Fresh Photos & Pattern Hacks: Bilberry Update

Back in September, I launched the PDF pattern Bilberry Top. But as you know, launching a project often means juggling a hundred things at once… and one of the things that slipped through the cracks was taking proper photos of my samples.

✂️B-cup Version

B-cup version in a soft viscose/elastin fabric

Well, I finally set aside the time to do it. Moving my studio into a new space with a much nicer background certainly helped too — but more on that in a later post. Today I’m excited to share some of those new photos along with a few pattern hacks I’ve been experimenting with.

✂️D-cup Version – A Seam That Does a Lot for the Fit

For the D-cup pattern, there is a vertical seam at both front and back. At the front, this seam provides extra width and length right where it’s needed, creating a more comfortable and accurate fit for a fuller bust. It also gives you a great starting point if you want to do an FBA, since you can work directly at the apex.

The waist has also a bit more shape on this version, both front and back thanks to the vertical seams.

✂️ Pattern Hack: The Dress Length Variation

One idea I’ve had from the very beginning was making a longer version of the pattern. By simply extending the length, I turned it into a dress — simple, elegant, and surprisingly easy to do.

B-cup version turned into a dress

✂️ Pattern Hack: Adjusting the Pleat

Another tweak I did was removing the width from the front bottom pleat. I made this sample in a fabric with 95% cotton and 5% elastane, which doesn’t have much drape, so the pleat had a tendency to stand out a bit awkwardly at the front. I kept the pleat at the top and gradually “closed it” toward the hemline before sewing the hem. It’s a quick and easy hack you can do after trying on the garment (even after hemming if you want).

B-cup with removed pleat width at hemline

A huge thank you for all the enthusiasm and encouragement around the Bilberry launch — I’ve loved seeing your makes on Instagram! Don’t forget to tag me so I can cheer you on. And if you have the time, I would really appreciate it if you would write a review on Etsy — it’s so helpful for other sewists to read as well!

More updates — and likely more hacks — are definitely coming.

If you want to see more how I did these hacks, you can go to my previous blog posts and read more about it! You can find hacks here and how to do fit adjustments here.