about sewing the best Muse for you! 😉
I hope that you take pleasure in sewing your Muse and you will be pleased with the outcome!

Have a nice summer!

Karine