Trying to clone a Simplicity pattern for my daughter's "little black dress." We want a 2-pc dress that has a waist seam and a flared skirt.

Used Dress - Two-Piece; Princess Bodice, Armhole
and Dress - Two-Piece; Bodice Top

The front bodice to be an armhole princess w/wide v-neck and the back to be a standard bodice back w/jewel neck.

Problem: The back patterns of those two dresses are not similar at the armhole and hence the side seam on the "Bodice Top" back does not match the side seam on the "Princess Bodice, Armhole" front

Both were drafted as sleevelss dresses but the back armhole of the princess dress is considerably lower than the armhole on the regular bodice.

Why can't I combine these two patterns if they were drafted off the same sloper? Why is the armhole on the back of the armhole princess so much lower than the armhole on the back of the bodice top?

At least I want it sleeveless so I don't have to worry about the draft of the sleeve cap.

TIA

I think you will find they are quite smiliar once the arm hole princess side to center panel is actually "constructed". Try this with a 1/4 scale to see what I mean but I will try and explain.

There is actually "darting" in the seam that connects side to center. when that dart is "closed" it lifts and pulls the arm hole back to a similiar shape to the back of the non-princess line garment.

You may need to make some very slight adjustments as the dart was rotated to create the ah princess and dart take ups may have been adjusted during the smoothing and collateral ease process.

Kaaren

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quote:

Try this with a 1/4 scale to see what I mean but I will try and explain.

I did try with a 25% printout and that's what alerted me to the fact that these two bodice pieces will not match when I try to sew them together (reg back to a.h. prin front)

The side seam of the back Bodice is at least 1" longer than the side seam of the front Armhole Princess bodice.

I printed both bodices out at 25%. I cut out the pieces for the princess back and placed them on the pieces for the bodice back. The neck/shoulder pieces align perfectly.

It looks like the bottom of the princess seam matches the back waist dart pretty closely. It is the lower armhole portion of the two backs and the side seam that are so different.

It looks as if something wacky happened when that waist dart was rotated to a princess seam.

If Simplicity could do it, I thought DS could do it too. But I guess we can't mix apples and oranges -- an armhole princess front with a regular waist-dart back.

quote: The side seam of the back Bodice is at least 1" longer than the side seam of the front Armhole Princess bodice.

Gayle
Have you tried adjusting the armhole ease (ie depth) in the Fit Tool so that both patterns read the same amount?

You should be able to get the two patterns close with this adjustment.

I tried using the Dart Tool to achieve what you were wanting to achieve but did not get good results so your two pattern approach is a good one.

quote:

Originally posted by Janet Dean:
Have you tried adjusting the armhole ease (ie depth) in the Fit Tool so that both patterns read the same amount?

You should be able to get the two patterns close with this adjustment.

I tried using the Dart Tool to achieve what you were wanting to achieve but did not get good results so your two pattern approach is a good one.

Thanks, Janet.

I too tried the dart tool without success.

I'm not sure how to get the ease adjusted since what I want is a sleeveless and the ease amounts show in the sleeve window. And it seemed that the ease amounts in the fit tool were the same for both silhouettes.

Since I'm short somewhat on time I think it will be better to make another choice and not try to combine two patterns ... at least this week. I think we'll skip the princess altogether.

Need to make her a black skirt, little black dress, black gauchos, and maybe a pair of black pants (time permitting) as well as a white wrap top before Jan 3. She needs these "staples" for sorority recruitment (we used to call it Rush). So I think we may have to resort to the most basic of styles. (she's going to see if she can wear the gauchos on the either/or skirt/pants day and the white top can be any white dressy top)

The bodice is a unique garment, and does not necessarily match other garments.

Here's an idea - Print both backs, princess and bodice. Trace the armhole from the princess back onto the bodice back. That should keep your side seams the same length and you should be able to use the sleeve from the princess top.

Check your shoulder lengths, too, as not all garments have the same default shoulder length.

quote:

Originally posted by Carolyn:
The bodice is a unique garment, and does not necessarily match other garments.

Here's an idea - Print both backs, princess and bodice. Trace the armhole from the princess back onto the bodice back. That should keep your side seams the same length and you should be able to use the sleeve from the princess top.

Check your shoulder lengths, too, as not all garments have the same default shoulder length.

Thanks, Carolyn. I hadn't thought to trace the armhole ... BTW the shoulder lengths are an identical match. I hadn't chosen the bodice garment ... but in Dresses, 2-pc I chose the Bodice dress.

Ooooh ... good news! I just went back to DS to look at the 2-pc dress menu again and discovered the Fitted option. When I chose that one instead, I was able to use the dart tool to select armhole princess for the front only -- and the side seams match.

Ok ... over hurdle #1 -- on to distributing the flare properly in the skirt -- but that is a new topic. and then to be sure it all fits!

The bodice is a unique garment, and doesn't necessarily match other garments.

What if you were to choose it for the back, and trace the armhole from the princess garment onto the bodice pattern? That should keep your side seams the same length and cause the princess sleeve to fit.

Be sure to check your shoulder lengths, as not all garments have the same default shoulder length.

Carolyn
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