Basic body complete, and stuff I've learned

[amethyst73]

It's a good idea to make a mockup, even of an easy pattern, because the sizes are probably not going to map precisely to you.

I cut this pattern to a size 8, since I'm fairly small and size 6 dresses in shops usually do me pretty well.  Butterick 8 is *almost* too small in the hips, and their standard distance between waist and hips is a little different from mine.  Oh well.  It does fit well enough to manage for a day, anyway!  

(Gawd, I hope the sleeves end up being okay.)

here's a terrible photo of me in the basic body o' dress!

Comments

[amethyst73.livejournal.com]

Well, now I know. Note to self: get measurements next time!

And if the sleeves end up being too dratted small, the huz pointed out that it actually looks pretty decent in its current state, and I could just seam the armholes and it'd be okay.

I have attached the collar piece to the dress (mostly), and decreed that somewhere between 5.5 and 6 hrs of sewing in one day really is sufficient.

[hoshikage.livejournal.com]

Well, they run really small unless you're counting on that and therefore cut large, in which case they run HUGE. (As evidenced by that whole silly experience with the bridesmaid dress pattern I used... :P) Why yes pattern companies are in fact evil, why do you ask?

[amethyst73.livejournal.com]

Yes, I did in fact have the whole bridesmaid's dress adventure in mind. :p Seems to me with that, that we even *measured* me, and then cut appropriately, and it STILL turned out huge.

I'm kind of amazed that you can do costuming stuff for several hours a day, for several days at a time. I was sooooooo tired last night after my 5.5-6 hours!

[hoshikage.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was rather ridiculous, but it was also a Simplicity pattern - I have since learned well that most pattern companies are evil, but Simplicity is completely insane, in addition to evil. :P (I still haven't forgiven them for entirely omitting a needed pattern piece out of a coat.)

As for costuming for long periods - it's a matter of practice really, like anything else. I mean, one isn't automatically good at spending hours upon hours at pretty much anything without getting tired, right? :)