Our Costume Tutor had drawn up a basic 1960 A line style dress pattern in a size 12 for us to reproduce and enlarge or reduce (if necessary), for the character we were to make for.
The original pattern was taped down to a table and individually we had to trace the original pattern onto a piece of pattern making paper for our own use.
Once traced I cut my pattern out.
The actress I am making for has a fuller figure so this meant I had to make adjustments to my pattern to enlarge it.
First I cut the top half of the dress away from the bottom half, so my dress will eventually be a top bodice attached to a lower skirt.
I did this as I had to increase the bodice size to accommodate the actresses fuller bust.
I then had to slash the top half of the dress, front and back.
On the front section I made 4 cut lines from the waist line, spaced out and going narrower towards the shoulder. This was so I could spread the pattern out from the shoulder to increase the size of the bodice.
Once cut I spread the original pattern out onto more pattern making paper and re-drew the new larger pattern out.
I also added a further 3'' to the bottom of the pattern to allow for the fuller figure as I would have to gather some of the fabric of the dress.
I knew how much to spread the pattern out as I had the actresses measurements. As the front section I had just created represented a quarter of the size of the actress, I knew to divide her measurements by quarter to get the width I needed for each section. I used a tape measure as I went, checking at each stage to make sure I made the pattern the correct size.
The back section of the bodice I made 3 cut lines that went straight up so I could space them evenly out to create a larger back bodice.
I measured the width that the new pattern piece needed to be and spread the cut pieces on a new piece of pattern making paper to that width and drew an outline to form my new piece. Again I added 3'' to the length.
Once I had enlarged the bodice I needed to enlarge the skirt as my actress also had fuller hips. There were 2 pieces of the skirt pattern, back and front, each representing a quarter size of the actress, which I made 2 cut lines into each piece from the hem line up to the waistline, in a straight line.
I then cut out 2'' wide strips and stuck them between the cut pieces of the original pattern to create a wider pattern to the size I needed. (Originally I had only cut 1strip for each half of the skirt but then realised I had to make the pattern larger, so cut out further strips and added them in). I then taped the extra strips to the original pattern with masking tape.
Once I had made the new enlarged pattern I cut 1 piece each of the front section and back section of both the top bodice and skirt pieces out in calico to make my Toile (fabric pattern sample). I made sure I cut the pattern out on the calico following the straight line of the grain, lining it up with the straight edge of the pattern.
Initially when I sewed my pattern sample together I forgot to add a dart into the back shoulder. I had added the bust dart in, which I did have to estimate slightly where that would be on the new larger pattern. I will have to make sure in future that I transfer over dart markings, from original patterns, onto new patterns that I have had to make, due to adjustments and make sure I don't rush ahead with the construction without examining if I have carried out all necessary requirements.
I also had to gather some of the fabric on the bottom of the front bodice piece to accommodate the fuller bust and also to line up with the top edge of the skirt piece.
Once sewn together I tried the (half) pattern sample on me and realised I hadn't put the bust gather in the right place, as it was more over towards my arm then towards the front under the bust. I also realised I hadn't put in a dart in the back shoulder.
I unpicked the shoulder seam and added the dart in and re-sewed the shoulder together, which obviously then made the 2 shoulder pieces not line up with each other. One side was wider than the other. I stitched the start of the seam from the neck, so the overlap was on the shoulder. Once I am able to try my Toile onto my actress I will be able to adjust the arm hole.
I also had to unpick the front section of where the bodice was joined to the skirt, so I could adjust where my gather was. I re-gathered further towards the front section of the Toile and re-sewed with the machine.
I am now awaiting to try my Toile onto my actress so I can make any adjustments, ready to make the real item (final piece).
I also have to mark where the peep hole at the front of the dress will be on my actress.
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