My wife has a wrap dress that she likes really well. The problem is that she had to have it tailored after she bought it. I looked at the pattern in DS and it is not usable for her needed.
This link shows what she likes: http://firstsuit.com/811/Churc...-Church-Dress--.html
The dress has a waist seam and the skirt has wide pleats. The closure is two buttons at the waist and a large snap above the breast line. The bodice is princess shoulder seamed. The sash is separate and is 4 inches. I'm looking for suggestions on which patterns to combine to make this dress for her

Amendment to the bodice seams they are princess armhole seams.

Pat, this reminds me of the creative process I used to see here when I first got DS, back in 1998, when there were fewer options available and we had to figure out where to start to get what we wanted.

It will take a little pencil work, but I think you can manage that. I would start with the armhole princess waisted dress with a vee neck (see note about sleeve before you print). Make a mark showing where you want the pieces to cross above the bust. To get the wrap, temporarily tape the two front bodice pieces together (don't cut them out yet). Add more paper to the cf piece.

Next fold the cf back on the cf seam line. Draw a new cf seam by extending the vee to the waist (it looks like nearly to the side seam). With the two pieces taped together it will be easy to see how far to go. Modify this line if needed to that it has a pleasing shape. Add your seam allowance and you are ready to cut out the pattern.

The skirt is quite full, and I think you could make it with some rectangles. Just decide how full you want it and cut rectangles accordingly. Pleat it however you like so that it fits the new waistline of the bodice. (You may not want all the pleats on the underneath part in front, as that could add a lot of bulk.)

The belt is just a rectangle. Play with the collar and cuffs (may need a little tweaking). The shoulder seam seems to be extended out from the normal DS shoulder line, and seems to have a shoulder pad. Choose these options before printing.

Of course you could choose to modify some of these feature according to your wife's preferences.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Pat, I realized I wasn't specific about the skirt. I tend to never print patterns that are just rectangles. It seems a waste of paper, so I just just measure and cut. If you prefer a pattern, find something like the knife pleat skirt and start with that, although it might need some work.

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ith the collar and cuffs (may need a little tweaking). The shoulder seam seems to be extended out from the normal DS shoulder line, and seems to have a shoulder pad. Choose these options before printing.

Of course you could choose to

I agree with Carolyn on the approach to produce the pattern for that dress. One thing I would watch out for is the possibility that the pattern, as modified, might have a front edge of the neckline that is too long and ends up "ballooning"/sagging open. I find that I often have to add a dart perpendicular to the front edge to shorten up the edge and to make the front fit properly. Maybe it's just an artifact of my physique, but it's something to keep in mind.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Anna Nguyen, Dress Shop App,

You are right, Anna. I had forgotten about that since I haven't done this for a while. Maybe the dart could be incorporated into the waist seam, and therefore be "invisible"?

I've been hinking more about this. I think I might print both the left and the right sides of the pattern, tape all the pieces together, add extra paper to one side and proceed as before. This would give you a good neckline to start with.

I love thinking outside the box with our patterns. Thank you, Pat, for posting this question.