For this tutorial I wanted to show you a few quick and easy pattern alterations you can make with the basic bodice block for knit fabrics. I published the tutorial for this pattern block quite a long time ago but haven’t talked about it since.
It’s used for really fitted garments made in knit fabrics that stretch. In fact, in the basic block tutorial you’ll find all the info about negative ease. Follow the instructions there to pick the correct amount of (negative) ease according to the fabric you’ll be using, or just go with 0 ease if you’re unsure and see how it goes.
I’ll show you some examples on how to use this bodice block to make tops and dresses. They each have very few pattern alterations, so once you have drafted the basic block, this won’t take much time.
Sew the pieces with a serger or zig zag stitch. For hemming, you can use the twin/double needle unless you have a cover stitch machine.
Pattern Alterations: Fitted Top
Let’s start from this top. I actually have two versions for you; with or without a turtle neck. In both versions the neckline requires you to use a fabric that has enough stretch for the head to pass through without adding a zipper. Alternatively, you can add a zipper at the c-back.
Make the top waist length, as in this example, or slightly longer. These are the steps:
Draw a new armhole, leaving just a 4cm shoulder seam. The neckline will remain the same as that of the basic block. However, you can enlarge it, if you prefer.
Straighten the center back seam so that you can cut the piece on the fold. Measure how much you end up adding at the waist, and then remove the same amount at the side seam. If it’s not much, you can also just leave it.
The armholes and neckline will be finished with a band. To calculate the lengths, measure the new armhole and the neckline. Notice, that we won’t add seam allowance to these, so, you should measure about 0,5cm inward from the edge.
The neck/arm band will be shorter than this measurement because it will stretch. Calculate, for example, your measurement times 0.8. Of course, this will depend on how stretchy your fabric is: For fabrics with less stretch it will be more suitable to do x0.9.
The band will be folded in half, which means that the height of the neck/arm band piece is twice the final height plus twice the seam allowance (here: 0,5cm + 0,5cm).
You can use these instructions for the other designs as well.
These are the two pattern pieces. They will both be cut on the fold.
Turtle Neck
If you want your top to have a turtle neck instead, make these modifications to the neckline: enlarge it by 0,5cm at the shoulder line and raise it by 0,5cm at the c-front. Then, measure the new neckline.
Once you have the measurements, you can draft the turtle neck pattern.
It’s a rectangle, where the height is twice the final height of the “collar”. For example, 5cm+5cm.
The length has been divided between the front and back sections. The example pattern covers the entire neckline. Remove 0,4cm from the back neckline measurement and 1,2cm from the (entire) front neckline measurement. This is so that the turtle neck won’t remain too loose.
These are the pattern pieces. The turtle neck piece has a vertical grainline because usually in knit fabrics the greatest stretch runs from selvage to selvage. It will be folded in half.
Here’s what these two versions look like. I didn’t add a neckband to the first example though. You can use the same fabric or a contrasting color for the bands.
Before pinning the arm and neck bands, divide both the band and the armhole/neckline evenly into 4 sections. Mark the points with pins and match. This way, you will distribute the extra volume evenly.
For the turtle neck top it might be a good idea to sew the whole piece in rib knit fabric to ensure that it will stretch enough for the head to pass through. My dressform doesn’t have a head so I didn’t have this problem. 😀
Pattern Alterations: Bodycon Dress
This is probably one of the most requested pattern tutorials I receive regularly. So, here you go, the bodycon dress! In two versions.
Even better, there are only a couple of pattern alterations to do as well.
Decide how long you want your dress to be and lengthen the basic bodice block accordingly. Just straight down at the c-front, c-back, and at the side seam.
Then, take in about 3-4cm at the side seam. In reality, this measurement depends on the length of your dress. You can measure around your legs at the hemline level to get an idea of the circumference you’re after. Alternatively, you can adjust this when you’re sewing the piece.
Adjust the neckline size and shape. Here, I just enlarged it by 1cm making it a jewel neckline.
Add notches at the waist and hip level to make it easier to sew the piece. In this case there will be a seam at the c-back, as it’s not straight. You might also want to add a zipper.
Here’s what this version looks like. I made mine in a sturdy midweight fabric that’s very similar to scuba, but it has a crepe finish on the right side.
As you can see, the dress adheres quite perfectly to my dressform. I used the corrected version of the back piece I showed at the end of the basic block tutorial so there are no extra wrinkles at the waist.
If your armholes gape as in this picture, you can adjust it with the armband (or armhole binding) by making it slightly tighter around the gaping area.
Bodycon Dress version 2
This version has a separate center front panel. You can make it in a different color.
Separate the panel, as shown, passing through the bust point. Instead of the neckline, the panel could start at the shoulder, too, if you prefer. To enhance the body shape, make the panel slightly narrower at the waist. Add a few notches before separating the pieces.
You can also add sleeves to your bodycon dress by using the sleeve block that comes with the bodice. Make them any length you want.
In the end you should have these pattern pieces:
If you have never sewn a sleeve using knit fabric, you attach it to the armhole before closing the side seam and the sleeve’s underarm seam. After this, you sew these two remaining seams in one go. More on this here.
This is what the second version looks like:
Pattern Alterations: Flared Dress in Knit Fabric
The final example of these pattern alterations shows you how you can also add volume to the garments. In this case, we’re adding flare to the skirt, and puff to the sleeve, while still keeping the bodice fitted. There will be a seam at the waist.
This time I enlarged the neckline some more. You also need to shorten the shoulder seam if you want to make puffed sleeves. In this case, I’m shortening it by 2cm, as there’s going to be quite a lot of puff. This helps you to avoid the wide-shouldered look.
Lengthen the pattern until it has your desired dress length. You can make the skirt a bit longer at the c-front if you have a larger bust. Then, separate the skirt from the bodice along the waistline.
Let’s add volume to the skirt. I added 4cm at the c-front, c-back, and at the side seams. And then 9cm with the slash and spread method in the middle of the front and back pieces.
Re-draw the hemline and the waist line making sure that there’s a right angle at the c-front and c-back.
The sleeve will be a leg-o-mutton sleeve with puff at the top. Trace the basic sleeve pattern and divide it into two pieces along the elbow line.
Add volume at the top, with the slash and spread method, as shown below. Then, re-draw the sleeve cap, raising it by 5cm, and unite the two sections back together. Re-draw the sides.
And so you should have these pattern pieces. The sleeve cap will be gathered between the armhole notches to match the bodice armhole. There could be a zipper at the c-back, if needed. If not, you can cut the skirt’s back piece on the fold.
Even here, the sleeve is attached in the same way as the basic sleeve earlier.
The resulting dress:
I hope these examples gave you ideas on how you could utilize the basic bodice block for knits.
So, have a go at the pattern alterations and come up with your own, too! There are plenty of other sleeve styles here at my blog. The possibilities are quite endless just by changing the sleeves or necklines. Enjoy and let me know how it went! 🙂
6 Comments
What a wonderful post. Thank you so much for sharing all this. I am off to look at your sleeve variations.
Thanks so much! 🙂 Happy drafting.
Buenas tardes, apenas estoy aprendiendo de costura y ya he elaborado pocas prendas;
No entiendo todo; pero me encantó la explicación de la manga ABULLONADA, de restarle los 2 Cms; porque tengo un poco anchos los hombros.
Dios te bendiga, gracias por todas las explicaciones.
Excellent! 🙂 Yes, you can modify the amount, depending how much volume your sleeves have at the top.
Hello! When slashing and adding volume to the armhole it’s it up to you how you want to gather that added volume back into the armhole or do you gather it based on the slash sizes you cut?
In this case you gather the amount you added with the slash & spread method. So, if you want the sleeve to be less puffed, you can add less volume to the pattern. Once you’re sewing the piece, you don’t need to measure while gathering. You just place the sleeve inside the armhole and gather until the two match. 🙂