Frustrated with pattern drafting

The Wild Ginger software is the best product to come along in a long time......I love it!!!

Val

Were you careful to use the exact amount of seam allowances called for? Or did you add too much seam allowance to begin with? Princess seams each add an additional 1 1/4" to the circumference, so if you added four seams (two in front, two in back), that's 5".

Mysterious! Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

How did you do the princess seaming? Typically, it's done by cutting the armscye or shoulder and waist fisheye darts, then adding seam allowance.

Did you sew the seams accurately? Or add the seam allowance twice?

If the seam is correctly located on bust and waist, you can simply take them in. Remeasure and re-mark your pattern for revision.

Kay Lancaster snipped-for-privacy@fern.com

That's how I did the princess seaming. I traced my torso sloper onto a separate sheet of paper and made the marks, then cut the pieces.

I then took the pieces that I cut and taped them onto another sheet of paper to add the seam allowance. I use 1/2" seams on all the patterns I draft and I haven't sewn anything from a store bought pattern in about a year, so there was no confusion about that.

It just boggles me how all that extra space came about. I always make everything up in muslin before using my nice fabric, so at least it was just a time consuming mishap, not an expensive one. I think I just need a little sewing break then I'll get back to it later. I originally wanted this dress for Sunday, but I'm sick of it right now. :P Thanks for your input guys!