Thursday 20 March 2014

She sets about her work vigorously: Alterations!

Breakthrough!!!
After 4 dresses all with the same neckline issues, my beautiful friend I mentioned in my very first post popped in for coffee and ended up becoming a pattern redrafter extraordinaire! How I love you Jackie!

All of my butterick dresses and my latest simplicity creation (will give details later!) all had rather gaping necklines which was starting to bother me. :(
I'd followed the pattern, cut a little extra on the side seams to allow for some room up front and ended up with a baggy neck. My friend suggested I simply redraft my patterns to remove some of the extra material on the upper chest. I altered the fold line (stuck it down with Washi!) and recut the bodice front! Voila!!
Loving my previous creations as I do I also took some time last Saturday to alter them all and make each one slightly unique.
On the Cudge I simply cut the shoulder seams open and re stitched them higher which pulled the neck/upper chest material tighter. On the Worf I've actually left it as I really think it's almost good enough. 
The Rubies dress was seriously gaping so I too stitched 3 small pleats onto the neckline which has drawn in the excess fabric and made a pretty feature to the front.

The Pi dress neck line was supposed to be a notched neck but after under stitching too far it wasn't a triumph so my very clever friend took it away and top stitched a very clever little front neck feature instead! So although it took my the better part of a Saturday to make the required alterations all my dresses now fit well and I've redrafted both the Butterick B5748 and Simplicity 2444 bodice fronts to avoid such a school boy error in the future! Hoorah!!

I still have absolutely no idea which ones to enter into Sew Dolly Clackett!!!

Anyone else having these teach-yourself-to-sew-teething-issues or is it just me?

Xx

4 comments:

  1. Ah, it's so good when you realise how to change something so that future patterns fit better, isn't it?

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  2. It's amazing! I naively assumed patterns would somehow just fit so discovering how to make these alterations has been fab! My trouble now is I just want to make more!!! Xx

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  3. Making a summer dress too Ange and have had to re-draft the pattern so it happens to all of us. I'm simply amazed at what you've created after just a few months sewing :)

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    1. Thanks hon! Good to know it's still right when it's wrong! Xx

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