same pattern, recreated!
(SEE THE POWER OF PLAY)
not magic... Duplicate the curves on your dress form; matching the points where your fabric will fall over the curves of the body. When the pressure points of your pattern (where the fabric meets curve) have ease to flow freely over the curves...EVERY DESIGN CHANGE WORKS. It all strats with that first perfect pattern. This is the pattern that takes us from season to season.
not draping... Our sundress is the same pattern that we used and perfected in The Power of Play. (Pictures above.) The original anchor was the shoulder. The fabric was carefully darted or seamed to fall absolutely straight over the curves of your body on the dress form; cut spoton diagonal to the grain lines.
just changing.
add a dart...and a front seam... Now that you have the perfect bias slant falling from the shoulders, and the fabric falling gracefully over the curves of your body on the dress form, fold the pattern front in half and add a 1/2 inch front seam. (As above.) •
Always cut single layers in diagonal and opposite directions to the selvage, or strong grain line called warp.
lengthen the hem on blouse... •
STRAIGHTEN THE GRAIN LINE BY ADDING THE DARTS...
•
CUT THE TOP OF THE BLOUSE, CREATING A NEW ANCHOR
•
LENGTHEN THE HEM.
•
NEW PATTERN!
change the anchor...cut off the top..
ADJUST THE GRAIN LINES. HERE’S WHY. The straight grain of the fabric is strong, and will cause slight wrinkles or twisting, without the slightest ease at the pressure point. You will see this on your dress form. Pin the sides together and see if one side might need a 1/4 inch ease to eliminate the pull which causes the slight wrinkles.
(THAT’S WHY THE DART POSITION WAS RAISED (BROWN DRESS). JUST FOLLOW THE GRAIN LINES...
take a few tucks... We made this dress easy for you! Even if you are a very beginner! The tucks at the bottom of the dress will flatter many curves!
and add the ruffle...
just play...
The bias strip is placed flat at the inside circle, with a strip of elastic in encased between the strip and the ruffle.
The circle allows the fabric to flow over the curves. The strip of elastic in between the bias strip and the edge of the bodice will allow you to adjust the gathers on the ruffle.
The front and back are then scrunched with tucks to give the dress fullness at the hem. Each circle is finished with a bias one inch bias strip...folded in half and then edge stitched to the raw edge of the circle.
SAME BASIC PATTERN; FRONT SEAM, BACK SEAM AND SIDE SEAMS DON’T WORRY...THE PATTERN WONT LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THE DRESS YOU ARE ABOUT TO CREATE! What makes this dress work... is how the fabic falls over the curves of the body. OKAY...I confess...my model has no curves. That’s okay. This dress works for busts as well. It is a basic “50’s house dress” pattern, turned on! If your model has a very straight chest, the ruffle falls and flows with her curves. If your model, however has a bust line...The ruffle also falls gracefully over the curves. It’s cut on the bias. It’s all in how you play!
A PINCH ON ONE SIDE CHANGES THE GRAINLINE... JUST PINCH THE OTHER SIDE UNTIL THE GRAINLINE IS STRAIGHT. 1. Shape the dress form to match the body you are wokring on. 2. Use the Upper Chest of the dress form as the anchor. Pin the fabric to the dress form; center front, center back and side seams. 3. Pin and check the front seams, back seams and side seams. 4. Create the dart at the bust. 5. Match the side seams front and back, folllowing the line of your body. 6. Front seams are straight. The straight seams are where the adjusting and playing starts. You can slightly gather the front center seam or leave it straight. Simple shape, many dresses!
DETAIL MEETS FIT!
ANCHORS...it’s all about anchors. Even if you are a beginner in creating clothes for your own real life fantasy...The rules are all the same, and YOUR results can be as exciting as the most seasoned, professional designer. Anchor your piece from where the fabric will fall. If it is a jacket, blouse or dress...start with the shoulders. If it is a skirt or pants, the anchor is your waist band point. Measure the waist at your most comfortable waist line point, at the vertical and horizontal position. You may never use your smallest waist point as your most comfortable waist position...ever. Just know where it is, as a starting point to where your best waist position might be. Maybe your pants are most comfortable two inches below the actual indentation of your waist. Start where you want the finished waist band to be; that is your anchor.
BIAS CUT FABRIC AND CURVES Each piece starts from its anchor and follows the Fitting Sequence. Always back to the basics, where we started. Anchors. Once you have the balance in just one dress or blouse or suit, you can have hundreds of favorites, without ever trying them on with stressful fittings; and every piece will mean your comfortable easy fit. Seamlines can be re-drawn for ease at any area, without ever changing the fit at the side seams, shoulder slant or critical fitting points of the piece; carefully fitted to your shape on the dress form. I am always excited to see how many ways I can change the design that I love... And So... When I create a pattern that works, I chop and change whatever I can without ever changing the shape of the basic piece.
thank you, kate moore! model photographs KATE MOORE PHOTOGRAPHY
next...more on the bias! As always, Thank you for joining us with questions and challenges! We are here here...send us yours! info@fabulousfit.com Jill