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The Sew What’s New Archive
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From: AndreaSews
Date: 09-02-2006, 09:24 PM (1 of 5)
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Hi folks. This one's fun...ok, for me anyway! I'm making a flower girl dress, designing it and fumbling my way through patternmaking in order to come up with just the look I'm going for. It's a halter dress with a fitted bodice, empire waistline, invisible zipper back, and long A-line skirt. It will be in silk dupioni, once we get out of muslin-ville. How much wearing ease should I allow across the chest? For adults, they say 2 inches in the bust for a fitted garment, but what about a little 4 year old? I was fitting it pretty snugly, figuring it would need to support the weight of the lined skirt in the back without any straps in the back to help hold it up, but now I'm having 2nd thoughts, wondering if she'll be miserable all day in it once it gets zipped! I pinned the bodice on her and we played Simon Says to get her wiggling around, and she seemed to have a nice time, but it does fit like a glove! Do you think if I add a total of one inch, so that a finger or two could get in between her and her bodice, it would still hold up the weight of the lined skirt? I was actually hoping to be able to add a short clip-on train for her walk down the aisle.
Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007 
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From: MaryW
Date: 09-03-2006, 06:12 AM (2 of 5)
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I think one inch is workable, I haven't really done anything for little girls in years but I know they still have to be comfortable, not feel restricted. Anything over one inch sounds too much to me.
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: AndreaSews
Date: 09-03-2006, 08:54 AM (3 of 5)
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Mary, I guess the same as you did, and I toiled into the night!! It's amazing how smoothly that one inch gets distributed around her little body. It looks just right. I haven't added the lining, but I can see there's room for one, and I do think it will be stable enough if I interface it and add a little elastic in the back. And I guess it'll have to be sew-in interfacing, since it's a silk dress and probably shouldn't get high heat. It's really quite cute. Not cutesy, but cute. It seems important at this age--oh, maybe all the ages--to get the style and fit right to be sophisticated enough for the occasion, but not too mature. Now I'm very excited, and I'm going to go buy some expensive fabric for my trip out of Muslinville.
Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007
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From: MaryW
Date: 09-04-2006, 05:39 AM (4 of 5)
Many of the little girl dresses are very mature in their designs, that I do not like. But you are right, it shouldn't bee too cutsey for the occasion either. I am going into Muslinville myself today. 
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542
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From: paroper
Date: 09-06-2006, 07:37 AM (5 of 5)
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Strangely enough I did a little research on this a year or two ago and everything that I found indicated that the ease in a child's garment was the same as an adult's garment. I was pretty amazed as I thought it would be proportional to the size of the garment.
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 |
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