Hello all,

Update build 6.13 (includes Dress Shop 5 version 5.30) has been posted. It contains one major new pattern design option, plus a number of minor fixes and corrections (see the list below).

The design change relates to the fit of fitted blouse and dress patterns at the waist. Tests during the past month have confirmed that many users prefer the waist fit of their fitted blouses and dresses to be higher on the body than Dress Shop had been placing it. Unfortunately, we also found that other users preferred it just where it was. We found a variety of reasons that might explain the disparity, but no single fix that appeared to work automatically for everyone.

That being the case, we introduced two new measurements that will allow anyone to adjust this shaping as they like. In the Enter / Change All Measurements pages, you will now find "Dress Waist Offset" and "Dart Center Offset". Both default to zero. No pattern will change unless you choose to use this new adjustment. During the testing, this adjustment was associated with the High Waist Offset. That was for test purposes only and that setting is now completely independent of these new ones. High Waisted patterns will NOT be effected by use of this new adjustment. And, you should not change High Waist Offset to do this adjustment once you get the update. If you changed your High Waist Offset value during the test, please change it back to what you had before.

Who would use the new adjustments? If you believe that your blouse or dress patterns are snug at the ab level, then you probably need this new setting. If you think that the side seam waist shaping of your dresses is too low, then you definitely need this new setting. Enter any positive number to move that waist indent shaping upwards by the amount entered. Most testers preferred 1" to 1.5" for this amount. Some chose zero.

Most testers also preferrred to leave the waist darts just where they were, lower on the body than the side waist indent was placed. They left the "Dart Center Offset" at zero. Several users, though, preferred their waist dart shaping to also be raised. Those users should enter the amount they wish their waist dart centers (marked by pins) to be raised. This may be the same amount as the side seam shaping is raised or a different amount, as you choose.

The full list of changes included in this update is:

1. In any neck menu, if you click on "No Change", the neck would then draft as jewel, but be illustrated as a sweetheart, both of which were wrong.
2. Ankle ease was not effecting slim fit pants properly.
3. The men's pants menus were not spaced out enough for 800 by 600 displays. Should be better now.
4. After several inquiries, the Yoked Kimono Shirt (which had been replaced by the Kimono pattern) was restored to pattern set 1013 and addon set 1014. You get to keep the kimono, too.
5. The Two-Piece sleeve was added to all coats.
6. Pants dart adjustments were not showing up in the Options dialog for Dress Shop Standard users.
7. Boxer inseam lengths did not match front to back.
8. The Shaper Tool was disabled for circle skirts, gathered skirts, tiered skirts, pleated skirts, and any others that it does not work with.
9. Tap Pants got the wrong tools enabled.
10. Neck depth could not be set or adjusted if lapels were selected.
11. Fixed the belt in the Shawl Collar Robe pattern.
12. In the dart tool, you now have an entry for back waist dart separation.
13. Using the "View with no ease" reference pattern on a princess line pattern produced a broken reference pattern.
14. Pants yokes width defaulted to ab depth. In cases where ab depth is less than 2", the yoke width will now default to 2".
15. The men's dress shirt could not be converted to a woman's pattern.
16. Kimono pattern neckline was incorrect.
17. The "No Darts" option in the dart tool would not make pants and skirt waist lines become fitted. They drafted to elastic waist width. This was changed so they now draft to waist width in this case.
18. The pants and skirts center back dart width setting was moved to the dart tool. The amount is now an over-ride. What you enter is what you get. Entering zero will give the default amounts of 10% of back hip for men or 25% of the difference between back hip and back waist for women.
19. The angle of the lapel collar was incorrect, leading some users to apply it backwards, finding then that it was the wrong length. The angle was corrected.
20. The number of pages it takes to print some facings pieces (including the tab placket) would change while printing. This should now be corrected.
21. A faulty save DLL was replaced. It had been making Dress Shop run much slower than usual.
22. The position of the side waist shaping for dresses, blouses, and other tops has been made adjustable. Two new measurements were added. They are "Dress Waist Offset" which will move the side seam waist indent upwards by the amount entered. Has no effect on pants, skirts, or high waisted patterns. The other setting is "Dart Center Offset" which will allow you to move the max dart width position (marked by pins) of waist darts upwards. Again, this is for tops only. Both settings default to zero. If you need this shaping change, you will need to enter the values you desire. Most users testing this used 1" to 1.5" for the Dress Waist Offset and zero for the dart center offset. The side seam shaping does effect princess and side panel patterns. But, the dart center offset does NOT effect princess line dart shaping. This variation was done based on tester reports of what worked and what was needed by each tester.
23. If an asymmetric hemline was specified for a waisted dress with a fitted top, the top would also be asymmetric.
24. Princess dresses were defaulting to curved hemlines, which did not work correctly.
25. Non-princess dresses had lost their Mia-Finish menu. That was restored.
26. Elastic waistlines on pants were not wide enough to accommodate hips if a center back waist dart was added.
27. In a case where the neckline width was very close to the princess line (shoulder princess dress with ballerina neck, for instance), the neck would merge with the princess line in all pieces mode (as it should), but not in single piece mode (such as while printing).

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