Hello all,

We have just posted update build 6.14 as well as the matching download master. If you are already running Dress Shop, you should get the update. You do not need the download master unless you are installing fresh on a new computer.

This is a house keeping build with a variety of fixes but very few new features. This build is a first and a last. This will be the first of our builds that separates new development from Dress Shop maintenance. And, this will be the last build released for Dress Shop 5 users.

The list of fixes and changes appears below. These include all changes that have been released as patches to build 6.13 as well as a handful of additional fixes since the last patch was posted.

There are only two really new features included. They are:

1. New Pattern Packets. Pattern packets 1053 through 1061 have been released. For those of you that own Illusions, Activewear II, and Princess Designer, there are NO NEW PATTERNS here. For those that do not own those collections, these are some of the favorite patterns from those collections, now in a smaller package that you can take without buying the entire collection. Description of each with links to illustrations can be found at:

New Releases

2. The other new feature relates to loading patterns from "My Pattern Designer", a massive new tool that is in test just now and should be released in the next few weeks. This is the tool that the Dress Shop design team uses to make new collections. We have made it a bit more user friendly than what we were using and are releasing the tool to everyone. With "My Pattern Designer" (MPD), you can make your own patterns, build your own collections, and design what you want that Dress Shop does not already include. MPD is a separate program and is in final test now and will be released soon. Dress Shop 6.14 is able to share files with MPD freely so you can use either product with its tools that you prefer.

Other changes included in this update are listed below. We hope you find the changes helpful and the new features exciting.

All our best...

- Bob Clardy and the Dress Shop Design and test teams

Build 6.14 was released on November 16, 2005 with the following changes:

1. The waist band for a wrap skirt was not including the wrap extension.

2. The length of the waist band pattern piece was not correct for circle skirts.

3. Knit stretch factors, when combined with edited crotch extensions, could sometimes break the crotch curve totally.

4. The layout tool was showing blouses unfolded, even when the tool's Fold Option was set to folded.

5. Adding a back shoulder dart was causing fitted tops to get wider before the armhole when it should not have.

6. The Yoked Sundress was not drafting a proper yoke.

7. The closure option menu for the men's PJ Shirt did nothing and were removed.

8. With measurement sets in which total ab measure was close to total hip measure, pants could be too tight in the back ab as the outseam did not leave room for the dart takeup at that level in that case. This was corrected. In some cases, the curvature of the back hip curve could then be too abrupt between ab and waist. In those cases, the back waist dart depth was shortened to ab level to prevent that.

9. It was not possible to set center back dart width (using the Dart Tool) on elastic waist pants without converting them to fitted waist, no darts. That was changed so you can set center back dart width and keep elastic waist settings.

10. Little Girl illustrations were not displaying properly after the men's collection (with its illustrations) was released. Both should now be working.

11. Fit Tool ease amounts for Back Waist and Back Bust were slightly off if reference lines were being displayed.

12. The default width of pants center back waist dart is now displayed in the dart tool so you can better tell how to change it.

13. The 6-Gore Hanky Skirt and 6-Gore Raised Hanky Skirt illustrations were reversed from their pattern drafts.

14. After drafting a gored hanky skirt, the regular hanky skirt hemline was not correct.

15. In cases where the back neckline width was very close to where a shoulder princess seam line would hit the shoulder, the back neckline could merge into a princess line when the front neckline did not. This would cause mis-matched shoulder seam lengths for princess patterns.

16. Several other patterns (casual fit dresses Audrey and Rosalind at least) were drafting an unwanted extra skirt.

17. The default length of the Juliet dress was changed to Midi.

18. The spacing of back waist darts for fitted dresses and blouses was revised to require at least 1/2" between the darts.

19. Doll blouse and dress patterns were drafting with bad waist darts after the change to dress waist offset done in build 6.13.

========== End of Build 6.14 changes =======
Build 6.13c was released on October 27, 2005 with the following changes:

1. Neck width and depth settings were added to the Neck tool for Dress Shop 5 users without Fashion Designer.

2. An unintended skirt was removed from the pattern file for "The Nancy" blouse.

3. The Armhole Princess Tunic, Armhole Princess Tunic Vest, and Armhole Princess Coat were drafting as shoulder princess line patterns.

4. The Casual Tuxedo Dress Pattern was updated to match the change done last build to the Fitted Tuxedo Dress Pattern.

5. Inseam ease (which was intended to default to 1/2" for all women's pants patterns) could sometimes get set to zero when it should not be.

======= End of Build 6.13b changes ============
Build 6.13a was released on October 4, 2005 with the following changes:

1. Correction for princess line indent centers not matching up if Dress Waist Offset is used.
 
2. Side panel patterns break with some measurement sets if Dress Waist Offset is used.
 
3. Several Men's Collection articles were missing or incorrect.
 
4. Shawl Collar Robe and Kimono patterns were refreshed to correct belt and collar issues.
 
5. Back waist dart separation entry box added to the dart tool for fitted tops.
 
6. Collar stand was removed from golf shirt and rugby shirt.
 
7. The Marc illustrations for the golf shirt and rugby shirt should now be working.

8. The Tuxedo Dress Pattern was modified to make hemline and closure work better together.

==== End of Build 6.13a changes =============