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Apr. 3 - Apr. 7 The Week in Patterning - 69, I am a Bias Junkie, Part III!

Alexandra Reynolds 1930s bias E30-7446 EvaDress Patterns evening gown frock My Personal Dressmaking The Week in Patterning Storyboard Vintage Patterns

Excuse my absence, been inundated with network issues and a dental procedure, as late. 

As I touched on last week, it's often a better garment when cut on the bias versus the straight of grain.  This week, I demonstrate this in my improvement of a Big Four pattern, namely Vogue 8191 (OOP).  I cut the top front on the bias in two pieces, versus the one piece to avoid undesired asymmetry.

Vogue 8191 Shematic

Many may already know one side of a bias cut garment behaves differently than its opposite side.  Here, the armholes would have draped differently with the bodice cut in one piece as Vogue intended.  One armhole would have clung nicely to the body, whereas the other would have gaped undesirably.  Another consequence would be evident in the direction of the fabric's nap.

I chose a silk metal blend of lurex organza striated with a crinkle texture to create my gown.  Such fabric dictated that I forgo cutting the entire bodice front in one piece for reason that the striations would appear asymmetrically.  I cut the bodice front pattern piece nearly in half, giving 5/8" seam allowance from the center front line in order to cut the bodice front on the bias symmetrically.  This meant having a center front seam, but that was of no matter due to the fact that the center front is cinched down and a brooch or dress clip conceals that seam (click image to see the Threads post for this gown as first place in Threads Magazine Fancy Fabrics Challenge!):

'Scintillating'

As for the skirt pieces, I used the same rule.  I forwent the Vogue skirt pieces altogether and used skirt pieces from one of my 1930's gown patterns for its slight train at the back:

EvaDress E30-7446 

I show the Vogue schematic here as the same could be done using the entire Vogue pattern.  Again, rather than cut the entire skirt front piece on the bias, I cut two skirt front pieces in the same manner; the center skirt seam being somewhat concealed by the striated crinkle pattern in the lurex.  Below are the ways I changed the cut of the pattern pieces relative to grain for my bias symmetry:

 On a finishing note, the crinkle lurex took the narrow hem sooo well, adding another dimension to the skirt.  Ironically, I won this competition the day Charles Kleibacher died.  He had studied the asymmetry in the bias cut.  He would tell me on the phone when we talked a couple times, 'Good things!'  As well I say, delight in such details!



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  • Selene States on

    Simply stunning work!


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