Hi again,
Thanks for posting the piccie - that helps enormously for me (and anyone else who wants to) to suggest ways of helping you out.
Firstly, well done with what you've done so far!
Secondly, I've taken a copy of your piccie and "drawn" all over it!
The Dark red lines are the original shape of your bodice (you can then see the "pattern" clearly).
The thick blue lines give an IDEA of what you need to do to alter you bodice. I'm going to be a bit mean and tell you to make a new toile USING the suggestions I give below but in conjunction with your old toile (pictured below). Once you have the new lines marked on your old toile, cut it all out and apply onto a NEW toile piece remembering to make mirror image for the opposite side (e.g. if you work on your RHS then mirror to the LHS).
Ready to give it a go?? Here goes then:
All the instructions are based on your old toile and should be marked/cut on that toile. Work on ONE half of your toile only (Left or Right hand side) and be aware of where your Centre Back and Centre Front Lines are (mark them in to start with by folding the patterns in half if necessary. The Front already has a Centre Front opening anyway).
1. SIDE Seam placement:
This is the thick line marked
"A" on the picture.
On your toile, mark a long line from under arm to waist. This should be careful placed so it is exactly UNDER your arm.
2. WAIST placement:
This is the thick line marked
"D".
If you are following the JS gown exactly, it doesn't have a "V" waist. This one is on your waist. However, the pattern does need a very little "V" dip" to ensure it is ON your waist and not above it when worn (remember the fabric has to go "around" your tummy! Humans are not built of straight lines so you need a slight downward curve to the waist here). The shape you have is more later Tudor going into Elizabethan. The BACK and SIDES of the waist must sit exactly ON your waist.
3. ARMHOLE/STRAP placement:
This is the thick line marked
"C".
I can see the problem you have with the strap. You need to ADD fabric to make a curve from under your arm into the strap (this applies back and front). On the FRONT strap, I cut this in a curve (hopefully the picture will help here but if not see this link:
http://livinghistory.co.uk/homepages/tu ... attern.jpg. This allows for you to pull your strap up very tight on your shoulder as one of the last fitting points.
Also, you then get the neckline to really be very wide as per the portrait.
4. NECKLINE adjustment:
This is the thick line marked
"B".
The necklines have a very slight upward curve (which becomes quite pronounced in the later Tudor period - see my bronze gown here:.
http://pics.livejournal.com/edmndclotwo ... c/000054fw)
The corners of the neckline almost start just at the armpit/breast point (don't know if that makes sense - see my picture in the link above). The curve of the strap helps to allow for this wide neckline.
The front panels at the present will be your lacing panels. Forget about the over stomacher at this stage - once you have perfected the toile to your size, Tudor dress style and anything else you feel you need to make the perfect dress, you can then add the stomacher in later on!!
OK - I hope that makes it clearer. Would it be possible for you to get pictures of the bodice, front, side and back ON you at all such as the ones I have here of the making of my wedding gown:
Picture:
http://livinghistory.co.uk/homepages/tu ... diary.html
If you don't want to show your face then "cut your head" off the pictures as I did.
Of course, I can't easily explain what to do on the back as I can't see it but the do make sure you have a centre back line on it. The Tudor Tailor has a lovely period arrangement of the back of the Tudor gown so again, I recommend you getting that book. It will make all of this seem so much less mysterious!!
though sometimes i do use my pillow as a dummy, but due to the fact it is a feather one it isnt really very accurate!
