Working with commercial patterns can be wonderful. So much of the thinking has already been done for you that it's never been easier to make your own clothes. Despite this, sometimes you still want to make a few tweaks. You don't want your garment to just fit ok, you want it to fit perfectly. What if your torso is longer or shorter than the measurements commercial pattern companies typically use? Don't worry because it's so easy to alter patterns to fit your needs. In this quick tutorial, we show you how to adjust commercial patterns, using the slide technique, so that you can make bodice pieces either longer or shorter, changing the back waist length. Once you make your alteration, be sure to make a muslin to test your changes and when you're happy, you can quickly move on to making perfectly fitted clothes.
4 thoughts on “Lengthen or Shorten Bodice Pattern Alteration”
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Thank you for the video. I have one question. If the darts extend beyond the bottom edge, as in the Betty Holiday Dress, do I need to take them into consideration when marking the bottom of the pattern or do I simply use the straight edge of the pattern? I need to shorten one inch and I’m not sure what to use as my bottom measuring line.
Thanks for you time!
this video was very helpful to me
I would do the fba first and then adjust the length. 🙂
Thank you! Question: do you do a bust adjustment before or after you lengthen or shorten the bodice?