Dress pattern help!

[emskaboo]

I have recently got back into seeing in a big way, and having made things for the DC and a skirt for me would like to make a dress for me (nothing too crazy, just a simple bodice and gathered skirt (a bit like this here ) However I have taken my measurements and at 34, 30, 40 my boobs are a 10/12 and my waist and hips a 16! So what do I do? Do I buy a multi size pattern and attempt to draw a line connecting the top and bottom, or do I buy to accommodate my huge arse and then try and fit the bodice (without a dressmakers dummy, I'm not sure I could do this?!) If I was a B cup, I am an A at best and more like an AA my bust measurement would probably be a 14 so could I get a 16 and just do a small bust adjustment? I'm figuring however I try I'll have to make a muslin. But if I could get this right I would just make the same dress over and over in different fabrics!

Any advice gratefully received, or I'll just be making skirts and tops. Oddly I don't have huge problems buying dresses, even ones with fitted skirts so even though I'm an odd size for dressmaking patterns I look pretty normal, honest

Into 'seeing' clearly I mean't sewing, argh!

I do a little bit of sewing, not much, but most commercial patterns are multi sized anyway. The one you showed should be ok as it is really two parts sewed together, but I would guess that you would need to somehow flare the bodice out from the top to the bottom to accommodate the difference in sizes?

I am sure that you know already but would also recommend that you are careful with the sizing on the patterns, they are very different to commercial vanity sizing in ready to wear clothes, which i know to my shame! I might be able to get into a size 14 in ready-made clothes, but in dress patterns I am often a size 20 or outsized, I could blame the baby, but its more to do with the number of takeaways I had whilst pregnant!! So you need to read the back of the packet before you cut the pattern out.

I've never bothered with using a muslin, but then I have had some disasters, once with some beautiful shot silk, so I'm possibly not the best person to advise!

I think I'd try to work out what the underbust measurement is on the dress you are trying to make, and base the dress on which size fits you on the underbust and adjust accordingly. As you say, a bust adjustment is a fairly standard thing to do, but the height of the bust and the width of the back etc are more tricky and that's what you need to get right.

Thank you both very much. I'm thinking I'll buy a multi size pattern and blend between a 14 top with an SBA and a 16 hips. The difference between RTW is the confusing thing. I know clothes manufacturers all lie but I buy dresses in a 10 normally and as long as they have a flared (rather than pencil skirt) bottom am fine. I have a 50's frock which says it is a 16 and doesn't gape like a loon round the boobs, so why on pattern siding there is such a huge difference I don't know. Hey ho! Wish me luck and thanks again

Emskaboo

I go to sewing classes (or 'sexing classes' as a friend texted me... without her specs on!) and I made a dress last summer for a wedding.

It was a different shape altogether, but I did start to make it out of a plain cotton (toile). It took ages to get it to fit, but when I started to make it with the real fabric (at an eye watering £28 a metre...), it took me no time at all to assemble it, and line it too. I would recommend that approach.

In terms of sizing - I am usually 16 in shop sizes, but a whopping 20 (eek!) in pattern sizes. Measure yourself around the important points... bust and hips, and then look at the sizes. Nobody else is going to know.

When you have pieced together the top in cotton, put it on inside out, and then pin to fit it.

Not sure how to guide you for the skirt, though! Sorry....

I may be a bit dim here, but I would do the bodice of the dress to your actual measurement and gather the skirt a bit more. Match the triangles and markings, and side seams etc and jut pull the gathers up a bit tighter.
It looks like a very nice dress and very suitable for different kinds of materials.

The other thing I have done is to put some greaseproof paper over the muti size pattern and just draw a line so that it fits with the bodice. Then use the greasproof paper as your pattern. This has the added advantage that you don't have to cut into the actual multi size pattern. Make sure you transfer all markings onto the grease proof though.