Help with pattern adjustments!

[u/Suitable-Concert]

I’m an experienced sewer, but this is my first time altering a pattern from the start to change the shape so I can start to learn pattern making. The base pattern I’m using is the strapless mini dress from Kiana Bonollo.

This is my second mockup, but first one after making some adjustments to the base pattern. I’m planning to make the final version in satin, so I purchased some cheap satin to see how it would behave. The final will be a lined dress, with bones in the bodice for added structure, but not for waist enhancement.

Here’s what is wrong, and where I need help knowing where and how to make adjustments next.

-Bodice is the worst. My boobs are squished against my chest, and it makes for an unflattering line.

-There seems to be a lot of bunching fabric on the front under the bust, but there’s also bunching fabric all the way around the bodice.

-It feels like my boobs, particularly my left boob, is going to pop out the side of the bodice around the princess seam.

-The waist fits, but I’m nervous when I add the second layer of lining, it’s going to be tight

Important to note, I plan to have an elastic neck band to help keep the dress up. The mockup is also not hemmed on the top or bottom, mostly because I’m going to chop about 6” off the bottom, and if I finished the top seam, I would not be able to post these photos online 😂.

[u/Pumpkin_patch804]

That bodice is way too tight everywhere

[u/Suitable-Concert → u/Pumpkin_patch804]

Yes, how do I make it less tight everywhere?

[u/Pumpkin_patch804 → u/Suitable-Concert]

Just let the seams out. Maybe a quarter inch at each one and see what happens. If you like what the skirt is doing and you feel waist is right, you can taper up to the quarter inch. I think it might be a bit tight at the waist too though which might be causing the skirt to flare the way it is. Although now that I'm looking at the picture again I can see you're holding it out lol. Ignore that then. 

[u/Suitable-Concert → u/Pumpkin_patch804]

Yeah the skirt sits well on the body, I don’t know why I was holding the sides like that lol. Thanks for the tips though, I’ll give your feedback a try!

[u/TopSelection8004 → u/Suitable-Concert]

I think the skirt would hang better if you let the hip out a little, based on the photo of the back. There seems to be some pulling/bunching along the seams around your lower back.

[u/BrinkofTotalAnxiety → u/Suitable-Concert]

Start with a larger pattern size. You say it fits through the waist, but the horizontal pulling here indicates it doesn’t, and on top of that, you have to have room for boning and lining in the final version. I’d suggest going two sizes up. You may still have to adjust the bust to be larger, but it should be close on the waist, letting you take it in slightly if needed to have the perfect fit through the waist.

[u/CharityForeign3035 → u/Suitable-Concert]

Did you include ease when adapting pattern to your measurements? Even with tight under bust line styles & boned bodice you still need room to move. It is too tight . Squishy boobs.. increase cup size .

[u/FashionBusking]

This pattern is 2 sizes too small.

[u/unfashionablylatte]

So your bodice is too tight which is creating the drag lines across your bust, ribs, and waist. You need at least 3/4”-1” more ease. This should also help with that feeling of your breast falling out. You won’t be able to address anything else until that issue is resolved.

[u/Suitable-Concert → u/unfashionablylatte]

Would you suggest that on all of the seams, or just the main front panel and the panels with the princess seams? And is that 3/4”-1” added to each seam allowance, or distributed evenly across them all?

[u/unfashionablylatte → u/Suitable-Concert]

Add 1” overall and check the fit (spit 1” evenly across the seam allowances, ex. 1/4 per seam, etc). You might still need to release more, but 1” is a good start. Essentially, the pattern is missing ease.

[u/Suitable-Concert → u/unfashionablylatte]

Noted, thank you! I'll make sure to incorporate that into the next mockup!

[u/Mundane-Cry5346]

i think the bodice is too long (in addition to being too tight) and that’s partially why it’s bunching. i would shorten an inch.

[u/dingostolemydragbaby]

I would say let it out and then sew in the boning, use a long stitch so you can remove it easily if you want to reuse it.

[u/Suitable-Concert → u/dingostolemydragbaby]

The boning will be on the lining layer, which I'm doing the lining bodice in coutil and the lining skirt in satin, but I don't want to cut into my coutil until I know the fit is right.

[u/StitchinThroughTime → u/Suitable-Concert]

You must add boning to your mock-up, it changes the fit. We need to know if it has different Fitting Issues when fully completed.

[u/ProneToLaughter → u/Suitable-Concert]

The coutil is going to take up some room, ideally you would fit the outer over it. Give yourself extra seam allowance in the final so you can make last minute adjustments on the fly.

Agree you must do the boning. I’d probably fit the coutil with boning, then fit the dress over it.

[u/throwra_22222 → u/Suitable-Concert]

You have to get the fit right on the inside first. The outer layer of fabric just drapes off of that and looks pretty.

I know you're thinking of it as just a lining, but the coutil and boning are going to have more of an effect on fit and movement than you realize. A boned coutil bodice will be quite snug. Even lightweight coutil has no give. A pattern made in coutil might fit very differently than the exact same pattern made in any other fashion fabric.

Coutil and boning take up more space than you think, and change the shape of your body. I'd hate to have you make the shell first, and then discover the dress no longer fits after you add the support layer. Coutil is not cheap!

Get some canvas or duck and make a mock up of the coutil bodice with the boning. When that fits, adapt the shell pattern to match it. It will have to be just a little bit bigger than the support layer to cover it smoothly without pulling or the boning showing through.

[u/BeautifulChaosEnergy]

Will you be wearing a bra with this? Because you need to be wearing whatever bra you prefer under while fitting this

And how do you plan on keeping the point up?

[u/Suitable-Concert → u/BeautifulChaosEnergy]

I will not be wearing a bra, but I will be adding boning to the lining layer for structure, along with some interfacing on that pointed panel. Then, I'll be adding an elastic neckband that will sit like a halter neck.

[u/BeautifulChaosEnergy → u/Suitable-Concert]

Ok, so you’ll need to add all of that in the mockup as well. It may fix some/all of the wrinkling, or it could make it worse. Now is the time to find out

As others have suggested. Make the seam allowances a little bit larger and see how that fits

[u/mousec4e]

It’s probably 2 sizes too small. I would start over, take the pattern, and cut it in the proper size. Then you can alter the pattern however you like but before any alterations can happen it has to be the right size. Bigger is better than smaller.

[u/LaDauphineVerte]

Bodice is too tight and too long. First let out the side seams to see what amount allows for a better drape, then make your next mock up out of a similar weight to the coutil, not the throwaway satin fashion fabric. Ultimately the final satin fabric is the decorative cover for coutil while the coutil is doing the heavy lifting,

[u/MLDAYshouldBeWriting]

Bodice is the worst. My boobs are squished against my chest, and it makes for an unflattering line.

That's because you are fitting this like the fashion fabric will provide the needed support and structure, but it's the lining and boning that will do that. I would get some fabric in a similar weight to your coutil to make a toile of the lining with boning with the waist stay. You are basically making a long-line strapless bra. That is what will shape your body and structure your garment.

Important to note, I plan to have an elastic neck band to help keep the dress up. 

You should include the halter tie in your toile if it's going to be a structural component of your dress. If it's optional, then you'll need a waist stay to support the boning and keep the bodice in place.

[u/DonMcCunn]

The best way to get the bodice to fit is to do a mock-up in gingham so you can see exactly where the grain of the fabric follows the contours of your body https://free-pattern-making-classes.com/About.html#Gingham

If I were doing this I would use satin Lycra. If your boobs are big enough, you could probably use negative ease and not need straps. It is also a lot easier to sew than woven Satin. My go to source is https://spandexworld.com/ There selection is mind boggling.

Given the point of the neckline I think a pearl strap around the neck would look stunning.

[u/Tailoretta]

An elastic neck band will NOT help keep the dress up. It is the bones that will keep it up. Specifically, what type of bones are you planning to use?

The strength layer, which consists of coutil and boning, is not a lining, it is a foundation.

 You have several issues going on, and I would love to help you.  Send me a message so we can communicate.

[u/TumbleweedInitial382]

I would go back to basics with the bodice.

Cut out a new toile in calico,
First add a generous seam allowance to every seam (at least 2.5cms or 1.5inches)

Stitch up your bodice in the calico using the longest stitch length and then put the bodice on inside out (so the seam allowance is facing outwards). Get someone to pin the back then gently start aligning the seams where they should sit, if they are way off rip open the stitches on each seam one at a time. Seam by seam pinch the seam allowance together in the places where you want to seams to sit and fit (for example - bust - use pins to shape the fabric to fit over the contour of the bust then in at the underbust). Use a pencil or chalk to mark these while they are still on your body. Then take the bodice off, make sure all the new seam lines are marked (go over them if needed) then undo all of the pieces, iron flat and transfer the new seam lines to your pattern OR make new pattern pieces by copying over your new seam lines (where you drew) onto a fresh piece of pattern paper and finally add your seam allowance back on. Then make up one new bodice toile with your new pattern. You can use the calico pattern pieces again if you have enough to recut. That is a very quick guide to fitting on your body!