FEISDRESS.COM

Measuring the Upper Chest & Troubleshooting Sleeve Issues

2008-01-27T16:11:00.000-05:00

(Author: Susan; Models: the reluctant Divas)

It is easy to mis-measure the upper chest and shoulders. These measurements are used to determine your pattern size, so it is important that you get them right.

Start by marking the body landmarks. Yes, I mean MARKING. You have to consistently measure to the exact same points, otherwise your measurements are guesses and your pattern alterations won’t line up and make sense. If you don’t want to actually put marks on skin, put a little piece of adhesive tape on the area and put a measurement dot point on it.

You want to mark the upper chest points and back shoulder blade points (RED), the neck center front and back (PINK), and the outside and inside shoulder points (YELLOW). I’m going to be using photographs here, and these points are difficult to determine without a real body in front of me.

Here is our first example:

FIRST PICTURE
To mark the upper chest points, I’m looking at the creases that come up from the armpit. Often they angle inward, around the line that would be the armhole. Here, they point outward, so I’m going to come in from them slightly. Look at the second photo, you can see a the slight dent between her chest and shoulder muscles. You want your point to be in that divide. Too far over on the arm and movement will be restricted. Too far into the chest and it is too constricting. Our little gal here is fairly wide-chested. The upper chest is the measurement between these marks.

The pink dot is placed at the base of the neck. Technically it falls at the base of the clavicles, but go ahead and mark your finished neckline point.

Mark the outside shoulder points. To find these, you’ll have to ask the dancer to let her arm go limp and allow you to manipulate it. Place a finger at the shoulder point and move the arm up/down/around. Move your finger until you find the point where you don’t feel the shoulder movement. You want to be completely on the body side of the shoulder joint, not on the arm side. For team dresses, where there will be overhead arm movement, it is better to come a little further away from the arm. This will give you more arm freedom. Measure from the outside shoulder points to the neck center front point. Yes, it angles, but you have your “landmarks” for pattern alteration, so you can handle it.

SECOND PICTURE
Mark the inside shoulder points. Ideally, you would like this point to fall straight below her ear. You will probably need to move it towards the back so the seam won’t show from the front – especially if you will be using different colors in the bodice front and back around the neck. The point you mark will be the spot the shoulder seam ends at the neck line. Measure form this point to your outside shoulder point. This will be the length of your shoulder seam line.

THIRD PICTURE
Mark the neck center back. This will be the neckline point. Measure from the outside shoulder points to back neckline point.

Mark the shoulder blade points. This determines how wide the back of the dress will be from armhole to armhole. She is standing in “dance” posture and very straight, you’ll need to add more ease than if she’s standing casually, or rounded, so note her posture when you measure. This gal is wide across the back and not forcing her shoulders back and blades together. She won’t need much ease added in for movement.

Second example:

Note that her creases point inward, and I’m able to just follow them around to mark the upper chest points. She is standing without her head jutting forward, so her inside shoulder point is pretty much straight down from her ear.

Third example:

Although she isn’t standing with her head jutting forward, because of the slope of her chest/shoulders, the inside shoulder point has been moved back so the seam falls on the top of her shoulder and won’t be seen from the front. (I think she may have her head turned away from us rather than facing forward in the photo).

So you can’t move your arms…things to try:

1) Arm movement can be impaired if the bodice is too big. Check to make sure it is not too wide across the upper chest, that the shoulders aren’t dropping and/or that the armhole is too low or too big. You want the sleeve/armscye seam to fall at the pivot point of the shoulder joint. If it falls on the sleeve side, movement will be restricted. If it falls on the bodice side, it may feel uncomfortably small.

2) Is the armhole cut high enough? You want a high armhole – an inch at most below the armpit. Make it as high as you can without feeling like it is cutting into you. Depending upon the shape of the dancer, you may have to pivot the whole armhole more towards the front. (The FeisDress Designs™ pattern already has done this for you, but you may have to adjust the pivot or scoop out some more in the front if the dancer has muscle build up – tennis player or swimmer for instance. Remember, any changes you make to the armhole REQUIRES changes to the sleeve cap. There is no extra ease in the sleeve cap to accommodate any alterations in the size of the armscye.)

3) Shoulder seam length – make sure it doesn’t extend beyond the joint. Dropped shoulders decrease movement. You may even have to make the shoulder seam slightly shorter than actual body length. (If you are accustomed to only seeing your dancer in loose/casual clothing, a fitted shoulder might look “too short” to your eye.)

4) Widen the sleeve. If you are using a FeisDress Designs™ pattern, the sleeve cap is already rather low. Just add on to the width of the sleeve at the underarm sleeve line. If you are using a standard pattern, try lowering the sleeve cap and widening the sleeve keeping the cap seam the same length as before. (Pivot at the center point of the seam.) If you widen the sleeve and lengthen the cap seam, your resulting sleeve will be puffier. This may or may not be acceptable – just bear it in mind.

5) A gusset. No matter what you do, sometimes on some girls your only option will be to add a gusset. You can add a gusset to the normal sleeve bodice or you can experiment with cutting the gusset as part of the sleeve. Usually, it should be off-center, with more of the gusset in the front bodice than in the back. An oval is the best shape. Start small and gradually increase the size until you achieve the desired results.

If you are adding a gusset to an existing dress, open up the under arm sleeves –the sleeve cap, sleeve and bodice side (4 open seams). Do it a little bit at a time and them will all probably have to be opened different amounts. Have the dancer try to raise her arm. Open it up some more if you need to. Keep going until she can comfortably lift her arm. Look at the size and shape of the resulting hole that gaps when the arm is up. That will tell you the length, width and placement of the gusset for that dancer.

Ann's Gallery Updated

2008-01-27T14:01:00.001-05:00

Two new tunic style dresses have been added to Ann's FeisDress gallery.

Be sure to visit and take a look.

"Brainstorm alert - The Unified Quantum Theory of the Skirt Hang"

2007-08-21T20:17:00.000-05:00

Susan and I had an interesting conversation this morning after she sent a very interesting email that was inspired by this paragraph from the end of the fitting post:

2)If your dancer likes to yank her shoulders back, your dress may very well start to bell and the hem will protrude forward. There may be as many ways of fixing this as there are dressmakers, but my approach so far has been to take the skirt a bit higher into the side bodice seam. This has alleviated the problem.

Susan wrote:

Reading the last paragraph of the fitting post just threw the light switch—

The Unified Quantum Theory of the Skirt Hang

1) I have never seen a top-rated dancer stand with that misaligned posture on the podium. Maybe, when they’re holding the trophy, jumping with excitement, they forget to stand that way. Or, more likely, Gavin’s dancers and other top winners have learned to NOT stand that way because it adversely affects their dancing...good alignment equals good dancing.

2) Dancers, moms and TCRGs judge the dresses and dress hang from podium pictures, and those dresses hang beautifully.

3) Because some dancers still persist with the misaligned posture, dressmakers have discovered that causing the skirt to hang inward (toward the knees) when the dress is worn with straight posture counterbalances the misaligned posture when it occurs – so the dress still bells, but since it was leaning inward before, when the dancer sticks out her stomach in front and her butt in back, it looks straight. Dressmakers working for long distance clients don’t have a chance to evaluate how the dancer stands, so they opt for making this “correction” for all dresses – now it is prevalent. Dancers and DMs both assume it is mandatory for all ID dresses without considering the dancer inside them. The most common form of this “fix” is the straight waist seam.

What does this mean?

Most likely, your DD will never have a dress made and fitted by a BN dressmaker. You acquire a dress made for you by a small dressmaker. What does your DD hear soon after zipping up? “Come on, Honey, stand like you’re in front of a judge.” Then what happens? She yanks her shoulders backwards, her stomach bulges out (even if she is stick-thin), and her butt jumps up toward those shoulder blades. The front of the skirt pops out, the back pops out and the dreaded “LAMPSHADE” curse is bestowed. Verdict? The local dressmaker is just not as good as the big name DM who makes those dresses in your podium pictures.

This brings us to corollary 4:

4) The quick fix for the lampshade, bell-shaped skirt is to have the dancer stand up straight and in proper alignment.

Could not have said it any better myself!

Click here more info on the Physics of the Skirt Hang.

Fitting Issues: Dancer Mis-alignment

2007-08-20T10:28:00.001-05:00

Authors: Susan Gowin and Ann

Reading chapters 1 & 2 of "Body Alignment & Posture" will help you understand what is happening here.

(Susan received these photos from a mom making her first dress. She emailed them so we could see her problems and offer some help. We are using these pics with her permission. I want to be clear that I am in no way maligning this dancer...all my comments are factual observations based on what I see in the pics. Her alignment issues are NOT her fault.)

Every dress that we make at Feisdress, be it a custom solo or a school dress, is made to fit each client. (For one school account, I do make the dresses to fit looser than a solo dress because the parents are concerned that the dresses have plenty of room to grow…there is plenty of room to let them out, but it made the parents of the first few that I made for the school nervous that they fit so well to begin with. They wanted to SEE that there was room to grow into before any alterations had to be done. Have to admit that giving the dancers dresses that are a tad too big goes against my grain, but it is what they want.)

Back to the point…since I make the dresses to fit, I alter the Feisdress pattern accordingly. I take my initial measurements with the dancer in a relaxed, though straight, stance. Every once in awhile it is obvious that the dancer has a completely different way of standing when in front of the judge waiting to dance, so I will ask to see the “dancer posture” that they use. When it is drastically different than their normal posture, MOM and I have a discussion about that and how it will affect the fit of the dress, so which body does she want me to make the dress for? We do discuss the fact that most dancers cannot maintain an exaggerated posture while dancing to the same degree as when they are standing still. However, it is surprising what dancers can accomplish when they set their minds to it. So, which body to fit? And if we decide to fit the more exaggerated posture, how do we fix the issues that WILL pop up when fitting a pattern to the body?

Here we have a dancer in her dancing pose. Extremely exaggerated posture, very misaligned as indicated by the space between the back of her body and the door behind her.

Side view.

Notice the creases and pulls...

When dancer raises her arm, it gets worse. The teacher in me is screaming bloody murder, right now!

Ideally, the body should align straight down from the ear. Obviously not happening here. So, what IS happening? Considering the relatively balanced look of the dancer's head (her chin is not jutting or lifting, which I have to say is extremely unusual with a posture like this), I am going to hazard a guess that this young lady has been told to lift her chest, pull her arms back and press her shoulders down which throws her entire upper torso back and down. The rest of her body has responded by counter-balancing so she can stand up: her lower ribs are jutting forward while her sacrum juts back putting her pelvis into a major tilt which causes her to sway her lower back tremendously. The front of her body is over-extended while her back is shortening to a huge degree. The side seam of her bodice should be on the blue line in the pic below...notice how far off it is.

In terms of the bodice pattern, we must first understand that the side seam on the bodice does not divide the body into even sections front and back. There is more on the front side than the back side, but it should be a straight line. It is not straight here because of the dancer's posture. We must address this. But this is only the beginning.

This pic of the mock bodice was the initial pic sent...sleeves are in. The commentary that follows was the process with which the fitting problems were assessed.

Pic 1: The dancer is in her "standing before the judge" pose.

A: This should lay flat with no bubble here. Cutting the neck lower may eliminate this. There is too much fabric between the base of the neck and the bustline.

B: The shoulder/neck seam is too far back. Notice it is curving. You might consider moving it forward – this may help that bubble at the throat. You don’t want the seam to show from the front so having it back a bit is ok. Play with it.

C: There is something wrong with the sleeve cap. The sleeve shouldn’t be pulling back like that. The way the line starts straight and then angles…could the shoulder seam be too short? Actually, it looks like the sleeve cap does not have enough room...too short and/or not wide enough.

D: Side seam is angling towards the front – you need more room in the Front bust.

Pic 2: (Line A was originally a reference line on the crooked picture. I have straightened the pic and am using A to indicate the neckline problems.)

A: The shoulders are too angled so the bodice is coming up too high on her neck. Caused by the pulling of the sleeves.

B: These wrinkles indicate pulling – something is too tight. But just looking at the picture, the upper chest is plenty wide, even too wide. The pulling is coming from the sleeves…the cap is not high enough, maybe not wide enough. Take the sleeves off .

C: I think this extra here at the sides is coming from the back because it is all hiked up. You need to fix the back before you try to address this.

Pic 3: Now sleeves are off...some things solved so the sleeve cap is one culprit in the fitting issues.

A: (This is a vertical line for reference.)

B: neck is being dragged down by shoulder. See C.

C: Her left shoulder is lower than the right. Is this real or a momentary thing? If real, get a shoulder pad for that side. This will help the line and fitting the bodice. You can see it is even affecting the fit of the neck.

D: (This is a vertical line for reference.)

Pic 4: Sleeves still on.

A: The back shoulder width is too wide in this pic. This is because of her exaggerated dance posture. Notice in Pic 5 (which was taken after the sleeves were removed and there must have been a conversation about her posture) that this extra fabric has been filled up with wider shoulders.

B: In this pic, this should be the actual blade width.

C: If the basted line is supposed to be her natural waistline, the back is way too long. Probably by 2”. This is the waist as marked on the mock bodice which should actually be marked...

D: ...here on this line.

Pic 5: Sleeves off. Notice how the bodice fits better now, but there are still issues.

A: See how the neck doesn’t fit the same in the back? Is that a sewing mistake? If not, she may be throwing one shoulder farther back.

B: (This is a vertical line for reference.)

C: You can see here again that her left shoulder is lower. Why?

What this all means to a dressmaker: since you have a dancer with posture issues, you have to mentally start looking at the dress in segments and fit it that way. The front of the dress is totally separate from the back – you are no longer trying to fit her all the way around. You make the front fit, then you make the back fit and THEN you put the sides together. That is why taking separate measurements front and back is so important. You cannot measure around the waist and figure half goes to the front and half to the back. It does not work that way. And the more exaggerated the posture, the worse it works. You are essentially trying to fit one dress on two totally different people. There is no way it is going to look good on both. This is a difficult situation.

This posture also causes a couple of other problems:

1) This posture causes the dresses to either be too short in back or the dreaded skirt problem called the "Duck BUTT!" The simple fact that the dancer tips her pelvis as much as she does will mean that the skirt back, if cut to the same length in the back, will look shorter. As the dancer become vested in moving in this mis-aligned place, her rear-end WILL GET BIGGER. Now add in overdeveloped gluteal muscles and that skirt will be even shorter AND it will flare out at the back, hence the "Duck butt" appellation for the dress. Take this into consideration when dealing with misaligned postures and obviously overdeveloped bottoms: make the dresses longer in back for the tipped pelvis (or don't worry about it if your TC wants them to be shorter in back), and change the pleat fold lines to be closer to the back center seam to get rid of the duck butt.

2)If your dancer likes to yank her shoulders back, your dress may very well start to bell and the hem will protrude forward. There may be as many ways of fixing this as there are dressmakers, but my approach so far has been to take the skirt a bit higher into the side bodice seam. This has alleviated the problem.

Distribution of FeisDress Design CD in Australia

2007-06-17T12:28:00.001-05:00

FeisDress Designs Catalogue CDs are available once again in Australia through Tess Gleave and Glitterbugs.net. Please visit http://www.glitterbugs.net/feisdress-designs.htm for information on ordering the catalogue in Australia.

For North American and European orders, please visit the FeisDress website.

Another New Dress!

2007-06-15T20:17:00.000-05:00

From Ann... another new dress and a new variation on the "swoop" design.

"The center front panel is totally free! No useless pleats (no reason for them with a swoop or wrap), and no need to sew the side panels to the front to keep them in the right place (sometimes swoop panels can collapse into the center). The center front panel itself is wide enough to eliminate using pleats for modesty's sake, and the width & stiffness of it add the necessary tension to keep the side front panels in their wide spaced place."

Read more about the new dress on Ann's blog... or visit Ann's gallery for more pictures.

FeisDress Design Catalog Volume 4 Ready for Distribution

2007-06-14T14:19:00.000-05:00

The FeisDress Designs CD (volume 4) is ready to start production! Gina will be sending out the first batch either Saturday, June 16 or Monday, June 19. Please place your orders online - follow this link - and please ensure you send payment via Paypal to be in this first mailing.

We'll be updating the website shortly with additional information on the new design CD.

Rose of Tralee 2007

2007-06-09T11:55:00.000-05:00

Susan and Ann presented this year's sash for the Washington Rose of Tralee at the Irish Embassy in DC last night. Always a good time.

Susan, of course, did the design, and Ann did the digitizing and embroidery.

You can see last year's winner in last year's sash here.

New FeisDress Design CD coming soon!

2007-06-07T22:03:00.000-05:00

The FeisDress Design Catalog CD Version 4 is almost ready for shipping. We hope to have it available within the next 2 weeks (I'm hoping for next Tuesday to start burn and mail). The new designs include multipanel skirts, drop waist/2 piece style designs and the swoop styles.

For information and ordering, watch the website for updates.

New Dress added to Ann's Gallery

2007-06-02T19:59:00.000-05:00

Ann has just finished a new dress and it's been added to her gallery.

Be sure to also check out Ann's blog post about the new dress, which is a variation on the main FeisDress pattern.

New Design Gallery Featured on FeisDress.com

2007-05-06T07:44:00.000-05:00

Under the Rainbow Creations joins our website with five dresses created using FeisDress designs. Visit their gallery here.

While you're visiting the site, be sure to visit all our dressmakers in the main gallery

Same Design... Different Dresses!

2007-05-02T08:55:00.000-05:00

One of the great things about the FeisDress Design Catalog is that so much of the dressmaking process is the result of the dressmaker and clients creativity. Here's an example of how one design -- SG 99 -- can look so different when put into the hands of different dressmakers.

Here's an early version of the SG 99 design by Colleen O'Neill.

Colleen also created a pink dress using the same design

Terrie Dluehosh created this dress using the SG 99 design.

Terrie also created this dress...

...and this one

One of our new dressmakers, Under the Rainbow Creations, just sent this green dress they made.

So you can see how different the dresses end up looking. If you've used SG 99, let us know! We'll include you in this blog entry, too!

Photo Gallery Updates

2007-04-02T18:27:00.000-05:00

We've added new dresses to the Feis Dress Designers Galleries, including dresses by Susan Gowin & Ann Donahue, Colleen O'Neill and two dressmakers who are new to the site and included in the "Other Desigers" gallery, Marion Lambert and Under the Rainbow Creations.

Visit the FeisDress Gallery page and have a look around.

If you're a FeisDress customer and have pictures you'd like to share, please send them to Susan and we'll try to get them posted.

Measuring for the Feisdress pattern

2007-03-20T10:03:00.000-05:00

This will help those measuring for the Feisdress pattern to identify the marks needed for correct measuring. Points are identified to correspond to the measurement sheet which can be downloaded here...and you have to be a member of IDDressmaking to view it, so sign up.

IMPORTANT: When marking these points and later taking the measurements your dancer should be standing as if in front of a judge – head high and straight, shoulders aligned, arms straight at sides. You will probably find it necessary to remind her to stand this way before taking each measurement, but this is very important for achieving the best fit for the stage.

Use a water-based magic marker to place dots (either directly on the skin or place small pieces of adhesive tape on the spot and mark the dot on the tape) on the following locations:

Point A) Upper chest – Have your dancer stand with arms straight down at the sides. There will be creases coming from her armpit upward. Mentally extend the line of those creases around the curve of her shoulder joint. They will curve inward as they go up. Mark a point on the curve an inch higher that the top of the crease on each side.

Point B) Drape a necklace/chain/weighted string around the back of the neck with the ends hanging straight down in front. Mark the point the necklace crosses the shoulder seam on both sides. Ideally, this should be in line with the mastoid process (the small hollow close under the back of the lower part of the ear). Many people stand with their heads too far forward; if this is the case, put the mark where you want the neck/shoulder seam to be.

Leave the necklace in place.

Point C) Mark the end of the shoulder bone straight over from mark B. This will be the position of your bodice shoulder seam. Make sure it isn’t rolling forward – it is best for it to be even on top of the shoulder, but more towards the back is better than too far towards the front.

After you mark the neckline and shoulder point on both sides, step back and look at the dancer. If you can see the dots from the front, you will be able to see the shoulder seam from the front. Move them back as necessary - you don’t want to see the seam, especially if the color or fabric is different in the front and back bodice pieces.

Point D) Mark the center front neck at the middle of the hollow at the base of the throat (top edges of the clavicle bones).

Pin a ribbon around the waistline. It should be snug, but not tight. Most people’s waistlines slant, usually higher in back than in the front. Step back and make sure the ribbon is parallel to the floor all the way around. Pay particular attention to the side view – usually it is best to lower the part that is high. Take all measurements to the natural waist. If you want to drop the waist, when you are finished with all the measurements, put a second ribbon where you want a new waistline to be and measure the new circumference, the distance between the bottom edges of both ribbons and new front and back lengths and slopes. NOTE: All measurements will be taken from the bottom edge of this ribbon. Use paper clips to mark the following points on the waistline ribbon:

Point E) Center front

Point F) Side seams

Point G) Center back

Point H) Mark the center back at the at the top of the 1st Thoracic vertebra. To find it, nod your head so your chin goes to your chest. Feel your back neck. Find the first BONE that doesn’t move with your neck. You might have to do it a few times because the skin and muscle will move. Feel for the bone.

Point I) Mark the point on the wrist/hand where you want your finished sleeve to end.

Point J) Use piece of adhesive tape with ink dots on them to mark the bust points.

Feisdress pattern: The physics of the skirt hang!

2007-03-20T08:30:00.000-05:00

Originally posted by Ann on Taoknitter.

I have made over 30 dresses using the Feisdress pattern in the past year. I obviously love it and will never use another. The logic behind its design is solid. Any problems I have ever had are of my own devising. I have every size: the skirt has been perfect and except for waist enlargements, I do not have to alter the skirt pattern. I do alter the bodice pattern for every dancer because no two bodies are the same and I know the fit I like. I think I have only ever had one small dancer whose measurements matched the pattern exactly. I choose a pattern based on the upper chest measurement and then alter what I need.

Every problem I have encountered with skirt hang has been caused by something I did wrong. The Feisdress skirt pattern is brilliantly engineered - the angles of the panels and of the pleat seams and the tension of the pleats and waist seams make this skirt work the way it does. Folks claim that a curved waist seam keeps the skirt from being able to lay flat. I think it is the illusion of the straight waist line that makes folks think the skirt is hanging straight. Not so. The pic below is a flat skirt with an obviously curved waist seam. This pic showed me I had a waist seam to correct a bit, but everything worked so well with the skirt construction that the waist seam fix was more for my sense of symmetry. It is hard to see because of the fabric, but the skirt is offset forward of the side bodice seam about an inch. (This is the under-bodice and skirt of a 2 piece. I love these because I can make the skirt fit snugly and get the drop-waisted look with the shape of the jacket. Whole dress here.)

For the record, I check skirt hang on a hanger unless it is big enough to fit on my dress dummy. I have found that the problem I see on a hanger is exactly the same on a body. Sometimes on a body the problem is less exaggerated, but it is still there. When a skirt lays flat on a hanger, all is well with the world!

There are a few things to consider when trying to achieve a flat skirt front. First is the actual shape of the dancer - the flatter the dancer, the flatter the skirt. Susan explains it clearly here. Evaluating your dancer's actual shape will help you figure out how to adjust the skirt for the flattest look possible which usually involves deciding how far to offset the skirt...or even deciding that the young lady's shape may preclude a totally flat skirt. There is an offset skirt line on the pattern, but it is just a suggestion. Choose your own, move it forward, back, whatever works for you.

Second, there are inevitably skirt issues to resolve no matter the skirt shape and these involve simply getting the skirt panels to hang right, period.

1. Folding/bending of the top of the side panels at the sides.

When this first happened to me, I solved this by sewing the sides of the skirt higher into the bodice. I angled the seam from the front dart, up higher to a point on the side bodice seam, then back down to the real waist seam line at the back dart. Because I kept having this problem, Susan included this alternate line (dotted) on the pattern. Below is the back and front bodice pattern pieces (1" side seam showing).

And here are the front side panel (FSP) and the back skirt lined up to show the corresponding line.

This is a fix many folks have figured out for themselves no matter the pattern.

However, the problem I was having was completely my fault. There were 2 issues.

At first, I was not pressing and basting at all before I sewed the skirt on. As I have said before, I am a master with pins. Brilliant genius, truly. Well, the Irish dance dress skirt exists to thwart all seamstresses, to torture us, to humble us. The stiffened panels WILL move, WILL shift, WILL prevent you from every getting that skirt on correctly unless you PRESS & BASTE! You may laugh, you may scoff, but I guarantee that if you PRESS & BASTE, the skirt will behave and your adjustments will be fewer. I liken this to constructing a building - they don't just pound in nails to make something fit and stay...they cut things to exact measurements and do all the necessary prep so that all the pieces simply fit. Same for this pattern. Yes, I do pin the skirt to the bodice after it is pressed & basted. I feel that this is more stable for sewing the 2 sections together.

I was altering the bodice pattern incorrectly: I put the bodice side seams too low on the altered pattern. I had not measured them too long but rather made them too low in their placement on the pattern which made them too long. Learning curve. So, if the side bodice seams were too low (long), then there was no tension on the skirt sides to hold them up, so the top of the panels would bend. I have corrected that alteration misperception and the problem has disappeared.

I was seeing the above bending problem mainly on smaller dresses because the skirts are not heavy. However, on bigger dresses with heavier skirts I was seeing...

2. Center front panel jutting forward.

Because the entire skirt is heavier, the same issues discussed above (a & b) will cause the CFP to stick out. If you look inside the pleats, the half of the pleat attached to the CFP is folding, being pushed by the stiffened FSP, which does not allow the CFP to lay flat, hence the jutting. Pushing it flat then causes the tops of the side panels to bend. So, pulling it up into the side seams will help get rid of this unless you did not PRESS & BASTE...you might just have to start over.

3. Twisting center front panel.

It won't lay flat or evenly...you push the offending side down and the other side pops out. Things to consider:

Have I done the "PRESS & BASTE?"

When basting, did I lay the skirt flat to find the flat alignment of the pieces? This is important. If you are basting with the skirt in your lap, it WILL NOT line up as it should. Lay it flat on your table and baste it tightly, especially at the seam line itself.

Below is a pic of how my wrapped pleats seams line up when I lay the dress flat to begin basting. (I have put white fabric under them for contrast.)

Granted, if my pleat seams are not the same length to begin with, this is not a reliable indicator, but I try to cut and measure things consistently. If I have checked this prior to basting and they are even, all should be well. However, if twisting occurs and the inside looks like this (below), then things shifted or were basted incorrectly to begin with. One of the pleat seams has been pushed down (or up) and is pushing the CFP. If you only pin, no basting, this happens very easily.

Twisting can also happen if the CFP is too narrow at the top. This pic is of a different pattern for a skirt I was asked to fix because the CFP was twisting. Couldn't be done...made a new skirt.

If all else is good and it is still twisting, check the waist seam. Is it even? I sew the skirt on from the bodice side (meaning I am looking at the bodice while sewing), but I check the OTHER side, the skirt side, for seam evenness. I can tell right away if things have slipped, shifted or if my sewing ling went off on a random journey. I then re-sew or start over to make that seam line as even as possible.

4. Bowing CFP.

I have never encountered this in a dress I was sewing, but I did just recently have to trouble shoot this while helping someone put a skirt on. I had cut the dress out so I knew we were ok in terms of proportions.

When she first arrived with the dress, the skirt was on and the CFP was twisting. There were enough issues to resolve that I had her take the skirt off and start again. What I did not check was how well the skirt was basted to begin with. This time, when the dress went on the hanger, there was the bowing CFP! Pulling it up into the side seams had a bit of an affect, but not enough. We straightened the seam across the waist to no avail. It was eventually time for her to leave, so I gave her a few more hints to try, but I have not heard from her since. I do not know how it ended up.

The one thing that occurs to me having had time to think, is that the front pleat seams were pulled up too high into the waist seam. Like I said, I did not check the basting stitches. If they were loose and she pinned that area pulling the tops of the pleat seams up to meet the selvedge edges, then the CFP is going to bow out because the pleat seams themselves have been shifted closer together changing their angle. They are closer together at the bottom of the CFP, and because that seam is stiffened (the only seam in which I include the stiffener because it does not fold)there is no give and the CFP is bowed and forced to stick out. Even if the pleats were totally soft, there would still be a problem - the pleats would fold and crease still affecting the hang of the CFP. Only solution is to rip it out and start again.

Stiffener Placement & Seams

2007-03-20T08:21:00.000-05:00

Originally posted by Ann on Taoknitter.

When making an Irish Dance dress, I only sew the stiffener into 2 seams - the front pleat seams. In the Feisdress pattern, the skirt is constructed from 3 pieces: the center front panel (CFP) which includes the front half of the front pleat, and 2 side/back skirts. (Click here for visuals.) The side/back skirt includes the back skirt, side tuck/pleat and the front side panel (FSP) and the other half of the front pleat all in one piece. There are 3 seams (not counting hem and waist): the back seam and the two front pleat seams. I use FirmFlex (same as Timtex) in the CFP and the FSP. I do not stiffen the front half of the pleat attached to the CFP), but I do include it in the FSP pleat seams because they do not bend and it is part of the tension mechanism for the skirt. Here is a top cut-away view (thanks, Susan):

I do not include any of the stiffener in the waist seams, either. I cut it to just below the waist seam.

Placement of stiffener: I so not use stiffener in my back skirt. The fabric has some stiffness due to the fact it has been stabilized, but I have only ever stiffened the back skirt once because it kept collapsing (another construction error on my part). For the CFP and 2 FSPs, I make pockets in the lined skirt pieces and insert the cut stiffener. The CFP is a complete pocket made by sewing 2 lines from the hem to 2 inches below the selvedge at the waist, through the lining just to the side of the flash pleat color. I roll up the Firmflex and put it through the top, work it into place, give it a good shake, and it is in to stay. For the FSP, I sew 1 line from hem to the waist selvedge this time, on what will be where the FSP folds back into the side pleat/tuck. I insert the cut piece which extends from the fold line all the way to the pleat edge. This I either fuse into place with a bit of WonderUnder or with some Fabri-tac.

CF Questions

2007-03-12T07:26:00.000-05:00

Marag on CF wrote: "Am starting a dress using Feisdress pattern. Have a few quick questiond. What sort of interfacing do you use? (fuseable? muslin?) And if I a doing a real lining (not just serging the seam) can I attach the lining to the bodice at the top and not use the neck facing piece? Also should I clip the curves on the princess seams in the front?"

1. Susan and I use a couple of different things depending on the need. We tend to use French Fuse (fusible tricot) the most because it changes the drape of the fabric the least. However, parts that will be embroidered also get fused with Pellon Decor-bond. We have also used fusible woven.

2. The lining can be totally up to you. We serge the cotton lining to every piece of the bodice; we do not use bag linings because this adds unnecessary time and $$ to alterations. Therefore, we use the neck facing. If you do a bag lining, you just need to be sure that the lining does not show at the neck seam. Personally, when I have done bag linings, I still use a neck facing. Susan wrote: Besides making alterations easier, using an underlining rather than the bag lining protects your dress fabric. If the seams get tight and the thread starts to cut the fibers, it has to cut thru the underlining first. Hopefully, someone will notice before the outside is damaged. Bag lining hides that.The facing adds a more professional finish to the neck and zipper, but if you have your own ways of doing things, there is nothing in the pattern that will prevent you from going ahead with it.

3. You do not need to clip the curves on the princess seams because they are designed to be sewn to fit the breast curve and there is no ease to worry about. Susan wrote: Clipping the princess seam - you probably won't have to since the seam is 3/8". Also, you can avoid clipping by pressing the seam towards the side rather than towards the center front.

There is much more info about using the Feisdress pattern here: Taoknitter.

Altering the FeisDress Bodice

2007-02-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

Written and originally posted by Ann on http://taoknitter.blogspot.com/. Larger images are available by clicking on the photos in this post.

The FeisDress™ pattern comes in a full range of Girls and Juniors patterns. There is no specific set for women…the patterns are easily altered. As it is, it is a rare child or teenager that fits one of the patterns exactly and I alter the bodice pattern for every school dress and custom solo that I make.

This post will document how I alter the Feisdress bodice pattern for the ID school dresses I make. Have to admit that I have a free-form approach to this…whatever works. This is by no means a “this-is-what-you-MUST-do” document. (If you are interested in a more technical approach to pattern altering, Susan has one on the Feisdress design cd.) There was a comment at one point on one of the boards that there are no “lengthen or shorten here" lines for altering the bodice…that is correct because all bodies are different and there is not simply one place to cut on any pattern that makes it fit every body, regardless of what we find on the patterns we get at the fabric store. So, here is one way I deal with it.

Below is the measurement sheet we use. I use this to decide which size pattern to use.

I start with the upper chest measurement…most times matching this measurement gives me the appropriate pattern to start with. However, there are times when other measurements (usually shoulder seam and bust) conspire together to make it necessary to start with a different upper chest measurement because my alterations will change it.

I begin by outlining my pattern piece only at the neck & shoulders, also marking the shoulder seam and top of the bodice center line (I have put holes in the pattern piece at these points). I have pulled the pattern piece down here to show my first markings. (I actually use pencil since I make mistakes, but I have used black marker here for illustration purposes.)

Next, I mark the end of the bodice center line at the pattern waist line. In this instance, the dancer’s center front measurement is longer that the pattern, so I draw a line through the point at the neck and the pattern waist point to create a longer center front line and make a new waist point at the correct length. I then line up the bottom center point of the pattern with the new bottom point, making sure the center line is on my drawn line, and then I draw the edge of the 2 inch seam for the center front of the bodice. (You can see at the top of the pic below that I have pulled the pattern down to a new length.)

The pic below shows my adjustments – the center horizontal line at the bottom was the original pattern edge, the lower one is the new edge. I have marked the center front line. The right side of the ruler is measuring the full front length, from the beginning of the shoulder seam at the neck to the waist line. I got lucky here…lengthening the center front also lengthened this measurement the appropriate amount.

Next, I alter the length of the shoulder seam – here I have to make it shorter.

Then I check the shoulder slope length from the end of the shoulder seam to the center front waist. Again, I got lucky and the length was right.

Using the new shorter shoulder seam length, I line up the pattern piece and pencil trace the armscye to the top of the bodice side seam so I can check the new bust measurement. It is too narrow (I needed to add ¼’ to the pattern bust measurement to begin with) so anchoring the end point of the pattern (at the arm) to the new end point of my altered pattern, I swing the pattern out to the appropriate bust width and draw the armscye. I check this here.

The pic below shows the completed bodice side. You can see the original bottom edge of the pattern. The finished bodice side seam is in a different place because changing the shoulder seam length and then swinging the armscye out to the correct bust measurement pulled it up. The waist measurement of the pattern matched the dancer so I lined up the pattern piece with the new side seam and drew in the seam (which is 1”).

I now go through the same permutations with the back bodice pattern piece: I draw in the neck, center back line and shoulder seam. I lengthen the center back line, check the full back length (which is correct) and then check the back shoulder slope. In this instance, the shoulder slope is too short, so I mark the correct length which moves the end of the shoulder seam as shown here.

This is a closer look at the moved shoulder seam.

Here I line up the shoulder seam of the pattern with the new shoulder seam to draw the first part of the pattern edge.

Then I line up the end of the shoulder seam of the pattern to begin drawing the armscye.

After I check the bust width again, I finish drawing the back armscye.

Once I check the back waist width, I line up my new front bodice pattern side seam line with my back bodice seam line to draw in the seam allowance shape.

Et voila! My new back pattern piece.

Kite Shawl construction

2007-02-05T11:10:00.000-05:00

These are instructions for making a stiff kite shawl.

Here is the embroidered shawl piece with the piping sewn into place around the edge. The raw edges will be turned to the back and the piping will “roll” to the edge.

This is a trick for making a nice finish at the top point. Place a scrap of fabric over the shawl and piping, right sides together, and pin. Flip it over and sew on the existing seam lines. Trim close to stitching and turn, 'creating` your top point.

Finish turning the piping to the inside - clip and trim as necessary and rolling over the stiffener (Timtex).

Next is the pinned piece next to the satin border/backing. The backing has been sewn, clipped and trimmed. Then a slash was cut so it could be turned right side out.

On the non-slashed side of the backing, position a “Belt loop” and sew into place. This loop is probably longer than it needs to be and the picture was taken after the embroidered shawl piece was attached. You want to sew the loop before that so the stitching won’t show from the good side.

There is a strap on the back of the dress at the waistline which will thread though this loop and close with velcro. This holds the shawl snug to the back while allowing some movement and flexibility.

“Stitch in the Ditch” to attach the embroidered piece to the backing.
Use thread that matches the embroidered fabric in your needle and thread that matches the backing in your bobbin.

Sew velcro to the top corner and shoulder of the dress. I like to turn down the tip for a finish.

Skirt question

2007-02-05T10:41:00.001-05:00

Written by Susan and posted by Ann

We received this question via email. I will remove specific references to companies and people to protect the innocent.

I am interested in finding a pattern for a dress. I have used (a different) pattern and made a dress with a Susan Gowin design which I think is on the Colleen's of Canberra site. However, the skirt 'bells,' i.e. makes a circular shape rather than flat in front of the legs. How does the skirt sit with this pattern?

The skirt sits flatter if you offset the stiffened side panels so that they end in front of the bodice side seams.

Here’s the deal – the body/waistline is some sort of variation of a cylinder. The rounder you are, the more the skirt is going to bell. If your waistline is more rectangular, then the skirt will sit flatter. That’s why those skinny little girls get that flat skirt look – they’ve got nothing bulging out in front (rounding them).

If you are a fluffier kind of person, there is very little you can do to avoid it – that skirt has to mold around the waistline somehow. And the top of the skirt guides the bottom of the skirt so it will bell if the waist conforms around the dancer's shape unless you get the panels to twist in opposition to what the top of the panel dictates.

One thing you can do is end the stiffened part of the skirt before it has to bend around the side of your body. Think of taking a sheet of poster board and holding it up to your waist. Bend it around your waist like you would a skirt – see how the bottom of the cardboard bells? Now cut the cardboard so that it is a rhombus –shape (triangle with the top point whacked off). Hold that up to your waist – it doesn’t have to bend as much so the skirt hangs “flatter”.

The FeisDress pattern has instructions on how to offset that front side panel and has a exemplar line drawn on the pattern pieces. (Depending upon your dancer’s size and skirt length you’ll probably have to redraw them to suit her, but you’ll get the idea.)

Does this mean the skirt won’t bell at all? Probably not – so much depends upon body shape. But it won’t bell as much as your current dress.

Welcome to the new FeisDress™ Blog!

2007-02-04T19:35:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the the newest feature on the FeisDress.com website... our new blog!

Here you'll find up to information and how-tos on the FeisDress™ Design Irish dance dress patterns and design CDs. We also provide helpful hints on the various processes in Irish dance dress construction.

By way of a brief introduction, you'll see posts from :

Susan - Susan Gowin has been designing and creating Irish dance dresses since 1995.

Ann - Ann Donahue is an avid sewer and knitter and creates dresses with the FeisDress™ line of products

Gina - Gina Sheridan Foster is a dressmaker and distributor for FeisDress™ Designs

megs - aka, the "webmaster"

Like a post you see on our blog? Click on the envelope icon below and you can email it to others.

Have feedback for us? Click on "comments" and let us know what you're thinking.

Have questions on a particular topic? Check out our "Topics" list to the right to see posts with information on a specific style or issue.

And be sure to check out our Archives -- you can find them on the right -- for a list of all the posts featured on this site!

Enjoy!!

About the FeisDress™ Pattern

2007-01-24T10:57:00.000-05:00

Written and originally posted by Ann on http://taoknitter.blogspot.com/.

Questions surface occasionally about the FeisDress™ pattern on the message boards. I thoroughly understand asking for input about the pattern from users before buying the pattern. There are sometimes even questions about what is included in the pattern like a drop waist or different skirt styles. But I do wonder why people using the pattern post technical questions they have before they ask Feisdress...Susan will always answer questions about the pattern. Perhaps it is just habit...I know there are questions asked about using and altering the other available patterns all the time.

So here I will post some information about the pattern that I hope will be helpful.

1) The pattern pieces are accurately marked with seam allowances and notches. The seam allowance are different sizes depending on the pattern piece - i.e. the neck seam is 1/4" to cut down on trimming while the side bodice seams are 1" to allow for alterations.

2) The bodice pattern shape is "drawn to-waist" which simply means that it is designed to fit the torso to the waist. It is not drawn to fall below the waist. It can be easily altered to be a drop waist, but to be clear, for a drop waisted bodice to fit nicely, it must still fit to the waist and then flare out over the hips...it does not fall in a straight line from the armpit to a designated point 1-2" below the waistline. That would be baggy unless the dancer is straight up and down! This link takes you to using the Feisdress pattern for a drop waist, 2 piece. It fits to the waist and then flares out.

I will post my process for lengthening the bodice pattern this coming week.

3) The skirt pattern consists of 4 separate pieces: center front panel (CFP, includes front half of pleat which will be folded under), front side panel (FSP, includes back half of pleat which is not folded unless working a box pleat), side tuck, and back skirt. However, the FSP, tuck and back skirt pieces are all combined to make ONE piece. There are only 3 seams in the skirt: the two pleat seams and the center back skirt seam. Using these pieces is fully explained here.

4) There are grainlines on every pattern piece. They are not labeled, but it was assumed a seamstress would know them for what they are. They are the center lines of the front bodice, sleeve and each skirt piece; however, as the FSP, tuck and back skirt make up one full piece, you need to decide where on the skirt you want to line up the grain. Since most of us interface/stabilize our dress fabrics, there is technically no grain line to be considered for drape and movement. So the only reason to consider a grainline for the FSP/back skirt is if it is a noticeable line that impacts the dress design in any way. As for the side princess seam bodice and back bodice, the grain line is there - diagonally on the side bodice and vertically near the zipper line on the back.

5) The Feisdress skirt pattern includes knife and box pleats, standard and reversed back pleats, and an offset skirt. You can email Susan for instructions on changing the skirt to a wrap skirt. And this link shows how we changed the pattern for 4 and 8 panel skirts.

6) Yes, the armscye looks smaller...it is. It is designed to allow for a wider range of movement. Granted, Irish dancers are not known for grand arm gestures, but they need ease of movement for team dancing. Since the lower armscye comes up higher into the armpit, there is less pulling up on the whole dress. I am still looking for the link that explains that an armscye for dance needs to be cut higher and smaller, not bigger and looser. Here is one that talks about how an armscye should actually be shaped (like Susan's!). It is a bit long and involved, but it is very informative.

7) The directions included with the pattern are quite extensive and include many pictures to help illustrate the process.

8) And there is of course this blog. If there is anything at all that I can answer, please post a question. If there is a point you want to debate, feel free.

Part 2: Irish Dance School Dress Design

2007-01-22T18:37:00.000-05:00

Written by Susan and originally posted by Ann on http://taoknitter.blogspot.com/.

You may choose to use a dressmaker who is also the embroiderer, or you may have separate people/businesses performing each task. Either way, you will need to specify what you expect. So much of this depends upon your design which I will discuss in that section.

For now, you need to understand the dressmaking flow.

DM measures dancer and uses those measurements to alter a pattern to fit. DM may make up a fitting bodice to test the fit. (Something to discuss and document in your standards.)

DM cuts out the dress.

The pieces are embroidered.

The dress is constructed with perhaps another fitting.

Final fitting – customer accepts dress.

The DM is responsible for preparing the dress pieces so they can be embroidered. This usually means that the dress pieces have been interfaced and marked. Embroiderer and DM will need to work together and test different interfacings in order to find the right combination that will embroider well. The DM might prefer that the pieces are not cut out exactly to size yet – sometimes the embroidery causes the fabric to pull up and “shrink” a bit – and if so, the embroiderer needs to know that. The pieces have to be clearly marked so that the embroiderer can see the center line, the cutting lines, hem and seam lines etc. These will be used for placing and sizing the design. Depending upon your pattern, the pieces need to be clearly labeled as to what they are – the front side panels may look like back side panels, left side and right side may not be obvious – or the wrong design could be embroidered. All these details (and more) need to be worked out and agreed upon. They need to be written down. When the bus hits the DM and you need to bring in someone new, the written guidelines will save you time and money.

You and the dressmaker & embroiderer need to work out placement standards. For instance your skirt will be cut with a 1/2” hem and that will be clearly marked by your DM. You must specify that the designs will start X” above the hemline at the center lines (also clearly marked by DM). That way you won’t have some skirts with the design sitting right on the hem and others with it floating 2” above it and off center. You will ensure a consistent look. Every embroidered piece needs placement stated – don’t leave it up to the embroiderer to guess and remember what she did last time.

Selecting a Dress Pattern

I started making ID dresses before there was a pattern available in the US. There wasn’t a big internet presence, so information was very hard to obtain. I had to develop my own method for making a pattern for the skirt, and I drafted the bodice patterns by hand. Chances are just about every dressmaker who has been doing this for 10 or more years had to invent their own wheels, too.

The school I initially worked with wanted to bring in several dressmakers (moms as well as storefront seamstresses) which was a good plan. Unfortunately, none of them ever worked out because there was no real pattern. I’d go and show them how I’d make the skirt pattern and draft the bodice but the results were not good. A lot of them decided not to even try. Or they reinterpreted the skirt and it didn’t have the same look. Mostly they’d start and just quit part way through.

I’d hate to see that problem occur now because there are several patterns available. I feel strongly that your school should purchase a set of patterns that will be “loaned” to your DM(s). This is essential if you will be using moms or a non-ID specific dressmaker. (Some established DMs have their own patterns and may refuse to use a third party pattern.)

The pattern can serve as the master guideline for such things as:

Skirt proportion: Should the side panels be half the width of the center front panel? Or two-thirds? Or equal width? (Note: You must decide upon the skirt proportion before you commission an embellishment design – your artist needs to know the size and shape of the canvas.)

How wide/what type of pleats do you want in the front and back of the skirt?

What angle is the center front panel? The side panels?

How much seam allowance should be left in each seam?

A good pattern with good instructions can give your school additional flexibility and options. You may be able to call upon local sewing talent in your school or town. I suggest you purchase copies of available patterns for evaluation.

Selecting a Design

You can draw your own design “in house,” select an existing “per use” design from a designer’s catalog, or commission a custom/exclusive design.

An existing “per use” or “reusable” design can be purchased and used by anyone anywhere. That means you may see solo dresses with the same (or nearly the same) design on them. Since the colors and fabrics would be different, that isn’t the end of the world. There are MANY school dresses currently being worn that have reusable designs. You would pay the designer an agreed upon fee for every dress your school has made. You may be able to negotiate a lower price by purchasing rights to some number of dresses ahead of time. Fees for a single use vary significantly from designer to designer but ballpark is $30 - $60.

The custom or exclusive design is one that you purchase for the sole use of your school. The designer may or may not retain rights, so if you think you will be using parts of the design as your school logo or as background on your website, be sure to discuss the use beforehand. Fees and conditions vary - $150 and up.

If you decide to commission a design, you will need to provide the designer with some information and guidelines:

Dress pattern information: What commercial pattern (if any) will you be using? What are your skirt proportions and angles? Is your bodice darted or made using princess seams? You want your design to fit nicely on your pattern pieces.

Which dress pieces do you want embroidered?
- Front bodice - always
- Center skirt panel – always
- Side skirt panels –usually
- Skirt back – optional. This is a significant expense and may not be noticed as “missing” if you opt for an eye-catching shawl
- Bodice back – very optional.
- Sleeves – usually. Do you want the embroidery directly on the sleeves or as a removable “patch” or cuff? If it is on the sleeve, adjusting the sleeve length causes the embroidery to float towards the elbow or fall into the hem.
- Shawl – almost always. You can decide to go with a draped shawl with no embroidery. Decide upon the size/shape for a stiffened, embroidered shawl.

Do you already have some sort of school logo or initials you wish to incorporate in the design? Initials or an image that is very easily identified as unique to your school gives some folks a problem when used on the front of the dress. The argument is that it could influence an adjudicator if he/she can identify which school a dancer represents. I wonder how many times a judge (or anyone else) must see a dress before knowing the association. Anonymity certainly would disappear long before the dress. Personally, I find wearing initials on the front of the dress to be rather like a billboard. However, on the shawl, I find it charming. Let your designer know how YOU feel.

How extensively do you want the design to fill your dress pieces? There are many variations on this, but simply put, do you want your skirt & bodice full of embroidery & appliqué from hem to neck? Or do you prefer a design that stops short of the waistline seam and only partially fills the dress? The full version is very impressive. However, when such a dress is altered, the alteration (especially at the waist seam) can become glaringly obvious. Either the design is cut off or a gap appears. The less filling designs take to alterations more kindly.

Shaped pleats, hems, sleeves and shawls add to the cost of a dress. Be sure to tell your designer if you want them included in the design.

If you already have school colors selected, tell your designer. That may influence the design. Will additional colors be allowed?

If you are SURE that this design will ONLY be used on a single size/age group, tell her so she can produce a design with an appropriate feel.

Do you want your design to consist of mostly embroidery or appliqué work? All-embroidery designs tend to look best on smaller dresses, especially if the width of the satin stitching will remain the same no matter the skirt size. Embroidery machines can increase the satin stitch size if the design has been properly digitized (to be discussed with your embroiderer/digitizer.) If the design will be “hand guided,” the stitch width depends upon the machine. Home machines usually fall in the 5 mm to 7 mm range. Industrial zigzag machines often go up to 12 mm. The point is that on a large-sized dress, the design won’t be as dense as on a small sized dress and could look rather anemic. So if you plan on having moms (or an embroiderer who doesn’t use digital equipment) embellish your dress, you might be better off with an appliqué-heavy design. Appliqués will enlarge with the design and fill in large sizes as well as they do smaller sizes.

Be sure to look at your design “life sized” – not just on 8 ½” by 11” paper. Enlarge it to fit on a small skirt and on a large skirt. Does it work well on both sizes? Look at it from a distance – are there any accidental “arrows” or “bull’s-eyes” on the crotch or fanny? Are there “boob blossoms” or “eggs” on the bust line? Will it flatter large figures as well as petite ones? Are there horizontal lines across the hips that widen them? Look at it upside down. (Ann has written about this issue in her Diary...it is in section 14.)

A border around the bottom of the skirt is lovely design feature. But, it will make sizing the design much more complicated and expensive. It is very difficult to do well.

In this example the red skirt is the original design. Now we need to put it on a skirt that is the same length, but for a wider dancer. The border forces us to stretch the design sideways and the circles become fat ovals. The whole thing looks squattier.

Again, the red dress is the original and now we need to put it on two taller dancers’ skirts.

We started with the blue skirt and just enlarged the design until it fit that skirt length. When we try to use it on the orange skirt, which is the same length but for a narrower waist, the design is too wide so now it has to be squeezed to fit. The circles become elongated.

Without the border, I’d only need one size for each inch or two (depending upon how “fitted” and full the design is) of skirt length. With the border, I will end up making unique sizes for just about every skirt. Or I’ll be forced to change the skirt angles for every dress to fit the design. That means some skirts will be proportionately wider than others. Either way, it gets ugly – more time, more skill, more patience is required from your dressmaker and embroiderer. Some will just not do it and you’ll end up with designs that are cut off or end short.

I always advise against an embroidered/appliquéd type skirt border on school dresses.

Collaborating with a designer on your dress will probably be the most fun part of this project. Some people find it difficult because they can’t express what they want in words. Find pictures of dresses you like and ones you hate. Don’t worry about telling the designer you don’t like what she’s drawn – you won’t hurt her feelings. She’s trying to figure out what will please you. So if you don’t like it, say so and try to figure out WHY you don’t like it. The more feedback you give, the easier the process. Believe me, nothing is more frustrating for the designer than sending out sketches/ideas and getting NO comment or “what else do you have?"

More to come.

Part 1: Irish Dance School Dress Design

2007-01-19T18:59:00.000-05:00

Written by Susan and originally posted by Ann on http://taoknitter.blogspot.com/.

For the record, I do have vested interests. I sell an ID dress pattern. I sell designs for solo and school dresses. I make and sell solo and school dresses. So what I say should be considered biased. Feel free to comment from your own point of view. I am open to intelligent discussion. The focus here is to offer advice to new TCRGs who are developing their first school dress.

The following is directed to the school dress design team. The team may consist of the TCRG and no one else, or it could include parent(s), student(s) and even the school’s dressmaker (if you already have one).

The ID team dress makes a statement about the school it represents. Everyone involved – TCRG, parents, students – hope for an attractive, flattering dress with great stage presence that will fit and last for a long time yet cost very little. Unfortunately, these goals are somewhat at odds with each other and the mission of the design team is to weigh the importance of each, set priorities and make some tough decisions for their school.

The issues the design team must address are:

Select a dressmaker/embroiderer

Select/commission/approve an embellishment design

Decide on colors

Select fabrics

Select dress pattern

Establish an ordering process

Document dress fitting, construction, and embellishment standards

(Discussion of these issues will be out of order.)

The circumstances unique to your school will determine what you consider when. The order is important because every decision you make will influence all your subsequent decisions. The team CAN control the order in which these issues will be addressed. Be aware that your approach order will limit options available for the next selection.

The team also must determine which selections are absolute (unchangeable) and which may be treated as “preferences” (open to revisions or substitutions). Here’s an example:

The team has selected an embellishment design, colors and fabrics. Now they are looking at dressmakers (DMs). DM-A insists that significant changes be made to the design for reasons related to her equipment or methods. DM-B refuses to use the fabric the team has chosen. Both DMs may (and most likely do) have very good reasons for their stands. Is the team willing to change the design and/or fabric? Or, will these DMs be excluded and the search continue? In this case, we’ll say the team’s design choice is absolute and the fabric choice is flexible. They were unhappy with the changes DM-A wanted to make, but they will consider alternate fabric types. So, DM-A is out and DM-B is still under consideration.

I will continue to discuss each issue in the design process. As you read and consider my opinions, please remember that this is one of those situations where you need to get it right the first time. Any changes made to the design, construction, embellishment, color, fabric, or fitting standards of the dress will make previous versions obsolete. Parents will be very unhappy, feel cheated, “unfavored,” and blame the TCRG and the rest of the design team members personally. Resale values drop and disappear.

In other words, making mistakes and “learning as you go” will be costly, both monetarily and emotionally. Be prepared to pay upfront in order to save in the end. You may be asking dressmakers, embroiderers, and suppliers to provide you with samples for approval. Since a significant amount of time and effort will be required, expect to compensate them. Be prepared to spend the time it will take to get the dresses you want. Don’t let some deadline pressure squeeze you into accepting a less-than-expected dress because it is better than no dress. Plan on it taking at least a year from the time you begin this journey until your dancers perform in their new costumes.

On Getting Hit by a Bus

The bus is the bad thing that Murphy says will happen. The bus is life interfering with the best laid plans. The black bus brings sick children, dying parents, natural disasters, fires, auto accidents, legal problems, emotional breakdowns, divorce, discontinued fabric, broken machines, and postal strikes. The white bus brings prayed-for pregnancy (with triplets!), the spouse’s promotion and transfer to a different region, the daughter’s engagement and wedding plans. A bus will eventually hit us all. No matter what you do, you can’t prepare for it all, but if you address the right issues you may still get your dresses.

What do you really need?

Before you begin making any dress plans, analyze your school’s needs. First, how important will team dresses be in your school? Is yours a “solo school” with little team dancing? The school dress is a step up from skirt-and-blouse but once outgrown, generally not replaced. Dancers with solo dresses wear them for performances and parades.

Or, do you have a “team school”? All dancers are required to dance figures and school dresses are worn for performances and parades.

Most school fall somewhere between the two extremes, but deciding how central the dress will be to your school image will help you to develop workable solo/team dress policies. Will your dancers have to “earn” (reach a particular level of competition, such as preliminary championship) solo dresses or will each dance family have the option to purchase a solo dress whenever they feel like it (within your dance organization’s rules, of course)?

Will the school (or some booster organization) be subsidizing dress costs? For instance, you may choose to apply performance fees towards dress expenses. Besides facilitating dress purchase, this may allow the school to stake partial ownership of the dress to prevent sale outside of the school.

What is your overall costume plan? What will the new students (who haven’t yet committed themselves to ID) wear? Generally it is the skirt-blouse outfit. Some schools have a skirt made; others select a skirt & blouse from a uniform catalog or just leave it up to the parents to find something appropriate. In my observation, the uniform catalog option works best. Even if it eventually costs more than a “custom” skirt, parents feel better about purchasing “real” clothes. They can justify the expense – dd can always wear the outfit if she gives up ID.

The main school dress will be around for years. Changing it will be very disruptive, even if there is strong dislike for the dress throughout the school. It is tempting to try to design a dress that will be all things to all dancers and suitable for every opportunity that arises. There is pressure to have a dress that is as fancy/glitzy/jazzed-up as those on the podium at major competitions.

Some feel the need to provide a less-embellished version of the school dress, a “junior” dress for older beginners (often some sort of jumper with embroidery on the bodice).

And don’t forget about special “performance” costumes used for shows or recitals. Typically, these are more “Riverdance-y” and not stiffly embroidered.

Adults need their own dresses that are more tolerant of a “full figure”.

And so it goes. But is all this necessary? For a new school, to start, all you really need is some sort of beginner option(s) and a team dress. All the others can be added as needed. (Just be sure you anticipate the need and start early.) Even though changing the design of the team dress is difficult, if you start simple you can gradually add in an “improved” version of the team dress for “senior” teams that will be dancing in major competitions. The older style dresses can eventually become the “junior” dress.

After you analyze your school’s needs, take some time to analyze your TCRG’s needs as well. The TCRG needs to decide his/her role in the costume drama. After the dress has been designed, approved and ordered, it is common for the TCRG to wish to “back out” and just let it happen. Complete withdrawal is not possible. Much of the ordering process can be delegated; however the TCRG remains the final authority. There will be situations in which the dancer and DM disagree. Many of these problems and issues can be anticipated and covered in the fitting, construction and embellishment standards document. But there will still be tough decisions which result in either an unhappy parent or DM. Try to avoid it and the DM and parent will be angry and you could lose both.

Fitting, Construction and Embellishment Standards

Your objective is to present your definition of a well made dress and to itemize the points of agreement that you have worked out with the DM. I want to make clear that I am not advocating that you dictate to the DM how she should conduct business. What I am suggesting is that you decide what you expect. The DM may agree to it or not. Or she may have a different approach that would work for both of you. This is not meant to be a hostile document to be used against a DM. It is meant to specify exactly what you want so the DM won’t have to guess. Most DMs really want to please their clients. If done correctly, the document will outline exactly what it will take to do that. It will cover common “what if” situations and clearly state who is responsible for what. This will be the place to state what payments are due to whom and when the fees should be paid.

Fitting standards will protect both you and the DM. Many parents pressure the DM to construct the dress too large (“room to grow”). The result is a dumpy-looking, sagging dress that twirls around the dancer. To look best, the ID dress must fit snugly to support the skirt. Otherwise it hangs from the shoulders, the sides of the skirt fold in towards the front, and the skirt spins at the waist. Since the DM is being paid by the parent, she may feel she should comply with the customer’s wishes. However, if a fitting standard is available, the parent will know beforehand what has been agreed upon. The fitting standards should provide a reasonable range that will accommodate just about any age, size, shape and allow the DM and parent to work together to make a dress that will be acceptable within the school. Extremely unusual cases can be addressed individually but will necessitate TCRG consultation. You may also find you need different ranges based upon a dancer’s maturation/size/potential for more growth. You want to be flexible and take advantage of the DM’s expertise.

“Ease” is the term DMs use for the “how much bigger than the body measurement” they make parts of the dress. For instance, if your chest is 40” and I make your dress with a 40” bust, you will not be comfortable, able to breathe or move much. Some ease is required. An experienced ID dressmaker can help you set a range (or ranges). Setting them down in writing, beforehand, and giving them to the parents will anticipate many conflicts. Consider ease guidelines for the bust, waist and (for younger dancers) the shoulders. It is also good to detail hand/wrist points between which the sleeve should fall.

Skirt length is the most difficult to specify because there are several ways to measure “above the knee”. Pick one – kneeling is probably least open to misunderstanding - and then specify a range (X” to Y” above the floor). Again, you may have different ranges depending upon age/size.

Standardizing how/who measures your dancers is the key to adhering to the fitting guidelines that are mutually set between you and your chosen dressmaker(s). You cannot have ten people measuring ten dancers in ten different ways and expect a DM, no matter how competent, to fit each dancer well or consistently. You will need to work with your DM. If she is local she will probably measure the dancers herself. If you have chosen to use an overseas or long-distance DM, you will heed to be trained in how measurements are expected to be taken. EVERY DRESSMAKER WANTS DIFFERENT MEASUREMENTS TAKEN DIFFERENT WAYS. Even if your DM is local, it is a good idea to have someone within your school trained in taking measurements for the dressmaker. Growth-spurt emergencies happen and it will facilitate things if the DM doesn’t have to come back to re-measure. Both DM and parent should keep copies of the measurements.

Your construction/ordering standards are statements of how you want your dresses made and how the ordering process will work. You will discuss and come to an agreement with your DM about each specification. At a minimum:

Specify your base fabric(s) – type, color, manufacturer(s), product code(s)

Skirt/bodice/sleeve lining(s)

Interfacing(s) – list dress pieces that you want interfaced and the type of interfacing you want used

Stiffener – specify where stiffener should be used and the type/amount.

Seam Allowances – specify amount at key seams for easy alteration (center back, bodice sides, bodice waist, skirt waist, sleeve, etc.)

Sleeve hem – how much?

If the bodice princess seams/darts must align with the center front panel, say so.

Seam finish – do you care if all your seams are finished and how? Pay particular attention to exposed seams in the skirt. Should they be bound? What about the back zipper- do you want the zipper in the skirt finished with the lining so that it doesn’t show during kick up?

What happens if dancer grows before the dress is finished? (Commonly an alteration fee will apply.)

How/when can a dress be cancelled?

If multiple dresses are ordered, who decides on priority?

Bodice lining – do you want the bodice interlined or bag lined?

Sleeve lining?

Panel Dresses

2006-12-08T17:47:00.000-05:00

Written by Ann and Susan and originally posted on http://taoknitter.blogspot.com/.

Using the FeisDress™ pattern, Susan and I each made a panel dress for the SRO. You can see both below: I made my daughter’s black/dark blue dress (Susan's design), Susan made the black/copper/teal dress for our webmaster (her design, I did the embroidery).

Folks have asked for instructions for the panel dress…here I will post what we did…use what you will. This was written by Susan and I, and we are assuming you are familiar with/using the FeisDress™ pattern. Susan’s instructions for what she did with the Webmaster’s dress will be in bold type; mine will be in regular type and parentheses. Please feel free to post questions if you have them.

Important note: Susan and I split the FeisDress™ skirt pattern into 5 pieces as opposed to the usual 3 - we separated the front side panel (FSP) and half the side tuck from the back skirt and the other half of the tuck. And, most importantly, we attached the skirt lining to all pieces of the underskirt (as we called the skirt under the panels) BEFORE we attached the panels. When attaching the panels, the stitching went all the way through the lining.

1) Susan: Make your 3-panel, knife pleated skirt as usual. Here is Webmaster’s skirt with the three sections clamped into place. This is the outside of the skirt. The fabric showing will appear to be the pleat lining in the finished skirt. The skirt pieces have been stiffened and lined, but the bottom has not yet been shaped (you can see the markings).

Since this dress will have a back skirt made of a different fabric, there will be a seam in the side tuck (right FSP shown here with panel attached and hem finished).

Here's the right FSP and half tuck with the right back skirt and the other half of the tuck.

This is the back right side of the dress before complete construction.

Ann: my daughter Molly’s dress has 8 panels, so I made the entire main skirt with the black sequins over a dark blue shattered glass, except for the pleats. I did not put sequins on both sides of the pleat, keeping the blue bare on the “unseen” side of the pleat. It does give a flash of color, but it also obviously protects the sequins on the other side. I also used a seam in the side tuck, but I did this to make it easier to set the panels and to once again add fabric to protect the sequins. As you can see, except for the front panels, I left the other 6 panels essentially free from the skirt, especially in the back. It gave the skirt the wonderful freedom of movement that I like.)

This pic is of the front pleat. The panel was sewn down to the edge of the front panel...you can see the panel overlap.
This is the back pleat...easier to see because the panel is free.

Here you can see how loose the back panels are.

2) We used 4 panels on the front. Both of us used the offset skirt (front skirt side seam that falls forward of the bodice side seam). To determine the width of the top of each panel, measure from front side seam to front side seam (offset skirt or full front). If you want 4 panels divide this by 4; 5 panels, divide by 5. This gives you the width of the panel at the waist seam. You of course must then decide what shape the panel will be above the seam taking into consideration the seam allowance. The Feisdress pattern allows for a 2 inch seam allowance at the waist for let-down. Continuing the angle of the panel into the seam allowance means there will be overlap. Angling it so there is no overlap obviously affects the shape at the top when the skirt is let down. Susan cut her panels so that they met at the waist seam on the Webmaster’s dress. I wanted space between my panels so measured that into the mix. You can see the basted stitches at the seam line on Susan's dress here.

Here you can see the spaces on mine (the pic is off center so does not show even spacing).

For the width of the bottom of the panel, measure the bottom of the front skirt, decide how much of the underskirt you want to show, subtract that from the bottom skirt front width, then divide by 4 (or 5). Construct panel accordingly.

3) Susan: I decided not to shape the sides of the pleats on this dress. I thought it gave a more long-tall-lean look to the skirt. So the embroidered pieces are cut wide enough to wrap around and overlap in the back. Here is an embroidered panel. You can see the marked fold lines and the bottom shaping.

Here is the panel with the Timtex fused into place. I serged one side and overlapped it in back. The panel is pressed over the Timtex.

(Ann: Susan designed Molly’s panel with a shape. I fused the embroidered piece to the Timtex, and fused that to my black fabric. I cut the panel in the appropriate shape and then satin-stitched the outer edge.)

4) Susan: The bottom shaping was carefully marked and cut. Then I opened up the fabric and satin stitched the edge with rayon thread and used fray-check. Once dry, I folded the fabric back around the Timtex and fused overlapping back pieces closed. Finally, the bottom was satin stitched with Super Twist thread (folded closed). This technique made nicely finished end corners.

Now place panels on the skirt to mark the shape of the hem (whether you attach them for good now or not is up to you). Susan and I both made the main skirt a bit shorter than the panels and mirrored the panel shapes, but there are as many ways to do this as there are dressmakers!

After shaping the hem and attaching the panels, sew the skirt pieces together at the tuck and front pleats and cover the seam as usual.

Since both of these dresses are 2 pieces, the skirts were then sewn to underbodices. I personally have become a convert to 2 piece dresses. I cannot imagine the trouble I would have had sewing all of this to my stiffened bodice. The cotton under bodice was much more forgiving.

Two-Piece Dresses

2006-12-07T17:33:00.000-05:00

Written and originally posted by Ann on http://taoknitter.blogspot.com/.

Said I would explain how I made the bodice/jacket for a 2 piece Irish dance dress using the FeisDress™ pattern so here goes.

I always make a mock-up of the bodice for fitting purposes. For a 2 piece, since I need a "bodice" to attach to the skirt, I use this mock-up 3 ways: for fitting, to try out the shape of the jacket hem, and then re-adjust the hem to attach it to the skirt.

Decide which pattern size and bodice shape you need (1 piece or princess line). Make necessary alterations for fit and length. I wanted the jacket to have a dropped waist; this is easily accomplished by using the 2-inch waist seam allowance that is already on the pattern pieces as I found they flare just the right amount. Then, because I wanted the jacket to come down to a point I added more length at the center front and angled it up to the side seams. I adjusted pattern measurements to fit the dancer exactly. In fact, I made my mock-ups to fit very closely. I have read and seen that some dressmakers keep the underbodice rather loose. Saw a couple at the SRO that actually were like loose pinafores which meant attachments had to be used to keep the bodice and skirt lined up. I took a chance that making the under-bodice very fitted might eliminate the need for attachments. Turned out to be correct at least for the 2 I've made.

I usually make a tissue paper pattern from the FeisDress™ pattern. For Molly's, I used the one piece front bodice as her mock-up/under-bodice and then transferred further changes to the princess line pattern. I attached the modified bodice hem to the Feisdress pattern piece itself in the 1st pic, and used the darted back piece tissue.

I made the mock-ups initially with the waist line that I wanted for the jacket to check the shape, length, etc. I marked where the actual skirt seam would be so when I was happy with the hem shape, I cut it off and attached the skirt.

These show the mock-up bodices attached to the skirts. I did not drop the waists of these skirts because I wanted them to fit snugly at the waist so there would be no swinging.

The dropped waist look comes from the shape of the bodice hem and the fact that it falls below the skirt waist. These are pics of the two dress bodice hems. The blue one comes up a bit higher on the side (curvy dancer) but is not separated from the skirt as it looks here - the skirt is offset and you can't see the black fabric in this pic. But you can see how snugly in fits on the red one. I saw a couple of 2 pieces at the SRO on which the front bodice came to a point but the front side princess bodice panels were straight across. I personally do not like the look so I angle mine to blend with the center bodice.

Decide how you want to stabilize the bodice. The red bodice ended up being VERY stiff - I call it the flak jacket. This happened because I first stabilized the base fabric with a woven fusible because I wanted to be sure I would not punch huge holes with my embroidery (I like a very close satin stitch), and then I added fusible decor bond each time I moved the hoop for a new section. I then stiffened the front side bodice to stand up to the middle bodice and ended up with a jacket that does not crumple, and because it is very fitted, it does not shift either so I did not add attachments to keep it centered over the skirt. Time will tell if I can keep it that way.

Decide on your hem finish. Susan and I discussed using a hem facing, but I decided to satin stitch both of these bodices.

I obviously used a separating zipper in the jacket. I used a regular 24" zipper in the dress (underbodice & skirt).

When all was said and done, Susan and I discussed using boning. The blue jacket is not as stiff at the sides as the red one and I may try adding some boning to make sure it does not crumple. Right now it is fine, but I would like it a bit more crisp looking.

FeisDress™ Pattern

2006-08-03T18:29:00.000-05:00

Written and originally posted by Ann on http://taoknitter.blogspot.com/.

First thing to remember about the FeisDress™ skirt is that there are only 3 seams (not counting the waist or hem) - the back seam and the two pleat seams.

The front pleats are integrated into the CFP (center front panel) and the FSP (front side panel) pattern pieces. My photos show a knife pleat. I attach the color into the pleats by 1)fusing wonder under (or an equivalent) to the flash pleat color (cut out using the appropriate flash pleat pattern piece); 2) sewing the flash pleat onto the base fabric (sewing line is marked on pattern piece); and then 3) pressing/fusing the flash pleat into place ( I also then top stitch next to the seam). Above is the CFP with front halves of the flash pleats in place.

This next picture also shows the flash pleat in place but it also shows the whole right side/back skirt. Perhaps this is where some folks get confused? There are 3 main pattern pieces needed for this portion of the skirt, but they are put together before cutting to create the correct size skirt - there are no seams in the base fabric at this point. I have used the FSP, tuck and back skirt pattern pieces together to make 1 tissue pattern piece that I then use to cut. (I should point out that since I work with Susan making solo and school dresses, I re-use my patterns which is why I make a tissue copy. If I were to only use a pattern once, I would cut the pattern on the appropriate size lines and tape it all together to make my one piece pattern.)

This shows the skirt lined up when I checked my flash pleat alignment.

Of course I still need to attach the skirt lining and stiffener, but to create the whole skirt, I sew the flash pleats together and then bind them with the lining which can be made out here (This is the inside of a different dress.)

This also shows my messy basting of the tucks which I will discuss in a moment.

Here is a pic of the finished lining for the green skirt. Things are a bit hard to make out, but the bound pleats are at the top of the photo, the folded tucks are at the side, and the back seam and zipper are beneath the lining at the bottom.

As for basting...I made one using the FeisDress pattern without basting. Dumb move. I fussed and fussed, ripped out and started over way too many times. Susan says in her directions that if you press and baste as you go along, all will be well and it is true. It helps immensely when sewing the skirt on because the skirt waist is already the size it should...no extra pinning to fit pleats in. And the pressing is already done! Ultimately it is a time and sanity saver.