Simplicity 1463 My own private What Not to Wear Episode

This is my muslin. It is always good to have extra fabric if for nothing more than trying out a new pattern. You can see from my notes why I am not modeling this one. I chose Simplicity 1463 because it was listed as one of the top 10 patterns of 2014 by Pattern Review. It appealed to me because it looked cool and comfortable. I am a sucker for raglan sleeves and V-necks are good for me. I also wanted something with at least one part on which I could practice my Alabama Chanin techniques.  I was skeptical about the "V" shaped hem in front and back, but that was easy to cut off. I did try it on with the original hem and it made my thighs appear 3 times larger than actual. In the back, the upward curve of the yoke makes it look like I must be hauling something heavy in front - wearing a baby, maybe. Then I turn around and the front is pretty billowy too, so you think, yes, she is hauling a baby but it's on the inside. Just what every woman wants. I thought I could salvage the pattern with a few design changes. Listed in order of difficulty.
#1 Raise and straighten the hem
#2 Add a zipper in front to open up the front and wear as a layer over a tank top, automatically slimming.
#3 Change the back yoke to point down in center back.
#4 Draft a new lower back to allow some fullness but without the gathers.
#5 Draft elbow length normal sleeves instead of the butterflies.
In the end, the only pattern piece I actually used was the front, and that was changed because I added the center front zipper.
In my next post, I will show you the final version, talk more about the class with Natalie Chanin, and officially review Simplicity 1463.