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From: colojd
Date: 05-14-2005, 09:47 PM (1 of 5)
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I am an advanced level sewer and am finishing another round of altering the test dress for my daughter's wedding dress. She chose a Vogue pattern which has princess seams. The problem is that she wants a very fitted bodice, as most princess seamed garments have, but this one has a different fit. It is fitted only at the bust area and once the pattern curves under the bust, it begins to flare out. She is very petite and is not a sewer so picked this pattern based on the photograph which looked a lot more fitted. I have spent time altering the pattern over the past couple of months and transferring the alteration to the dress, but I am at the last alteration round and have to start soon on the actual wedding gown. She tried on the dress again about a month and a half ago, wearing the strapless corset type bra that she had just purchased and now I have to take the dress in even more because this undergarment is very fitted. That in itself is not a problem but she pinned more of the dress in where she wants it taken in - under the bust between the underbust and right above the hip and some on the side seam. I have been measuring exactly how the alteration needs to be taken in, add seam allowances and divided the alteration by the seams. That has worked but wondering if this has been the best way to do it. I saw on on DIY website where they said to just take in the excess in the center front. I had never heard this and figured it would alter the neckline but wanted to pass it along to all of your who have done alterations to see if the way I am doing it is just the standard or if there is another way to do it. She will be coming in to see us for her brother's graduation on the 27th of this month and would like to have the test dress finished with this alteration. Thanks in advance for any advice. Joyce |
User: colojd
Member since: 05-03-2002 Total posts: 83 |
From: paroper
Date: 05-14-2005, 10:53 PM (2 of 5)
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Joyce, that is the way that I have altered again and again. Sometimes you need to hollow out under the bust but when you do, you almost instinctively know...it is like the distinction of the bust get lost in the dress and the dress will make her look pudgy. Rembember that your bridal dress fabric won't fit quite the same and quite often they don't breathe and give like the fitting fabrics in addition you'll have linings and possibly boning or interlinings, slips, etc, not to mention that it is possible that she could have weight or water gain before the wedding. I always fit the fitting garment very well, making all the correct alterations, adjusting for wiggle room, etc. Then I back off the adjustments just slightly. When the garment is made, I rarely have to make an additional adjustment, but just before I tack everything down (like linings), I give it a really good objective once-over. Sometimes I just baste the side seams and any sleeves or whatever until I get a final fitting and a "thumbs up".
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: colojd
Date: 05-15-2005, 12:45 PM (3 of 5)
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Thanks for your input, Pam. I purposely made the fitting garment out of satin and about the same weight as the real item - I knew that fitting muslins may not fit the same due to the big differences in the fabric. I am making the fitting garment exactly the way the final garment will be done. We are skipping the boning in the bodice per my daughter's request because she has an undergarment that has boning in it already. However if the final garment seems to need it, I am sure we will be able to add it since I am not making the bodice skintight. I am going to proceed with the same method and am sure it will be fine. I had my own custom sewing and alterations business and then owned/operated my own fabric store for six years. so I know I can do it but always open to hearing about new methods. I did see in Threads magazine about a year ago an article where the person said their fitting secret was "s seams" which hug the body better. May try to find that issue and read it. I am going to sew the dress and then she will take it to an alterations person locally (she lives in Minneapolis and I live in the Denver area) for the final fitting before the wedding (end of July). I am glad I started earlier this year just making the alterations. Could not believe how much fullness this dress had. It was very bell shaped instead of the classic princess style fitted bodice! Thanks again Joyce |
User: colojd
Member since: 05-03-2002 Total posts: 83 |
From: paroper
Date: 05-15-2005, 01:12 PM (4 of 5)
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I guess you are telling me that I had better go ahead and start the November wedding dress now? I was thinking I'd give myself about 2 months.
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: colojd
Date: 05-15-2005, 02:39 PM (5 of 5)
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No, I am just speaking based on my own timeframe! Here is why I had to start so early - About early January, I took time to open the pattern and take a good look at the fit. It is a Belleville Sasson designer pattern. I have sewn their patterns before and know that they go into a lot of detail. I was surprised, as was my daughter, to find that the pattern looked like a fitted princess style on the envelope but it was very full. Since she is only 5' 2" and petite, I knew that this would be "too much dress" for her if we left it as it. She really wanted that particular pattern, so I was off on my mission of altering it. She had tried on ready to wear gowns that were princess style and liked how they fit the best. When I did the first round of fittings, without taking in a whole lot, we were blown away by how full it was. To make it a bit more complicated, it has a sheer overlay dress as well, so I really have to make sure that I got the fit of the main dress to get the overlay to look as good and fit in an identical way. Plus, I had to change the train - the dress's train was more of a tapered extended part of the bottom back and she wants a separate train that could be removed for the reception because this "tail" in the back could not be bustled. It has a petticoat underneath that originally had two separate ruffle layers the upper one which kind of shaped the train "tail" so now that upper ruffle is out and I have to make a detachable train, but I have a pretty good idea how to do this. Basically, the dress is not that complicated - more time consuming than anything but chaging the whole fit was what really has taken the time! Now that I am down to finalizing the alterations, then making the dress itself hopefully will be a lot easier!! Joyce |
User: colojd
Member since: 05-03-2002 Total posts: 83 |
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