November 2025
Necklines: jewel (used for button front shirt with collar and band)/surplice, sweetheart. First draft, flat, and first and second blocks on her body.
Successive blocks are traced from first, modifying necklines, length to hem, manipulating darts, etc.
(Not shown: third block, button-front shirt with collar stand and collar, sleeve placket and strip of adding machine tape marking button placement)
Using my curved templates for her collar stand (link)
(Not shown: fourth block, princess seams, surplice neckline; how to crimp-stitch surplice neckline to pull it in between the breasts)
Sleeve cap master:
Generated from armscye length, templates for underarm curves, + ease.
Two-piece sleeve: splitting it along the outer edge gave a much better fit. NOT a standard two-piece sleeve such as would be used for a jacket, though one could be generated from this. We didn’t bother to trim the generous seam allowances.
Carlee proved adept with pattern-making skills and did the lion’s share of the paper copying and reconciliation. I was confident with talking her through steps she could manage later. We kept adding to our list and though we didn’t get through everything we’d added, all her initial requests were covered. And then some!
Her croquis and her first design using it. She has all the info from her blocks to generate this dress!
