-adding a side dart, then cutting it out and rotating the fullness to the shoulder gathers
-slashing the pattern from mid-shoulder to bottom through the apex and spreading 1/2 inch
-adding 2 inches of length to the entire front piece
I also pinned the front center together about an inch (to avoid my bra showing at center front). I'm not sure if this is a huge improvement, though the extra length helps. The bust apex is still too high per the mark on the pattern -- I wasn't sure how to fix this, and I'm not sure it matters given the shape of the pattern piece (note: the triangular bit on the lower right is extra paper that I didn't cut off because I laid the piece on the fold and then cut the center front apart):
The bodice still gaps out at center front rather than lying flat, and there is still gapping around the arm. What do you think?
Front:
Back:
Is the front bodice too long maybe?
ReplyDeleteI was reading through Palmer/Pletsch "Fit For Real People" last night and I saw a couple things that made me think of your bodice.
ReplyDeleteThe authors state the having more seams in a garment make fitting much easier - because there are more opportunities to build in adjustments. I have found this to be true in my own fitting journey.
This bodice is unusual just for the way it is contructed using so few seams. there are not a lot of opportunities in this design.
I think I'd go ahead and add a side seam (but don't think of it as giving up :)
Not sure about the gaps in the front. Is it possible that you have a concave area in the upper chest? If so, there is a fitting alteration that works well with princess seams.
If there is a princess seam, you can then make darts in the neckline that remove the excess fabric. KayY has a nice illustration on her blog about how she makes that alteration. If you have a chance, look up her pattern review for the silk cocktail dress she made and wore for the patternreview get together (in montreal?) or- you can search her blog.
I hope this helps. Even when things don't come together in a beautiful rainbow-hello kitty way, it is still valuable to really learn how your body is shaped. Knowing your own body shape is the most important thing in fitting, I do believe.
I did a little pinning on the dress form, and it seems like if I add side darts plus tuck some of the fullness out at the neckline, this solves the some of the poofing out in the middle of the front. I'll play around with it a little more and post again.
ReplyDeleteThe 2 inches of length that I added really seem to be needed -- the bodice was practically an empire waist without it (hard to see with the waist wraps covering it up).