Styles from a Master Bodice Pattern

For people interested in garment sewing, sewing the garment and getting to be creative in fabric and embellishment choices is the fun part. Often what stands in the way of being creative is not a lack of imagination or a lack of interesting fabric and notions – rather, it is not understanding how to make new designs that fit properly. It’s not hard to adapt a design feature from a commercial pattern, but it takes time and know-how to fit each new pattern or feature. Drafting or draping new designs from scratch can be complicated, too, especially for a new sewer.

In Design Elements: Bodice, Sarah Veblen shows the sewer how to use a customized master pattern as the basis of any new bodice design. Once the master pattern exists, it’s only a few easy steps to go from one bodice into something completely new. New details that are covered include front and back openings, necklines, collars, hemline shapes and lengths, and sleeve variations.