Comfortable, Powerful Clothes!
Jill Ralston for Fabulous FitÂŽ
Index The Power of Statement
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The Power of Layers
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The Power of Leather
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Not everyone will be creating a backless dress for Project Runway, but fitting the anchor points for movement will always be the same in everything you create. Nothing makes a statement like a comfortable, backless dress. The anchor points of a backless dress, or any dress, begin with the shoulders. The shoulders and upper chest must match the slope of the body. The armhole seams will match the contour of the shoulder, and follow the crease at the armhole, even for a much longer opening at the sides, as in Valerie’s jumpsuit. When you shape the movement points on the upper body, the dress will not slip back, nor forward. The base of the bodice, under the arm might be cut high to allow for movement and stability, or shaped carefully over the bust at the sides. The bust can be shaped with a princess line, eased, or darted.
Love this lesson in inspiration from Valerie... theyellowcakeshop.com
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planning...
GregoryWilsonPhotography
The planning stages begin at the top of the bodice, and sleeves, without the skirt. A paper pattern can be pinned to the dress form to check the shoulder line and bust points, and across the back and torso, before you even cut the dress in muslin.
how to make your dress fall like that... The Fitting Sequence is key in everything you create. It will change any pattern from “loving hands made at home�, to handmade...GUARANTEED.
challenges... FITTING OVERVIEW The skirt is working, but the top will need to be realigned. Remove the sleeves and skirt from the bodice.
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Shoulder, Princess and Armhole Seams Anchor the shoulder seam to match the slope. Match the princess seam to the curve of the bust points. Match the bodice to the sleeve seam at the crease of the arm. If this were a drop shoulder (not meant to be) then the sleeves could be readjusted to match the dropped sleeve cap seam. The intention of this design is to anchor at the shoulders.
why is this not working...
CHALLENGES OVERVIEW
Fitting this dress need not be complicated, but a few basic principals must be followed. The biggest issue is that the pattern was intended for a dress that falls from the shoulders, yet the shoulders on this dress are dropped. Therefore the bodice is slightly too big in size. If the dress is too large for the body intended, the adjustments are made at the front and back vertical center by pinching or releasing the fabric. Here’ how...
CHALLENGE: Picture 1 FIX OVERVIEW Before you address the sleeves, the bust or torso, look at the bodice’ upper chest and arm crease. With one slight vertical pinch, you can see that the bust points would match hers, and the sleeve
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seams would sit into the arm crease. If the pattern had not been altered at the torso, the pinch would continue to the bottom of the hem. Since the skirt pattern has been altered, the fit from the waist looks like a successful “cheat�...which always makes me laugh and smile. Stay with it. 1. Release the pins on the top at the princess seam. 2. Pinch the bodice (vertical front line) from the waist to neckline until the arm seam matches the crease of the body. (That being said; If you decide to manufacture this dress for thousands of brides...come back...we’ll need to talk about why some changes are only good on a one time basis).
CHALLENGE: Picture #3. There is not enough room to move comfortably because the fabric does not follow the body at the side seams, and the sleeve is not eased for movement. Pinch a vertical seam in the front and back to remove the gaping and align the shoulders for balance.
FIX Remove the sleeves. Shape the bodice to match the body, following the crease of the arm. Ease the fabric at the bustline on the side seam 3/8 inch over a 4 inch spread so that pressing makes the wave invisible. If the pattern front does not allow for ease at the side seam bust...slice it, and create it... wherever there is a curve. There is no rule about ease. Sometimes 1/4 inch ease over a 3 inch spread is fine. Test the fabric, and you will see.
CHALLENGE: Picture # 4 The bodice is the stability and balance in this dress.
FIX
Shape the bodice to match the body at the arm crease, shoulder seam and princess bust line.
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STOP AND CONSIDER THE GRAINLINE Think of the bodice as a front and a back; with sleeves. • The front anchor points will be your shoulder and upper chest. Match the seams to the shoulder; slightly toward the front. Fit the top of the bodice at high chest and across back. The bodice is the stability of the dress. • The seams at the armhole must match the crease of the arm for movement and balance in this design. The higher armhole will give stability to the backless design, and keep the bodice in place. The fabric must fall straight on the grainline. The grainline creates balance. Be it the straight grain, the cross grain, or the bias; fabric must fall on a grainline for absolute comfort without pulling or dragging. • Princess seams allow for the shape of the bust. Place the seam just across the bust points, and down the front as planned, shaping the bust with the curve. For very large bust lines: Slightly ease (3/8”) the front side bodice at the bust point. Begin the ease 1 to 2 inches from the armhole and spread the ease over a 3 inch area, at the widest bust point. • Match the bust points to the princess seam on the front bodice. Following the shape of the bust curves will add movement to the front, without pulling the back.
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how-to steps... DRESS FORM Match her body on the dress form by rotating the shoulder pads forward. Place the bust pads at the vertical position of her bust line. Measure and shape the form to match her body, wearing the ultimate underclothes. If she is not wearing a bra to the wedding, take off the bra for the fitting.
SHOULDERS Even though the shoulder seam will be narrow from neck to shoulder point, added ease of 1/4 inch to the back of the shoulder will also give the added movement to the shoulder slope. (4.) The ease is slight, so you can stretch the front shoulder to match the back shoulder and sew it. Press out the “wave”. (I know...I know...But have you ever questioned why a recipe called for a “pinch” of salt? Same thing...)
BODICE When the bodice is wider than the body, and not intended for drop shoulder, do this. Pinch in the vertical center front and back until the grainline is straight. (5.) By pinching the front and back bodice, you will see the wrinkles on the shoulder disappear. • Match the shoulder and sleeve seams to the shoulders and armhole of the body duplicate on the dress form. Using a high armhole gives stability on a backless dress. • Adjust the bodice to match the fitting points, (shoulder, armhole, upper chest, bust). • Re-check the changes. • Re-cut the neckline. Sounds complicated but here’s how easy it is...
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Here is the key. The top of the bodice is the anchor; just above the bust line and highest chest, (across the front chest at the middle of the armhole). Shape the fabric under the arm, side seam, and back chest; matching the body. This will keep the sleeves from pulling when she hugs. • Fit the top of the bodice so that the armhole seam meets the crease of the underarm. Using your basic pattern, (with princess seams), cut the front, a full back, and sleeves. Anchor the shoulders carefully so that the bodice does not slip forward, nor back. • Match and mark the area on the dress form and then to the body across the front high chest and high to mid-back. Test the movement and mark the fabric at the arm crease with a pencil. • Cut the armhole high unless you might be working with heavy satin. When the bodice is matched to the movement at the shoulder, and armhole, and sleeves have ease for movement at the elbow, the dress will be comfortable all night long. This fitting is easy...keep it simple.
BUST LINE AND TORSO Shape the bust so that it molds to the front of the dress without pulling the back or underarm. Ease the fabric at the bust along the princess line. Be sure to only add enough ease to press out. Never to be seen after pressing. The vertical curve of the princess seam should match the bust point.
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SLEEVES
ELBOW MOVEMENT Slightly ease the back sleeve at the seam to allow for elbow movement. As the arm bends at the elbow, it causes the fabric to pull. The back of the arm looks pulled, and it’s tight. With a slight shoulder pad, (as in a jacket) the pull on the arm pushes the pad into a bump on the shoulder. The pull feels and looks like it’s caused by the back, or the back of the arm. CHECK EASE PLACEMENT ON THE ELBOW. • The bodice fits the body, and the armhole follows the shape of the arm. • Sleeve cap follows arm movement with ease on top at the shoulder. • Movement in the sleeve is at the elbow position with ease placement. Each of these areas covers a lot of territory, but basically that’s it. Whatever the issue, follow the fitting sequence; starting with the adjustments at the shoulders, center back, center front, and armhole seams.
ELBOW POSITION The elbow position is key in sleeve movement. Measure the elbow from the top of the shoulder to the middle of the elbow when bent. Place 3/8 inch ease above and below the elbow point. If the ease is not built into the pattern, then slice the muslin
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and spread the paper to add more fabric to the back of the arm at the elbow. The elbow must have ease to move.
ADJUSTMENTS All adjustments on this beautiful dress will be made with ease, and by carefully measuring the FITTING POINTS on the body for movement. Shoulders Across Chest Full Bust Back Width at Bottom of Armhole Full Bust at underarm Elbow length for ease placement on sleeve It is such a good start. Cannot wait to see the dress!
NEXT TIME... Fitting challenges are much more than just appearance. Breast Cancer, Scoliosis, Lymphodema. Scary challenges can be better...there’s inspiration in creating comfortable, beautiful, lifestyle clothes.
AS ALWAYS, Wishing you Fabulous Clothes! Jill Email your questions! info@fabulousfit.com
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Fitting for Scoliosis & Special Needs QUESTION: My 29 year old daughter has scoliosis (her spine is curved). Because of this, she looks as though she has a hump over her left shoulder blade. She is young, has a great job, and looking good in clothes is very important to her. However, as you can imagine, with a pull to the left side upwards on her back, it is very difficult if almost impossible to find clothes that fit well. The clothes pull, twist, and look terrible. We like to sew her clothes, but we have a difficult time adjusting the pattern to fit her. Is there a better way to help people like my daughter sew clothes to fit?
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HAVING CLOTHES THAT FEEL GOOD & MOVE WITH THE CURVES...A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE IN YOUR DAY! LAYERS AND SIMPLICITY ARE THE KEY! Two our of every one hundred people have scoliosis. Sometimes it goes unnoticed. If any of you have ever wondered why one pant leg is shorter, one shoulder is slightly higher, or you new belt slants down on one side, your spine might be curved. When the fabric hits the curve, (especially since the curve is not in the position that planned by the patternmaker), the grainline is thrown off. The twisting and pulling with any body curve or shape is about straighteneing the grain lines. Once the grain line is straight, the basic blouse becomes the “basic blouse block�, without ever guessing about ease again. You basic blouse or jacket block can then be changed over and over in design. Testimonial. Thank you, Gayle! Scoliosis Testimonial
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How-To I have been reading everything I can for years about how to fit clothes for scoliosis. I have a severe “S” curve, .and the most important lesson that I’ve learned is not to draw attention to the waistline. Finally, I invested in a Fabulous Fit Dress Form and ebook, and came up with an idea. I can see right on the dress form where my curve is, so I can make a dress to just skim over the curve and make it unnoticeable. The pads that come with the dress form make it easier to create one higher side and curve. After using the form for a while, I’ve come up with some advice that will make pants fit better…this alteration is what I do to all my pants now to make the “hang” better, sinceone of my hips is protruding and higher than the other hip. This alteration creates room for my “larger” hip so that the pants hang straighter and are the same length around my feet. This is the alteration I make: When I cut out the pants, to make room for the “larger hip”, I cut the waist line higher, and I cut the side seam larger. Along the waistline, I gradually taper the cutting up; starting at the center front or center back to help me plan this larger hip area until it is about ¾ inches, or a full inch higher at the side. And to enlarge the side seam, I draw a line on the pattern before I cut out the fabric to help me plan this larger hip area. I start at the top (waist area) near the normal side seam for my size, and then gradually enlarge the curve in the hip area until it is at least one full size larger (about ½ inch wider). Keep your lines smooth at the curves and gradually bring the line in to blend with the pattern’s side seam for your size. The curve is somewhere around 10 inches below the waist area.
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When I cut the pants (or skirt), I cut both right and the left pieces with his same alteration. Then when I have the pants on the dress form, I can pin one side straight and perfect the curve on my “larger hip”. Then I compare the pieces to the pattern and cut off the flat side, and add to the curved side. The most important thing I learned from the Fit Made Easy Book is that as long as you keep the grainlines straight, your clothes will “fall” over the curves of your body, not showing [parts that don’t need to be seen. Just make sure that the vertical grain line is straighten the cross grain, and you will see the difference. It really works. Gayle Syracuse, NY
COMFORT! STYLE! SIMPLICITY!
Keeping every style simple is the key. You can see how the pattern slants with the curve of the body, yet extra fabric is
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needed for the high shoulder on the left. Building on the body’s curve will give you the comfort without fabric twisting or pulling. Check the lines of the body movement under the straight grainlines of the altered blouse. Be sure that none of these areas are pulling. When the grainline is straight and there is no stress at the actual movement point, there will be nor twisting nor pulling. my experience with curves... At 18, I very quickly developed a benign tumor on my back just the below my left shoulder. What seemed like almost overnight, it became the size of half a golf ball, and therefore, changing my life. My small frame made this tumor super obvious, as it sat on my back shoulder bone. Since it was benign, my parents thought this was not an issue (neither did the insurance company), and lovingly told me that I had “Angel wings”! People! Are you kidding me? What does one do with this at 18? Well… I dealt with it like a dog with a bone. I learned to ease and fuss with my clothes around this curve until no photograph could find it. Strange… because as I was trying to disguise it, I realized that my clothes felt fabulous. I was so comfortable that I stopped thinking about my shoulder when I wore my clothes. (I even stopped checking it with the hand mirror 20 to 30 times a day!). I stopped seeing people with extended necks trying to see the thing on my back.
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People stopped seeing it. It was a revelation. After that, I realized the same adjustment could fit busts, and upper hips and under arm pulls (please, some newscasters, stop!), and every curve from shoulder to thigh (unbelievable pants), just by using the ease! At 26, I had the tumor removed (cosmetically, and financed by me) and it grew back again, but smaller. It was a bother, but not because of the clothes‌the patterns were set, and I loved my style. Years later, the upper back issue became really non-epic because: a.) I couldn’t see this thing on my back and b.) it was superseded by the fitting issues of breast cancer. First things first. My advice, PATIENCE. Work on the area that seems to be collapsing. Even if your spine is not straight, comfortable clothes and style will supersede the issue...and your style will take it from there.
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LEATHER AND DETAIL TO PERFECTION BY LYNDA’S COUTURE AND CHUWEE LEATHER
Leather...follows the body curves... LYNDA BUNN chuweeleathers.com and lyndascouture.com, “Fine leather is the ultimate fashion statement...but the statement it makes about the individual is far more interesting. The sensual feel and suppleness of leather heightens the senses and making one feel self aware. Leather is no longer confined to the aura of tough, rough riding rebellion. In today’s diverse uses of these rich, luxurious skins, you are as likely to see leather in the boardroom as the ballroom.” -- Lynda Bunn, An inspiration to us all... Lynda’s Couture and Chuwee Leathers is located in North Carolina, where she is busy with clients, understandably, from all over the world. Lynda’s mantra is the dress form. She matches the areas of the dress form to the movement of the body in the leather. Notice how even with a dolman sleeve, in
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the dress below, the crease of the armhole is addressed for movement. The elbow position in every jacket matches the movement of the body. Every step, of every piece, is carefully planned; starting at the shoulders and marking the movement of the body across the upper chest, the armhole, and the bust of the bodice. The dress form is padded with ease built into the form, so that the leather is easily smoothed along the lines of the body. You can see how the dress moves easily when Lynda is being Lynda. Fabulous!
Lambskin Leather Dress by Lynda Bunn Overpadding the dress form to match the finished piece will be the key. The dress form is shaped to every pressure point, so that the leather, which has a mind of its own, can be shaped; and that shape, will give you room to move. Whether you are fitting for a perfectly shaped and even shoulder line, or creating balance in your clothes for an unbalanced body, the key to the fit is following the Fitting Sequence. Start with the balance of the anchor point, and work down. The dress is soft lambskin...and as you can see, Lynda cut this only once! Her work mantra...perfection in creativity to match the body movement. I love that. Lynda uses only the highest quality, and softest leather. What I love about the way she works the lambskin, is that the folds and ease points are natural. The movement in the leather flows with the movement of the body.
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SUCCESS IS NOT A MYSTERY! If you’ve ever worked with lambskin, you know there is no ripping. Ripping leaves holes. Once you really start fitting clothes, there will be no ripping on whatever you create. Can you imagine? Clothes look dfferent when they haven’t been torn apart in terror in the middle of the night, or “ripped carefully”, eleven times. Things happen. Planning will make all the difference in how your clothes will look and feel. What I see in Lynda’s one piece dress, made to look like two pieces, is high armholes so that her arms can move freely without being restricted by lambskin that does not stretch, nor move. Well, yes....lambskin does stretch a bit, but when it stretches, it also bags, so be careful and plan for it not stretching. Any stretching, or cheating with lambskin, and you will find that the “fabric” will take on a mind of its own, by bagging, or pulling to thinness. No cheating. No trying, without a dress form shaped to you.
Building the Bodice... The curves, of the body on the dress form, were perfected with the lining so that any fixes would be easily visible before the final pelts were cut. Measure ten times...cut once. Each curve was carefully addressed with the curved seams. Notice how the Princess seams follow the shape of the bust, and the bust points. You can create wider or narrower bust points by placing the bust pads closer together, or farther apart on the dress form as you build out the bust. Lynda created a one piece dress to look like two pieces so that the lambskin would be easy to wear and move in. The shape of the neckline is carefully shaped with the facings that are attached only to the
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lining. Next she addresses the Dolman sleeve. You can see how the bodice is shaped with seams at every area of movement. After perfecting the bodice lining, Lynda attached the skirt lining to check for any final adjustments that might need to be made before the pelts are carefully cut. The sleeve is important in movement, of course, but most of the problems that you have had with sleeves, will disappear when the bodice is shaped. This is where balance starts. The attachment seam at the waist has been dropped slightly to decrease bulk and minimize the “tummy� area. For Lynda, the adjustments and design decisions stop here. She makes every adjustment in sleeve length, body proportion, and overall length of the dress before cutting the pelts. The leather pelts are cut using the lining pieces with ease for the pattern, as the alterations are particular and nothing can be missed on the pelts. The cut pelt pieces are then draped over the lining, and pinned at the shoulder for the test. You can easily see Lynda’s fitting steps...starting at the shoulder slant and working downward. The pelts are cut, one by one, starting at the top of the dress for the position that Lynda is working on. When the collar, sleeves and lining are shaped, the pelts for the lower bodice are cut. Even at this point, the pelts are carfully pinned to the lining for seam allowance and absolute shape.
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At this point, Lynda pins and places to get the proportion, once again. The zipper goes through the hemline of the back bodice picking up the skirt in the zipper application. Lynda...you are good! The sleeve hems are perfected last, stitched by hand, with detail. The killer bow is last.
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From Lynda... “Fashion is sensual and sexual. Women should be afforded the luxury of clothes that ‘complete’ them. Their personal fashion should be an extension of their personality. Some like to be told what looks good on them; others want to create what looks good on them. That is applicable from your favorite pajamas to your favorite cocktail dress. Women who are comfortable (psychologically and physically) in their clothes are more confident and outgoing. We are here to make this happen for you. Whether your issues are hard to fit, hard to please, or just the desire to be unique and individual, our job is to make this happen.” Lynda’s mission stands true to giving every customer only what she would love for herself...pretty high bar, seeing that your every detail is perfect, Lynda!
THANK YOU, LYNDA! Your work is genius! chuweeleathers.com lyndascouture.com
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“We hope you enjoy! Our business is built on happy people - Thank you for your reviews! Wishing you fabulous clothes!” The Fabulous Fit Team