Dart question

[Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply]

My daughter finally taped together her jumper pattern (from my pattern
drafting software) and when we made it up in some navy gabardine I got
for cheap from trimfabric.com and she tried it on, we decided that the
fabric doesn't have enough interest itself to carry the straight line
and needed some vertical darts for shaping so it doesn't look like a
navy blue paper bag. Of course, we didn't ask for darts when designing
the pattern, so I am pinning them to fit her.

Problem is, she has a "pooch" at her waistline and the narrowest part of
her waist is actually above her waistline. Do any of you more skilled
patternmakers know if it will look funny to have her waistline darts
about an inch or so above her waistline so that she can have some shape
to this jumper, or if it would look so bad that it would be better to
have notably smaller darts whose apices hit at the exact waist? We are
making this to build her a basic work wardrobe and I don't want it to
look "homemade" but rather "handmade," and I am still learning myself in
this regard (and I also don't care as much as she does, because she is
already self-conscious about her weight and all) and just don't know.

TIA,
Melinda

--
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. - Mother Teresa

[Valkyrie]

"Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply" > wrote in
message ...
> Problem is, she has a "pooch" at her waistline and the narrowest part of
> her waist is actually above her waistline. Do any of you more skilled
> patternmakers know if it will look funny to have her waistline darts
> about an inch or so above her waistline so that she can have some shape
> to this jumper, or if it would look so bad that it would be better to
> have notably smaller darts whose apices hit at the exact waist? We are
> making this to build her a basic work wardrobe and I don't want it to
> look "homemade" but rather "handmade," and I am still learning myself in
> this regard (and I also don't care as much as she does, because she is
> already self-conscious about her weight and all) and just don't know.
>
> TIA,
> Melinda

This is just a suggestion.......why not raise the darts even a bit higher
so the shape is more of a gentle empire waist. This will give a flattering
soft design line and then perhaps sew a band out of the jumper fabric,
attached it around the raised waist, the darts would start under the bust,
the band would lay over the top part of the darts under the bust. You could
even slide a buckle to the center of the band, under the bust to have a
point of interest. I think if you just raise the waist a bit to where hers
starts above the 'pooch' it will draw even more attention to that. I have a
short waist and I have found, for myself anyway, that just raising the waist
a bit to where I actually curve in gives a somewhat "pregnant profile",
which is darling if you are, unflattering if you aren't. If the garment
curves in about the mid rib area or just under the bust it sort of flows
over the problem area and has a more slimming effect. I know personally that
if I sew anything that is straight up and down I either look like somebody
is trying to dress a fire hydrant or stuff a sausage. I go for gently fitted
A-line or empire style and even this I use an A-line skirt instead of
straight or gathered.

When you are using your pattern program for a dress put a string around the
smallest part above her natural line and call it the waist. Measure from the
back of the neck down to this string to get a back measurement and around
this string for the waist, forget about where her waist should be. Then when
you make the pattern the curve of the waist will fall into the most
flattering place. I'd forget about a shirtwaist style and stick to A-lines
and empire looks.

I hope this helps a little. I remember in an interview Edith Head talking
about putting peplums on most of one star's (Barbara Stanwyck) clothing
because "her butt hung off the back of her knees". After that I never felt
quite so bad about my body flaws ;-)


Val

[Joanne]

Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply wrote:

> My daughter finally taped together her jumper pattern (from my pattern
> drafting software) and when we made it up in some navy gabardine I got
> for cheap from trimfabric.com and she tried it on, we decided that the
> fabric doesn't have enough interest itself to carry the straight line
> and needed some vertical darts for shaping so it doesn't look like a
> navy blue paper bag. Of course, we didn't ask for darts when designing
> the pattern, so I am pinning them to fit her.
>
> Problem is, she has a "pooch" at her waistline and the narrowest part of
> her waist is actually above her waistline. Do any of you more skilled
> patternmakers know if it will look funny to have her waistline darts
> about an inch or so above her waistline so that she can have some shape
> to this jumper, or if it would look so bad that it would be better to
> have notably smaller darts whose apices hit at the exact waist? We are
> making this to build her a basic work wardrobe and I don't want it to
> look "homemade" but rather "handmade," and I am still learning myself in
> this regard (and I also don't care as much as she does, because she is
> already self-conscious about her weight and all) and just don't know.
>
> TIA,
> Melinda
>

There are other ways to add interest to a jumper. One, of
course, is the blouse worn under it. Others would include
appliqués, interesting patch pockets, embroidery....you
may think of others. The nice thing about simple garments
is that you can do so much to make them look unique.
--
Joanne >
http://members.tripod.com/~bernardschopen/
Life is about the journey, not about the destination.

[Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply]

Joanne wrote:
>
> There are other ways to add interest to a jumper. One, of course, is
> the blouse worn under it. Others would include appliqués, interesting
> patch pockets, embroidery....you may think of others. The nice thing
> about simple garments is that you can do so much to make them look unique.

Yeah, but the solid color of this jumper really shows off its bagginess,
and it really does need darts as well.

I am so thankful that she is finally getting over her "I hate to
sew"-itis from when she insisted on making velvet, princess-line
Christmas dresses for 3 years in a row when she was 10, 11, and 12.
Once she got over the initial screaming meanies, she took off like a kite.

--
I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. - Mother Teresa

[Poohma]

"Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to reply" > wrote in
message ...
> My daughter finally taped together her jumper pattern (from my pattern
> drafting software) and when we made it up in some navy gabardine I got
> for cheap from trimfabric.com and she tried it on, we decided that the
> fabric doesn't have enough interest itself to carry the straight line
> and needed some vertical darts for shaping so it doesn't look like a
> navy blue paper bag. Of course, we didn't ask for darts when designing
> the pattern, so I am pinning them to fit her.
>
> Problem is, she has a "pooch" at her waistline and the narrowest part of
> her waist is actually above her waistline. Do any of you more skilled
> patternmakers know if it will look funny to have her waistline darts
> about an inch or so above her waistline so that she can have some shape
> to this jumper, or if it would look so bad that it would be better to
> have notably smaller darts whose apices hit at the exact waist? We are
> making this to build her a basic work wardrobe and I don't want it to
> look "homemade" but rather "handmade," and I am still learning myself in
> this regard (and I also don't care as much as she does, because she is
> already self-conscious about her weight and all) and just don't know.
>
> TIA,
> Melinda
>
> --
> I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.
> I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. - Mother Teresa
>

Do the darts HAVE to be closed? I would opt for open-ended darts or inside
pleats that would retain some fullness at top and bottom. It's hard to
picture in text, but:

\ / open
| sewn
/ \ open

Sew the "pleat" dart only in the center, leaving top and bottom open about
an inch or so (depending on dart length). I sometimes just do a straight box
pleat, press it flat and then topstitch around the seam. It works great on
girls' hand-me-down blouses and jumpers that are just a little loose.
--
Beth P
(In Las Vegas, but missing Georgia)