alterations for bust

Dear Mary,

Is this a dress already made up, and needs to be altered, or are you using a vintage pattern? I come from the fifties, and am very familiar with construction of the times.

If it's an already made dress, put it on the model, and pin in the side seams. See if this solves the problem. If you can pin in the sides and get a nice, smooth fit, separate the lining from the outside and alter each separately.

If it's a pattern, make up the bodice in muslin by basting it together and don't put in any facings. Try it on the model, and pinch and pin where necessary, with the bodice RIGHT SIDE OUT. Remove the bodice from the model, and rub the wrong side of the bodice with chalk or a wide nib marking pen where you have made changes with pins. Remove the pins. This is where the changes need to be taken in and the markings give you an accurate sewing line.

Teri

Is the dress too big for her just in the bust, or is it just too big all around? If the first, perhaps just some judicious padding is the easy way out of it (bra shapes were quite different then, and padding could also give her more of a vintage shape!). If the dress is too big all over through the torso, just pinch out what's needed from the side seams and resew.

Kay