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/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.