How to Make a Curve-Hugging Dress
Women's clothing often doesn't take into account the unique proportions of a curvy woman, as any one size must accommodate several body types. Making your own dress enables you to customize it to suit your figure. With dresses that hug your curves, exact fit is essential. Simply making a dress smaller all over will cause it to gape in the wrong areas and be uncomfortably tight in other areas. Making a figure-hugging dress starts with careful measurements.
Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Sewing pattern
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Straight pins
- Kraft paper
- Fabric required by pattern
- Sewing notions required by pattern
- Sewing machine
Instructions
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Measurements and Preparing a Pattern
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1
Put on the undergarments you plan to wear with the dress. Put on the shoes you plan to wear with the dress.
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2
Have your partner measure the high bust, the point just beneath the arms. Measure the fullest part of your bust and hips. Measure your waist at the natural waistline.
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3
Choose a sewing pattern. If you choose a pattern for woven fabrics, the pattern should include darts or curved seams to fit closely. Choose the pattern size range that fits the widest part of your body.
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4
Mark the sizes that your bust, waist, and hip measurements correspond to on the back of the pattern envelope. Remove the pattern pieces. Mark the points that correspond to the sizes for your bust, waist and hip measurements. Measure the high bust point on the pattern. Mark your high bust point on the pattern pieces that cover the bust.
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5
Trace the pattern pieces out, following the pattern's lines where they match your measurements and connecting the points where your measurements differ. Cut the pattern pieces out. Pin the pieces to the kraft paper and cut out copies of your custom pattern.
Sewing Your Dress
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6
Launder and press the fabric according to the manufacturer's directions. Lay out the pattern pieces on a single layer of fabric.
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7
Cut out the fabric pieces using your custom pattern. Add a line of stay-stitching to all curved pieces and high-stress areas of the garment by sewing a straight stitch 1/8 inch from the seam line.
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8
Construct the garment according to the directions on the sewing pattern.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Make a practice garment if you are planning to make a form-fitting dress out of an expensive fabric.
Measure as you would for any garment. Pulling the measuring tape too tight may result in a dress you can't get into.
Some delicate fabrics, such as crepe de chine or hand-woven brocade, are not suited for form-fitting garments.
Do not rely on the elasticity of knit fabrics to compensate for sewing errors. Over-stretched knit garments don't last as long as knits sewn properly.
References
Resources
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