Ankara and Vogue 9197

You can tell in the picture the waist seam is too high

Soo, I started working on my bodice block and I think I got it perfected, or at least very close.  I’ve made V9197 before and you can read about the original review here.  I was sort of new to fit and made these adjustments to the original.  I think I’m ready to trace my block/slopers (side dart and princess seam) onto oak tag for future use.

I converted the bodice to a princess seam and I really like it.  The boss was like “ohh that’s nice and you have a bulls eye on your skirt?”  Well, damn, pattern placement is everything, it wasn’t intentional, I wasn’t trying to call attention to that area, it’s 45 inch fabric and I was being fabric cheap so my fabric layout was very tight!!!  It was also a little fiddly working with princess seams and this print.  I wanted to keep the African print while still using my princess seam bodice, mission accomplished.

This is my first time really moving darts and it wasn’t hard.  I did make a muslin of the bodice because it’s just a good practice when you make major changes to a pattern.  Finally, the bodice needs more length as a basic bodice.  I will add twoish  inches to the basic bodice so it hits at my natural waist plus seam allowance or I can add a two inch band which I’m not a fan of.  This will ensure it pairs well with skirts that aren’t high waist.  This bodice isn’t really umpire waist but an inch or two longer so it’s in a weird place.  For this dress, I squared off the hem a bit to fit on my fabric ( lazy eye roll).  I did lower the front and back neckline that I would like to curve the neckline at the shoulder a bit.

I traced off the bodice, cut the dart out and marked the correct bust point

I followed Fit For Real People on converting a basic bodice to princess seam

I made a cut a third of the way up the armscye and closed the side dart

Cut from the waist to the bust point and open up the dart

Curve the side front

Curve Front area

Trued up the side seam

Add seam allowance with my SA ruler

It fit’s good on big baby (my body double) and on me (no pictures, eye roll).

looks good!

Horrible shot of the princess seam

another horrible picture of the princess seam

It feels really good to not have to worry if something will fit,
using my bodice block helped speed my dress along since it was last
minute (triple eye roll).  OMG, once I get this pants block fitted, 
it’s on!!!  I wanted to show that like many sewist who haven’t gotten
“slopers/blocks” fitted, you can get the same effect with a commercial
or indie pattern.  It takes some time and patience but a TNT (tried and true ) pattern is just that, your go to pattern or in other words a block or sloper.

What’s up next?  I’m working on my bootstrap pattern bodice (since I already paid for it (quadruple eye roll lol) and I’ll start on my pants block class ugh, I’m behind!  I think I’ll be ready to do a fall sewing plans post with a possible Halloween costume, what do you think?  I also need to find a way to keep these post where I can see them, maybe a page in blogger?  Help!  lol.  I guess I can keep them in one note??  Also, I need casual button up’s, cardigans and some more skirts so I hope to make some in between all these bodice/ pants blocks!