Paper Cuts Ahoy

I finished up my calico test of the bodice block first thing with four little seams and then my ole buddy machine got relegated to the floor as I spent the rest of the day with huge pieces of paper and thin card. 

I was fitted in to my calico by our lovely tutor Christine who marked with pins some adjustments to be made and then transferred those to my paper outline for the best fit possible. Once I was happy with the paper outline I transferred that to the card and hey presto my own bodice block which I can use in the future as the base for any dress or top pattern.

We then outlined that onto paper for the draft for the current pattern. Amending that draft with dart placement, seam positions, neckline shape, waist line placement, skirt shape and length etc is what gives the variation of the desired design. The amendments to the standard block for the dress I have in mind were to introduce seams to the bodice - both in the front and back - the curve of that seam allowing for fit around the bosom. I drew on a simple scoop neck, slightly lower at the front than the back and then traced over the draft to get the pattern pieces. I added a turning or seam allowance of 15mm. The dress will be fitted to under the bust and then have a full knee length skirt which will be made of four panels, the pattern pieces for which were created by dividing the skirt of the draft almost in to three pieces and fanning them out to the width allowed by the width of my fabric folded in half. 

So after a day full of plenty of paper I'm all raring to go tomorrow cutting out my pieces in actual fabric! I'm quite the novice in my group but it doesn't matter too much, I still think I'll get everything done in time. Only one lady has made much sewing progress on her actual dress and she has a simple shape with complicated dressings such as a mandarin collar still to come. We're ten pupils in all and every dress style is totally different even before the extra variation of fabric choice, it's amazing fun to see our tutor help translate our individual desires from a standard beginning.