It’s a long time since I wrote a blog post. Most of the year, it’s been a strange year, 2020, as I think everyone will agree!
This post is about a ball dress mock-up from 2018 😃 Locket was invited to a ball and so a dress was needed. She found an image, below, online that she liked and . . . “Mum, can you make this please?” My response was that I’d have a jolly good try!
So out came my draughting books, Winifred Aldrich’s Metric Pattern Cutting for Women’s Wear, out came all my toys tools and the draughting began. I’ve done a fair few bodice blocks by now so the first part was easy enough. It was figuring out the changes that were needed that gave my brain a good workout!
Back and front of bodice block, plus the sleeve block.
Checking the bodice block fits, marking the scallops and separating the parts.
Getting the shapes for joining the sleeves to the back and front. Raglan seam lines.
Some flare added to the front and back pieces.
Checking out that the bodice pieces fit together.
Ready for trying on.
Skirt as well.
The first fitting – not too bad though some tweaking needed. I was all set later that day to begin tweaking when Locket asked if it was alright if she changed her mind and went with another idea instead. O.k! If you know teenagers – well, they do tend to change their minds.
It was a good exercise in altering a basic block and I learned a whole lot in the process, as I usually do when I attempt something I’ve never done before. It generally involves lots of research, trial and error. Often a lot of error – but I get there in the end. I find I learn a lot from the things I do wrong. Whether I remember for another time is another matter entirely!
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Starting to figure out the shapes for the scallop look.
The bodice and sleeve pattern pieces ready for a mock-up.
Skirt block.
Then it underwent another change!
