My question seems to have been merged with an MPD pants disucussion. I was all excited that I'd gotten new replies... but, alas, none pertained to my question :-(


Posted 30 October 2008 11:53 AM
I'm having a problem trying to design a pattern for a yoked blouse or dress. Why does the program not allow me to have the front and back yoke lengths equal? I say I want an underarm yoke in the front and it appears. Then I click on the underarm yoke option for the back, and it also appears, but the front yoke has now been lengthened, with a corresponding shortening of the bottom of the front pattern. If I printed out the pattern as it now appears, the yoke seams would not meet at the side seams of the blouse or dress.

The only way I can solve the problem is to put in the option for the front, print it out, and then select it for the back and print that pattern piece out. I can't save the pattern so that the front and back yokes are equal in length.

I would like to know how to access the Yoke Tool in Doll Shop or Essential Patterns for Girls. I'd love to be able to vary the shape of the yoke on a blouse or dress without having to attempt drafting it on my own.

I would also like to know if there is a way for me to save the ease adjustments for bust, waist, and/or back, rather than having to enter those values each time. I have had such rotten luck trying to adjust measurements to achieve what I want, that I'd like to be able to try it using the ease functions instead.

Thanks!
Karen in Maine

[QUOTE]I would like to know how to access the Yoke Tool in Doll Shop or Essential Patterns for Girls. I'd love to be able to vary the shape of the yoke on a blouse or dress without having to attempt drafting it on my own. /QUOTE]

Sorry, but no. Both Doll Shop Deluxe and Essential Patterns for Girls are Dress Shop 5 products. Many necklines, collars, sleeves, and tools came with either Fashion Designer or with Dress Shop 7. The Yoke Tool is among those. The web page that lists the features of each version is here:

http://www.livingsoftnw.com/DS7/DS7Upgrade.htm

You can upgrade to Dress Shop 7 for $50 and get the added patterns, options, and tools that come with it. But, the reason that Doll Shop Deluxe was not specifically included in Dress Shop 6 or 7 is that the default designs for some features are not correct for dolls. Some of the new features have widths or depths that are too large for dolls and have to be hand adjusted. The tools do permit that kind of adjustment, but since the default designs did not always do it automatically, Livingsoft chose to not suggest that all the new features would work for dolls. Most do, though.