Sewing Lessons & FAQ

[Inky]

I agree with number two as my choice as well.

(and I love that collar!!)

 

[Lorena B]

I personally like the number three as white is very standard.
The number two is also nice but they might not get to stand off the blouse so yes, the number three as would be a bit more noticeable.

 

[Medvssa]

I would say, if you are (mostly) going to weat the blouse with a blue skirt, then blue buttons, and if white, then white buttons. If #3 is as big as #2, then #2, if #2 is as tiny as it looks in the picture, then #3

 

[Elaina]

I'd go with white since I try not to deviate too far off of ready to wear in look, and they usually would go white, which is what I would do. It also wouldn't limit me to wearing it with just blue either.

To me, the 1 and 3 would also stand out as a design element, and the 2 would fade into it. I'm the type if I have to think about it, I err on the side of caution and go with the standard type too, but I am so used to loud clothing, buttons almost NEED to be tame.

 

[SayCici]

I'd go with white since I try not to deviate too far off of ready to wear in look, and they usually would go white, which is what I would do. It also wouldn't limit me to wearing it with just blue either.

I would go with white as well, for the same reasons - since you might not always wear the blouse with navy.. if with black or brown, the blue buttons might look odd.

 

[Small Town Girl]

Elaina, Thanks! You're the best!

 

[MarieAnne]

What now....

So I made a sloper. From the sloper I made a pattern for a wing bust halter top using these pictures.
http://www.whirlingturban.com/wingbustdress.htm
I am making the first muslin and I have no idea how to assemble this.
Should I baste the bra to the wing and then sew them both onto the bodice?
Or should I assemble the bodice to the bra and then attach the wing? Should I do the center front seam last?
Maybe if I assemble the bra and wing and then attach the bodice like a yoke, turning down the top 5/8" and then matching the raw edges on the underside.

When I look at the pictures, I see no topstitches on the seam between the bodice and the wing. Are the pieces assembled right sides together? It would be very difficult because the curves would be in opposite directions....Makes me want to buy a dress just so I can tear it appart
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Sickofitcindy]

So I made a sloper. From the sloper I made a pattern for a wing bust halter top using these pictures.
http://www.whirlingturban.com/wingbustdress.htm
I am making the first muslin and I have no idea how to assemble this.
Should I baste the bra to the wing and then sew them both onto the bodice?
Or should I assemble the bodice to the bra and then attach the wing? Should I do the center front seam last?
Maybe if I assemble the bra and wing and then attach the bodice like a yoke, turning down the top 5/8" and then matching the raw edges on the underside.

When I look at the pictures, I see no topstitches on the seam between the bodice and the wing. Are the pieces assembled right sides together? It would be very difficult because the curves would be in opposite directions....Makes me want to buy a dress just so I can tear it appart
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I would like to know this as well. The dresses are beautiful but unfortunately WT does not make them in my size. I have a wing bust dress pattern (Vogue S-4300) but it is a different style. I hypothesize that the bra portion and wing portion are attached at the side seams.

 

[MarieAnne]

I would like to know this as well. The dresses are beautiful but unfortunately WT does not make them in my size. I have a wing bust dress pattern (Vogue S-4300) but it is a different style. I hypothesize that the bra portion and wing portion are attached at the side seams.

Ooo,I looked up the VogueS4300 and it's beautiful. What I gathered from scrutinizing the WT pictures is that although the bra is attached to the side seam, the wing is only attached to the front bodice. I thought about it all day long yesterday, I even dreamed about it the day before....Right now, I think I might try, basting the wing and bra together, and sewing them to the bodice seperately. Then attaching the sides, and sewing the front seam, through all the layers, except for the wing of course. Then attaching the sides and doing a facing for the whole thing. Do the wings have interfacing?
Or perhaps it would be best if I did the front seam first...Basted the wings and bra together and then attached them.......sigh*

 

[MissAmelina]

Ooo,I looked up the VogueS4300 and it's beautiful. What I gathered from scrutinizing the WT pictures is that although the bra is attached to the side seam, the wing is only attached to the front bodice. I thought about it all day long yesterday, I even dreamed about it the day before....Right now, I think I might try, basting the wing and bra together, and sewing them to the bodice seperately. Then attaching the sides, and sewing the front seam, through all the layers, except for the wing of course. Then attaching the sides and doing a facing for the whole thing. Do the wings have interfacing?
Or perhaps it would be best if I did the front seam first...Basted the wings and bra together and then attached them.......sigh*

Oh my gosh...my head hurts from reading that! Haha! Can't wait to see what you come up with. It seems like the wings would have a very light interfacing fused to the contrasting fabric to help them keep their shape.

And that the wings, bodice and bra are all attached to each other with the same seam, by sandwiching the wing between the bra and the bodice-- Which means it is the last seam before attaching the front of the bodice to the back at the side seams.

OR...You might be able to do the sandwich/seam on each seperate side first, and then sew up the middle seam last to attach the right side of the bodice to the left...that might be easier since you wouldn't have to match as many seams. Good lord, I have no idea.

 

[MarieAnne]

Well I have seen some pictures of wing bust bodices that have no center front seam....gr.....so now it looks like I might do the center front seam of the bodice AND bra and then sew them together sandwiching the wing.......
Now, on to the closure, how does a side, lapped zipper sound.....

 

[kamikat]

I finished the blouse (altered from a dress bodice) using the vintage fabric I just received, but Im at a loss as to which kinds of buttons to use.

LD

This may sound like a stupid question, but how did you turn a bodice pattern into a blouse? I have a shirtdress that fits perfectly and I want to make a blouse from it.

 

[Lady Day]

Here is a description (kinda) of how I did it. I took the bodice top and just softened the curve at the waist and added a peplum at the bottom.

LD

 

[kamikat]

Here is a description (kinda) of how I did it. I took the bodice top and just softened the curve at the waist and added a peplum at the bottom.

LD

Wow! These blouses always look so good that I thought there was some fancy drafting going on.

 

[Lady Day]

Im not fancy in anything but thanks!
A tip though, if the dress bodice has darts, soften them (make them narrower or eliminate some all together), it makes the blouse hang like a blouse so much better.

LD

 

[JupitersDarling]

I am attempting to draft a sailor collar onto a dress using the instructions at vintagesewinginfo.com. I am trying to wrap my head around how the inside edges can be finished though... Are these usually done with a facing? Would it be part of the collar itself, or a separate cut out? The sailor collar would be of a different color. As it would be placed on a bodice cut on the fold- thus no center front seam- (like in this pattern), how could I finish the neckline seams without getting a nasty pucker at the Vee-point (I've faced square necklines just fine by taking my time and many miniscule notches, but acute angles have given me trouble in the past), or creating a lot of bulk?

 

[Elaina]

I looked at sailor collars specifically here on the same site, and it seems to me you'd be making it like you would any other collar: with a top and bottom sewn right sides together, trimmed and then stitched to the inside seam.

I also read where the bodice was an oval, giving it a deep V-neck, instead of the right angles. I'm going to assume this is to give it less pucker that you mentioned.

 

[JupitersDarling]

I looked at sailor collars specifically here on the same site, and it seems to me you'd be making it like you would any other collar: with a top and bottom sewn right sides together, trimmed and then stitched to the inside seam.

I also read where the bodice was an oval, giving it a deep V-neck, instead of the right angles. I'm going to assume this is to give it less pucker that you mentioned.

Yes, I know of the usual collar method- the part that's getting to me is stitching it to the inside seam... there would be raw edges, would there not? Wouldn't they have trouble staying flat and under the collar/neck unless you put in a separate facing or add the facing width on one side of the collar pattern? I just found a pattern I have that has a related style of collar, and uses a facing, but there is a seam down center front (which prob. makes it easier to insert but I'd like to avoid having to split the bodice).

Oh wait!... just remembered- there is such a thing as hem binding in necklines. Hmmm. that could work for bulk! But the problem of the front V done in separate sections still hovers over me...

 

[MarieAnne]

I hope this helps

Here is the pattern Simplicity 3673 with sailor collar.

Here is what the pattern pieces look like.

And here are the instructions, which pertain to the collar...

Sorry the pictures are so big, I just wanted to make sure all the details were visible.
I hope this answers your questions...

 

[JupitersDarling]

Sorry the pictures are so big, I just wanted to make sure all the details were visible.
I hope this answers your questions...

THANK YOU MarieAnne!!!!

Seeing the process of facing and attaching is extremely helpful... let me see if I can adapt it. I'll report back.