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From: Dee Dee Warren
Date: 08-02-2006, 11:32 PM (1 of 12)
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Okay I am going to be sewing a basic princess-waistline dress, sewing size 16. The problem is that my top is a size 12/14. How do I alter the top portion of the pattern to size it down? I plan on making a "muslin" for fitting purposes but I don't know how to do the fitting for the tape. Is there a tutorial anywhere on this type of pattern alteration?
Xena the Sewing Princess ~ I have many skills
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User: Dee Dee Warren
Member since: 04-25-2006 Total posts: 49 
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From: paroper
Date: 08-02-2006, 11:54 PM (2 of 12)
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I always go the other direction....I buy for the bust and shoulders and alter for the waist and hips. That is a simple matter, esp. with a princess dress...the top fit has to be precise. The bottom pieces not only are easy to alter before, it is not that difficult to "find" more space in a princess dress or take it in (either). With the multi sized patterns it gets even easier unless your top is in one envelope and the bottom in the other.
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: paroper
Date: 08-03-2006, 12:00 AM (3 of 12)
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Use the proportions that are on the pattern decide how much difference there is between your size and the size of the pattern. If there is not much more than 2 inches in the hips, divide by 4 and add the changes to the sides of a princess..do NOT drop the pattern from the hips but slope the remaining pattern from hips to hem toward the hem so that you do not leave a "hump" where your alteration was made. If you need to add at the waist (you may not have to do so because often there is enough) just divide the amount, at the waistline and slope to the waist...then slope from the waistline to the hips. For a broader waist but good hip measurment you just increase like the middle of an hour glass...pulling the center of the hour glass outward.
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: Dee Dee Warren
Date: 08-03-2006, 06:14 AM (4 of 12)
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I am sorry, I did not understand what you just said above.....
Xena the Sewing Princess ~ I have many skills
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User: Dee Dee Warren
Member since: 04-25-2006 Total posts: 49
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From: paroper
Date: 08-03-2006, 08:30 AM (5 of 12)
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First off I buy the pattern to fit the bust and shoulders no matter what pattern it is. So....I would buy either a 12 or 14, whichever is my size but buy the size that will fit. I have a chart. You can just use a piece of paper. I write down my measurments. In the next space I find the measurment that fits my bust and I write down all the measurments for that SIZE of pattern. In front of my sizes I write down what "size" the pattern says that part of my body should be...in the next square I write down the number of inches of difference between my body and the size of the pattern that matches my bust. Now, if, when I checked to see what "size" the pattern says that my hips should be just happens to be on the pattern, I stop there. Now, most patterns are 3 sized so if you happen to have a 14-16-18 pattern and your hips are size 18 and your waist is 16 just just look at the pattern and you use the 16 cuttlng lines at the waist and 18 cutting lines at the hips, sloping from each part of the body to the next. That part is easy. If you find that your "size" is not on the pattern, then look at the pattern and determine where you will be doing the alterations. The easy place is on the sides. In a princess line where the alterations is not going to effect the bustline which will need to be proportional, I start thinking in terms of adding to the side seams. Now there will be built in ease. Sometimes you'll find that you really don't need to add extra, exp. in the hips and waist of a princess garment because you'll find a measurment on the pattern front or on the envelope that indicates that the amount you need is already included in the ease of the garment. If you have enough ease and the garment will fit and look nice as it is, don't worry about it. Princess lines garments quite often have a lot of ease...but REMEMBER THAT YOU STILL NEED EASE AND IF THE PATTERN EXACTLY FITS YOUR BODY SIZE...IT ISN'T ENOUGH. If you are going to add an amount, divide that amount by 4 in this case and make the enlargement on the sides. If it is more than 2 inches you may actually want to divide it up a little differently and add a small amount to several places, as it is done on the pattern. Back to dividing the amount. If you are adding, lets say 2 inches to the hips, divide the amount by 4 (2 fronts 2 backs) which is 1/2 inch. When you lay your pattern, write 1/2 next to the hipline and put a dot with chalk (or something on the fabric) 1/2 inch out from the hipline on the side front AND the side back once it has been laid. Now, lets say that you need to add 1 inch to the waist. Divide that number by 4 which is 1/4 inch. Put a dot 1/4 inch from the waistline on the pattern at the waistline (you would reverse this if you were making it smaller and your dot would be on the pattern.) Now, draw a sloping line with your chalk or whatever you are using from the full bust portion of the pattern to the waist and then to the hip DOT. Put a straight edge against the hip dot and draw the line "out" until it gets to the hemline. If you drop it back to the drawn line of the garment you can have a hump where you made your alteration. You won't want to project the line out to "infinity" but draw a new line out from the pattern and it will probably be about 1/2 inch out from the original pattern line. Got to the hem and extent the hemline to touch the side seam line. You'll want the side seam to be about the same as it would have been without the alteration so adjust the slope slightly as you'll see it is adjusted for other sizes on the pattern. Each size has a little less arch in the hemline. Do not draw the side seam out to a straight 45 degree angle or you will have a sag in the side seam. I hope that this is somewhat more clear. 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: Dee Dee Warren
Date: 08-03-2006, 03:24 PM (6 of 12)
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Yes okay that is much clearer. I will try it with my pattern and report back.
Xena the Sewing Princess ~ I have many skills
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User: Dee Dee Warren
Member since: 04-25-2006 Total posts: 49
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From: kt53sew
Date: 08-04-2006, 10:44 PM (7 of 12)
| One other thing to watch for is that your bust seams land where you want them. You might have to adjust where you lay the front peice on the fold so that seams go thru bust in the right place. Measure from point to point on bust and compare to pattern. Too far and the seams will be wide and neck line will be sloppy. place pattern on fold to match this amount plus a little ease. Good luck KT |
User: kt53sew
Member since: 02-13-2004 Total posts: 19 |
From: paroper
Date: 08-04-2006, 10:53 PM (8 of 12)
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The dart point should stop 1 inch before the fullest part of the bust no matter what direction the dart is originates (armhole, side, waist to bust, whatever.) The same is true of back darts. they should stop 1 inch before the fullest part of the body the dart point toward.
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: Dee Dee Warren
Date: 08-07-2006, 06:24 AM (9 of 12)
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Okay I am back. In the "right" size to fit my bust there is a built-in six inch ease. Does that sound normal? If I use that same size (too small) there is only 1 1/2 inch ease in my hips. So do I need to add 4 1/2 inch ease to the hips (which divided by 4 would be 1 1/16 on each side seam)? Or is 6 inches too much ease? (the actual ease on the pattern for the right size for my hips allows 5 1/2 inches) - that number just seems a bit high, am I out of my tree on that? Xena the Sewing Princess ~ I have many skills
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User: Dee Dee Warren
Member since: 04-25-2006 Total posts: 49
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From: paroper
Date: 08-07-2006, 08:26 AM (10 of 12)
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Is the 6 inch ease in the bust or in the hips? If it is in the hips, how much ease do you have in the bust? If you have 6 inches of ease in the hips it will just flow at the hips and feel full. Sometimes you find 6 inches in the bust and for me that is a whopping amount. In the bust that would be classified as loose fitting. I like to have 1 1/2-2 inches in the bust (sometimes 3). That give you plenty room to raise your arms and to stretch out in front. If it seems too great when you have the dress made it isn't that hard to remove a little. I use 1 1/2 as a min. amount. Many princess dresses are only fitted at the bust and hang loosely from there. (Some are fitted to the hips). For a FITTED garment I like 1/2-1 inch at the waistline. The hips are negociable depending upon what I am trying to achieve. Here is an ease chart from Butterick that may help you understand what the sizes mean. Butterick and Vogue patterns tend to fit a little closer than Simplicity and McCalls. The pattern description on the back of the envelope (a "loose fitting garment", "a semi-fitted garment") is your first clue to the amount of ease in the envelope. http://www.butterick.com/tech/ease/ease.html I was furious....well, beyond furious with a Simplicity customer care consultant when I made 27 dresses that were supposed to be fitted and had 8 inches of ease in the waist of a pattern that I ALREADHY DOWNSIZED 2 sizes. I made the comment that I should have been sharper when I noticed that the picture on the envelope was not a snapshot but a drawing. Her comment to me was that even if it had been a snapshot it might not have been a true picture of the fit of the garment. She said they just pin those dresses on the models like crazy to make them fit the model well. I was SO upset with Simplicity (not the customer care agent). 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: gmcsewer
Date: 08-07-2006, 09:23 AM (11 of 12)
| About ease. One was to get the ease you want is to measure a dress or blouse that fits the way you like and use that. You might check the back measurement separate from the front as I wear a D cup so require more in the front. A sewing guide I got several years ago says 2" in the bust, waist 1 inch full hip 2 inches. I have a short jacket that I use for all my measurements on any jacket of that style. |
User: gmcsewer
Member since: 08-19-2003 Total posts: 45 |
From: gmcsewer
Date: 08-07-2006, 09:26 AM (12 of 12)
If your pattern is a multi size, you can use the size 12-14 for the top and the 16 for the bottom and graduate the seams to the waist. A one size pattern involves reducing the distance around. I would take off a little from each seam. But you might have to reduce the length of the center front bodice to allow for less curve on the outside bust seam. 
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User: gmcsewer
Member since: 08-19-2003 Total posts: 45 |
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