To Cut or Not to Cut

I have spent some of the weekend tracing a pattern out from one of my dress making books. I have spent some of the weekend carefully measuring myself and then carefully measuring the pattern to see if it will provide me with a good cut. So why haven't I bit the bullet and started to cut out the fabric pieces yet?

I think the main issue is that I want it to be a nice fit. I have this fear of it being too big in the front and the back too narrow. Even with the darts in front, it seems to be an excess amount of fabric in front. Then I toy with the idea of making it into a dress and then when the possibilities seem endless. It could be a simple tunic dress, it could have a cross over front, it could have pleats, it could be a shirt dress, it could be a smock dress, etc. You get the idea. Too many choices. 

Then common sense hits me square in the jaw. The pattern on the fabric is just too busy for a dress. Hence why I changed my mind about the dress idea in the first place. So a top it is. I need to be downstairs, rethinking and redesigning the top. So far, it appears it would be the right length. I need to add a bit more to back...fold the pattern itself so I can judge actually how wide the front will be and modify it accordingly. Finally, I need to just take a deep breath and cut out the fabric pieces themselves.

Why am I so nervous? Its not like I've never made anything for myself before.

Last year, I decided to make myself a tunic top. I overestimated my size and the top literally swam on me. I did try to modify it, but it didn't hang right. It lay in my dresser for months untouched and every time I looked at it, I felt disappointed. It was donated to charity in the end. Let's hope careful planning will alleviate those fears with this new top. Here goes nothing...