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| Inge's dress on me, post-gussets |
Last weekend I went with friends to Lake Michigan for a birthday celebration. Inge turned 55, and I wanted to sew her something. Inge likes loose-fitting, sleeveless clothes, and boldly I decided to practice sewing and make her this shift.
I found this pattern and thought it fit the bill.
I enjoyed the cutting, sewing and finishing. Since the dress was a surprise, I did not have Inge's measurements. She and I are close in size, so I gambled and used my own. What I didn't account for was that the bust, in spite of choosing the right measurements, was too tight. Before I gave it to her, I was peeved trying it on!
When she tried it on, sure enough the bust was tight on her, too. But she loved the dress and said if she'd seen it in a store she would have bought it no matter how much it cost. Score.
So I brought the dress home and learned (from Pinterest and a link to Linda at Sew for Dough) how to add gussets to expand a bustline.
I wanted to add three inches to the bust to make it loose and comfy. So I cut each gusset 1 1/2" at the top, and 5 inches long. I ripped out the edge and seams of the dress at the side seams/under-arms exactly 5". Then I sewed the gussets in, re-sewed the upper edge, and I think they turned out well!
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| pinned |
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| inside sewn; too bad I had to adjust my Hong Kong seam :) |
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| outside sewn |
I used polished tangerine orange linen (I call it "tomato bisque") purchased online at Fashion Fabrics Club. They are reasonably priced! This fabric was $11.75/yard, and the pattern took 1 1/2 yards (60" wide).
Lesson: Measure the pattern before cutting to ensure it matches measurements.
