Butterick 5988
Because I sew, when I look at clothes I mentally correct the sewing and fitting "errors":. For example: the top above.
If I had sewn this I would not have sewn the darts in the lace and then lined the top. It isn't as pretty that way. I would have underlined the lace and sewn the dart then, so the lace dart doesn't show as seen above.
I feel the same way about this dress.
I would have underlined this so the facings don't show. Or made the facings in a neutral color, or lined the top because they are visually distracting. Of course that's why we sew, so we can make things to our own preferences.
I'm not overly modest, but this neckline is too low for me. Looking at the line drawing,
I see that it would be an easy alteration to raise it by just changing the depth of the opening. I'd sew a quick sample bodice and facing, mark my changes and test it out in another muslin of just the front to see how much I needed to change.
In my case I have a set of standard changes that I always make that are just my personal preferences: raising necklines, shortening sleeves, and adding pockets if there are none.
Do you have a set of standard changes? (Is it only me, or is everything too low cut?)
3 comments:
No, it's not just you. Everything is too low cut. Everything. That is like my #1 must do alteration. Raising the armscye is another common one for me, or lengthening a skirt.
And, yeah, why didn't they underline before doing the darts? It just makes sense that way.
That dress is way too low-cut. I purchased the pattern, but intend to sew the neck slit up several more inches.
My standard suite of changes:
1. take in the back neck and upper back 1/2" at CB by trimming at CB or adding neck darts
2. SBA
3. widen hip
4. sway back, deepen back waist darts
5. add girth in thigh and bicep
6. shorten hems (sleeves and pants) slightly.
7. check armhole depth and deepen, if needed. (This is related to large biceps and pectoral muscles.)
8. check front chest width and widen if necessary (related to SBA and narrow back).
9. decrease front waist darts
10. narrow and raise neckline if needed.
This just shows how your pattern changes are related. For instance, I have a mild case of hip dysplasia. This means a flat and wide pelvis (an ellipse has a larger circumference than a circle of equal area) and I have to add to the side hip seams.
The tilt of the pelvis with hip dysplasia throws the tummy forward and the back curves in. So, if I want a straight side seam, I need to add to the front and reduce the back.
To maintain balance and my center of gravity, I throw my shoulders back. This is why my back width is a size 10 and my front chest width is a 14 (in the big 4).
It's all related.
I took another look at the lace dress and have a more charitable interpretation.
Perhaps the sample maker was instructed to sew the dress exactly as per instructions? And was told to use the lace?
It's up to the individual dressmaker to make his/her own (design/fit) engineering decisions for the particular fabric and wearer.
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