Altering A Dress Size

[the_professors_assistantKeymaster]

I’d like to make a costume dress http://www.simplicity.com/p-2098-costumes.aspx
Up until now, my costumes have been separates, with no boning. the problem I have is that I am a 12 in the bust, a 20 in the waist and a 18 in the hip.
So, obviously I need to make the waist and hips big enough to fit, but if i use the matching bodice for those sizes then the bust (including the ease which is built in) will be waaay too big…. and as you know there is only so much a girl can do to increase her bust non surgically!! I have discoverd that this pattern is quite large fitting which makes my bodice re design more important.
How do I use the smaller bodice size and match it to the correct notches/seams etc on the larger bottom half so everything matches as it should?

Should I use the larger bodice and resize down, or use the smaller bodice size and resize the skirts up? I think resizing the skirts might be easier?

[the_professors_assistantKeymaster]

Hi there! What a beautiful dress! If I were in your position, I would fit the bodice section to your bustline and then increase the waist on the pattern. (see my tutorial on doing a pattern alteration on Increasing the waist). That way the top part of the bodice will fit and you won’t have to worry about doing alterations for the sleeves. You should also be able to choose a different size for the skirt portion and your two pieces should fit together easier. And I wouldn’t worry about the hips as the skirt is so full, I don’t think it’s going to matter if it’s a few inches bigger. Also, I would recommend making a test bodice in muslin so you can test the fit before using more expensive fabric. Hope this helps! Good luck! 🙂

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