Pattern Solution!

Thankyou smartbots who submitted answers to yesterday's pattern quiz, and my apologies for spending the afternoon watching telly instead of working towards showing you the solution.

Here you can see the progression of the bodice pattern from basic block to finished bodice piece:


First you can see the basic block*, with that mysterious extra triangle which Julia identified as a cowl neck. I sliced open the waist dart and closed off the side dart. As the cowl piece shifts the placement of everything I didn't bother sewing the darts in at first, and when I tried it on it didn't need them at all. The answer to the waistline question is that it's an empire waist - raised 8cm from the natural waistline. Normally I'd raise an empire waist 10cm, but I find 8cm more comfortable for maternity dresses. The empire waist is an essential element of maternity garments made from woven, rather than knit, fabric. Without it the bustline has no definition and the lst thing a preggo wants is to look blobbier than she actually is.

Next you can see the piece rotated so that the right angle of the cowl neck becomes the centre front. I have no idea why I added in a seam allowance. It does answer the mystery of were the extra pleat allowance I put in the skirt disappeared to. (That plus the non-use of the dart allowance.)

And lastly, the piece is doubled over and the grain line drawn in at 45º. Cutting a cowl piece on the bias gives it a lot more drape. Normally a cowl would have a self-facing extension, but I decided to cut another full piece to line it as the patterned fabric would conceal the seam. I considered lining it with black satin for added kick, but I didn't have any black in the house and couldn't be bothered going shopping.

The end result:


Whoops, still have the thread marks for the unused darts in there! You can see how they shifted from being under the bust point to the middle of nowhere.
As well as the wedding next Saturday (and yes, the dress is officially finished and will be delivered this afternoon), the next weekend I've been invited to a cocktail party with James Marsters (Spike), Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto) and Mary McDonnell (Laura Roslin)**. This meant my brief for the dress was something conservative enough for a wedding in my hometown church, plus sophisticated enough that Spike will seek out my company. Because no matter how monogamous/pregnant one may be, one always wants sci-fi stars to find them intriguing and seek an introduction. That's a common life goal, isn't it?


The full effect. I'll hem about 5cm off to make it an elegant tea length. I have no idea what tea length technically is, I just call things 'tea length' when I think they're elegant! I probably could have raised the waistline another 2cm comfortably.


Fifteen weeks two days, plus a Crunchie egg for breakfast. There's a little bit of pleating over the bump. There was meant to be more but as I explained, it disappeared into a wider-than-planned bodice. The pleats vanish into the fabric pattern anyway.


Mission: cover shoulder tattoo and maternity bra straps for church wedding.
Accomplished!

I bought the fabric at GJ's for $12 a metre last time I was pregnant, with no solid idea of what to make from it. I'm pleased that it's still ended up as a maternity dress! The wedding colours are chocolate and vanilla and I know my sister's wearing a chocolate-coloured dress (which I made last year) so I thought I may as well team with the theme. I'm not sure if the bridesmaids have ended up in chocolate or yellow - we might be very matchy! All part of the fun. I hope my mum's shopping expedition hasn't also resulted in a dark brown outfit...

I'm really looking forward to sharing pictures of the three dresses - bride, my sister and myself - this time next week. And the wedding - I'm looking forward to that too!

* I should have remembered that a fitted bodice requires a fitted bodice block, not a basic block! I'm out of practice (and had to take 6cm out of the bodice after I'd sewn it together).

** I only just saw that Mary McDonnell is going to be there. I think I'm more excited about meeting President Roslin than Spike or Ianto! I can't help expecting she'll be very wise and kind and give my baby a special Kobol blessing. Which reminds me of a dream I had before we got married, about meeting David Bowie and him blessing our union. "This pleases me," he said grandly. My subconscious knows what my priorities are.