Can some one explain to me how to increase only the bust area of a kimono/dolman style dress. The under bust and sleeves fit perfectly, but I need a about two inches more along the bust apex.
I've been hunting around online, but the only one I found for dolmans said to cut off the sleeves, the adjust "as usual" and then tape the sleeve pattern back on. But, I've found several different versions on how to do "the usual" adjustment., Most of the "how tos" for bust adjustments involve slashing through pre-existing darts and look like they will result in an increased under-bust as well.
I've been hunting around online, but the only one I found for dolmans said to cut off the sleeves, the adjust "as usual" and then tape the sleeve pattern back on. But, I've found several different versions on how to do "the usual" adjustment., Most of the "how tos" for bust adjustments involve slashing through pre-existing darts and look like they will result in an increased under-bust as well.
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Re: Full bust adjustment for dolmans/kimono dress
Wed, November 5, 2008 - 9:13 AM**cringes at typos. Shouldn't be typing in class**
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Re: Full bust adjustment for dolmans/kimono dress
Thu, November 6, 2008 - 12:54 PMIs the alteration to a dress or the pattern? Traditionally this is not a fitted garment, and would proably fit looser if the bust fit right . . . so to keep the fit you have and increase the bust (without seeing the pattern) you'll have to increase the length from shoulder to bust point, and dart out the additional fullness into the side or princess seam. Bottomline line is, if your bust to waist ratio is greater than a C cup, you have to add the dart . . . -
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Re: Full bust adjustment for dolmans/kimono dress
Thu, November 6, 2008 - 2:24 PMIt's an adjustment to the pattern. I bought a dress that I loved and copied a pattern from it, and I've made various tweaking to it to get a better fit--the original is too tight on the top and too small on the bottom. But, once I got the underbust and everything from then on down right, the bust is tight again... I was afraid a dart was the only way to go. There's something so nice about the idea of how simple it was to contruct the dress. But I'm not sure where you're suggesting adding--the length from shoulder to underbust fits well, but it pulls from side seam to side seam. I assumed I needed to add fabric along the side seam, and then dart out the excess when the bodice is sewed to the bottom of the dress? -
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Re: Full bust adjustment for dolmans/kimono dress
Sun, November 9, 2008 - 10:17 PMSo, where exactly are the seams, can you post a photo of the dress? You mention adding fabric, but if you are working with the pattern then you are just adjusting the pattern, right? If the shoulder to waist (over the bust) is ok, then you need to slash and spread your side panel to create more fullness, and yes, dart or gather it out to fit the existing sew lines . . . -
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Re: Full bust adjustment for dolmans/kimono dress
Thu, November 13, 2008 - 12:35 PM<<If the shoulder to waist (over the bust) is ok, then you need to slash and spread your side panel to create more fullness, and yes, dart or gather it out to fit the existing sew lines . . .>>
That's what I did, and it worked quite nicely. Of course, right after I adjusted the pattern and made a new dress, I got a book that explains the modification in depth. Oh well.... -
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Re: Full bust adjustment for dolmans/kimono dress
Fri, November 21, 2008 - 8:31 PM
Amy - that's great you were able to get it to fit with an adjustment. What was the book you got? -
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Re: Full bust adjustment for dolmans/kimono dress
Mon, December 8, 2008 - 8:01 PMI used some books I found in the library. As far as I can tell, the two title are the exact same text, just different bindings:
- Every sewer's guide to the perfect fit : customizing your patterns for a sensational look by Mary Morris & Sally McCann
- Customize your sewing patterns for a perfect fit by Mary Morris & Sally McCann
For the kimono adjustment, they laid another fitted sleeve pattern on top to trace out the curl of the armhole. They then cut straight up from the bottom of the bodice to the bust-point, then cut from the bust-point to, oh, where the armhole stops curving in and starts traveling straight up, if that makes any sense.... Then continued the cut up to just shy of the shoulder and used that as the "hinge" to spread open the pattern. There's another slash made horizontally through the bust point as well for spreading downwards for the needed extra length.
For my uneducated method, I folded the sleeve out of the way, then cut at an angle from up from the bottom of the bodice, through the bust point, and to just shy of the folded-up sleeve. It also worked, but I've made many previous tweaks to the pattern in the past as well, such as adding length.
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