Dress is an essential element of any woman’s wardrobe. Business and evening, festive and everyday, they give the hostess femininity and elegance. However, only a quality-tailored dress will be beneficial to emphasize the dignity of the figure and hide the flaws.
Measurement Tips
Every seamstress wants to create something perfect. But how to cut the dress so that it fits exactly on the figure? To do this, follow the instructions exactly and take measurements on the tailor lines.
So, to take the correct and accurate measurements, you must follow some recommendations:
- Before taking measurements, wear comfortable underwear. It should not squeeze and pull the body. It should be borne in mind that if the cut of the dress involves a specific neckline or complex details, then the linen should be worn exactly what will be later under the dress, otherwise protruding details may appear.
- It is necessary to stand when taking measurements directly, without warping, without leaning on one leg.
- To determine the level of the waist, it is convenient to tie a cloth tape on the belt. So its line will be precisely designated, and it will be more convenient to take measurements.
The main sizes for sewing clothes
To sew clothes, there is a standard set of measurements, removing which you can build a pattern. Sewing for beginners will not be a difficult process if all measurements are clearly made. It is universal. It can be used to create a dress pattern without sleeves.
Main measures:
- Chest girth. The tape of the centimeter should fit tightly to this part of the body, but not crush it, passing along the most protruding points of the chest. Chest girth is measured over the mammary glands.
- Waist circumference. The measure is removed on the narrowest waist part. To do this, the model puts his hands on his belt.
- Hip girth. It is removed only on the protruding points of the gluteal muscles. For owners of the breeches, the measurement is duplicated a little lower, in the area of the entering parts.
- Chest height. Measured from the point where the neck goes to the shoulder, to the protruding point of the chest.
- The length of the front (to the waist). This measurement is taken from the place of transition of the neck to the shoulder (this is the base of the neck). A centimeter is passed through the most prominent point of the mammary gland to the waist.
- Length of the product. For products with shoulders, measured along the back. To do this, from the seventh vertebra of the cervical spine, a centimeter is held down and falls to the level how long the product will be. For products starting on the belt, measured on the back. In this case, the tape runs from the waist to the estimated length strictly down.
- Back length (to the waist). This measure is measured from the seventh vertebra strictly down to the waist level.
- The width of the back. It is removed in the horizontal direction, on a straightened back. A centimeter is laid through the center of the blades.
- Shoulder width. Size is measured strictly horizontally. In this case, a centimeter tape is laid along the most protruding places of the shoulders.
- Shoulder length. The size is removed from the base of the neck and a centimeter is laid to the extreme point of the right and then the left shoulder. This is the point of connection of the shoulder with the arm.
- The length of the sleeve. The size is taken from the point of the end of the shoulder to the contact with the wrist. The arm should be slightly bent at the elbow at this time. Sleeve ¾ is measured in the same way, but to the elbow.
- Girth of the upper arm. Measured horizontally, a centimeter is laid on the widest (from shoulder to elbow) part of the arm at the top.
- Neck circumference. To take measurements with a centimeter, the neck is loosely wrapped.
- The depth of the armhole. For convenience, a paper cut is clamped under the arm with a width of 3-4 cm. Measurement is carried out on the back from the 7th cervical vertebra to the top line of the paper cut.
- Hips. The size is removed on the side of the body, from the waist line to the hip line. For the convenience of taking measurements on the hips and waist, you can tie a tape, and then remove the size along the side line.
- Leg length (from the outside). The size is removed from the waist and on the outside of the leg vertically to the floor.
- Leg length (inside) or stride length. Measured on the inside of the leg from the groin to the floor.
- Hip circumference. It is measured horizontally. A centimeter passes 5 cm below the fold under the buttock along the thigh.
- Girth of the knee. The size is removed horizontally. The tape runs 2 cm below the knee.
- Knee height. Measured from the waistline and down to the middle of the knee.
- The circumference of the lower leg. The size is removed strictly in the horizontal plane. The tape is held on the most voluminous part of the tibia.
- Ankle girth. It is measured horizontally. The tape is held on the thinnest place below the calf.
- Seat height. The size is removed in a sitting position. The model is sitting on a flat surface. A centimeter is laid on the back from the waist to the surface on which the model sits.
Dress with raglan sleeves
Raglan is a way of cutting outerwear in such a way that the sleeve is cut out together with the armhole without forming the upper shoulder seam. A dress with a raglan sleeve is comfortable - there is no seam on the shoulder, and it fits perfectly on the figure. It is not difficult to tailor such a dress, as the sleeve is built into the armhole, and the angle of inclination and the width of the sleeve are adjusted according to the existing modeling lines.
There are several types of such sleeves. But most often, a dress with a raglan sleeve is cut so that the armhole line intersects the front and back neckline. This line passes below the points of the vertices of the neck of the front and below the points of the top of the back by 1.5-5 cm. At the same time, it smoothly descends from top to bottom.
We will analyze in detail how to cut the dress. To get started, you need to take measurements. To build a pattern of a female dress of size 48, they will be as follows:
- product length - 100 cm;
- the length of the back of the product to the waist is 38 cm;
- product shoulder length - 13 cm;
- half neck circumference of the product - 18 cm;
- product half-circumference (above the chest) - 44 cm;
- product half-circumference - 48 cm;
- product half-circumference - 37 cm;
- half hips of the product - 50 cm;
- the height of the hips of the product is 20.5 cm;
- the distance between the highest points of the chest is 20 cm.
All sizes and calculations correspond to a figure with a chest girth of more than 80 cm.
When constructing a dress pattern of a tight-fitting silhouette, auxiliary measurements will be required:
- Back width: 1/8 chest girth + 5.5 cm = 17.5 cm.
- Armhole width: 1/8 of the chest circumference - 1.5 cm = 10.5 cm.
- Breast width: a quarter of the chest circumference - 4 cm = 20 cm.
- The depth of the armhole. The formula looks like this: 1/10 of the chest circumference + 10.5 cm = 20.5 cm. But the depth of the armhole is additionally measured and compared with the calculated value. If the indicators do not match, take the average.
Building a pattern of a sheath dress
They begin to build a pattern by drawing a rectangle ABCD. How to cut a dress using the received sizes? Let's get a look:
- From the top edge of a large-format sheet (you can use several sheets of A0 or glued sheets of A4), they retreat downwards about 15 cm and put the point A on the left side of the corner.
- From this point down, a strictly vertical line is drawn with a length of 100 cm (this is the length of the dress by measurement). It turns out a segment of AN.
- A strictly horizontal line is drawn from the first point (A) to the right. The length of this line is: 1/2 girth by the standard + 1.5 cm (this is an addition to the freedom of silhouette).
Construction of the armhole line:
- From point A, the depth of the armhole is laid down (obtained by measurements taken + 0.5 cm). Two points of construction are required - G, G 1. Draw a horizontal.
- To the right of point G, the width of the back and the width of the armhole (+ 0.5 cm) are laid as well as the width of the chest (1 cm is added).
Waistline:
- To do this, down from point A, lay the length of the back to the waist. Point T. is marked. The line TT1 is drawn.
Hip line:
- Down from point T, 20 cm is laid - this is the height of the thigh. Point B. is marked. The line BB1 is drawn.
Building a sideline:
- The value of the width of the armhole with the allowable increase is divided exactly in half.
- It is then necessary to lower the vertical line from the division point downward, continuing it until it intersects with DC. It turns out the side line. Vertical lines for the armhole are divided into 4 equal segments.
Forming a neckline neckline:
- 6.5 cm are laid to the right of point A, and 2 cm are laid down. A curved line is drawn.
Formation of the shoulder back:
- Down from the left line of the armhole, it is laid off from the top of 1.5 cm. Point 2 and 1.5 are connected.
Construction of the line of the armhole of the back:
- A 2 cm long bisector is drawn from the lower left corner.
The construction of the neckline:
- 6.5 cm are laid to the left of point W.
Front shoulder line:
- The dashed line, which is the auxiliary, is drawn from the top of the left side to the top of the point that divides the auxiliary line of the armhole of the back.
Building a raglan sleeve pattern
The sleeve is built based on the pattern of the front and back.
His pattern is imposed on the front of the dress and combine the shoulder section with the upper point of the okat. The neck of the front is divided in half. Two lines are drawn from the obtained point: the first to the armhole, the second to the sleeve. For the back, the manipulations are repeated.
The pattern of the front and back halves of the dress, as well as the front and back halves of the sleeve, must be re-drawn on tracing paper. For this, previously applied modeling lines are used.
Definition of a shared thread
For the correct cut, the essential question is how to determine the shared thread on the fabric. The direction of the fibers in the fabric plays an important role. To understand how to determine the shared thread on the fabric, you need to perform a series of actions.
If the fabric is new, then the shared will always be located along the edge. If there is no edge, then just stretch the canvas in several directions. Fractional stretches less than ducks.
That is, where stretching is less, there will be a shared thread. In addition, if you look at the clearance, then these threads are more evenly distributed relative to each other than ducks.
A-Line Dress
In order to understand how to cut a “trapeze” dress, you need to use the pattern for constructing a classic dress pattern and slightly change its bottom.
The named product is good in that it does not require tracing of tucks, waist and back. Using a pattern for a classic dress, it is necessary to draw not a tight silhouette from the armhole, but a free one, in the form of a trapeze.
The dress length is postponed from the armhole, from the chest and on the back from the shoulder blades. The width at the waist and the width at the base of the trapezoid should differ by about 2 times. This form is good for sewing free dresses for expectant mothers.
Sewing for beginners
Those who are just starting to get acquainted with dress tailoring should not tackle complex models. Sewing for beginners seems like a dense forest. But having figured out how to cut the dress, with a whole-cut sleeve or without a sleeve at all, you can begin to master more complex forms.
Getting started, it should be borne in mind that, for example, using a striped fabric, you need to follow the direction of the pattern and build a pattern so that the lines converge everywhere. An incorrectly laid out pattern on the fabric will lead to the fact that the product will look cheap. In the tailoring of any dress, the layout of the patterns is the guarantee that the thing will sit well on the figure and will look elegant and spectacular.
Lightweight fabric - chiffon, cambric, chintz - requires careful handling. The construction of the pattern should take into account the characteristics of matter. Some fabrics for a better fit silhouette must be cut obliquely. So they will create the effect of lightness and airiness.
Cotton fabrics require ironing, woolen fabrics require decating. Many lightweight materials need to be trimmed after magazine trimming. In order to determine the amount of skew, it is necessary to pull the thread along the cut line. Then it becomes clear what angle of inclination and how much to align.
Calculation of the required amount of tissue
The calculation of how much fabric is needed on the dress is made based on the measurements taken and the size of the cut. On a straight one-piece dress, an amount is needed that corresponds to the desired length + sleeve length. At the same time, the volume of the hips (taking into account the increase in the seams and taking into account the increase for free fitting) is placed along the width of the cut. All allowances are also taken into account in the calculation.
Narrow fabric (about 70-100 cm) should be used at the rate of 2 dress lengths + one sleeve length. Wide fabric (from 120 cm) allows you to cut sleeves from scraps of cutting the front and back of the dress. Then two dress lengths are used.
The consumption of material for a dress cut-off at the waist is made according to the all-cut version, taking into account an increase of 10 cm to seams and sections. In addition, you need some more fabric for accessories and trim.
If the patterns are built correctly, then the question of how to cut the dress will be decided by itself. Having filled a hand and gained a little experience, any seamstress will be able to easily manipulate measurements and formulas, automatically making a choice in the direction of the optimal silhouette and cut.
Recommendations
For the first time starting to sew a dress, the seamstress is faced with a large number of nuances, which are still unknown to her.
A strict dress or evening dress, made of thick fabric or light, simple or richly decorated with decor - it is very difficult to choose something.
Do not immediately take on evening dresses, no matter how beautiful they may seem in the pictures. There is a lot of work behind each model, even great designers have been working on their skills for years. In order not to leave a bad residue from the first dress, you need to choose a simple model and easy-to-work fabric. Let the product turn out to be discreet, but it will be qualitatively sewn and fit well on the figure. Only in this case, the beginning seamstress will want to again take up the scissors and tracing paper.