Q: Is it easy to raise the neckline? I’m 5’0″ (152.4cm).
A: Yes! It is easy to raise the neckline! The below is included in the instructions for how to shorten/lengthen the bodice & neckline.
Shorten/Lengthen Bodice & Neckline
The neckline is meant to be a deep gentle curved v-neck that hits at the bottom of your sternum. The bottom edge of your #1 Front Bodice piece should fall just below your personal bust and curve smoothly beneath. To adjust the placement of the v-neck point and the bottom of your bodice, use the shorten/lengthen line on your #1 Front Bodice, #2 Back Bodice, and #11 Front Neckline. Add or subtract the corresponding measurements from all three pieces.
Q: Best method to “petite” the pattern for less height between the full bust and shoulders?
A: So this answer goes with the previous question – but I do include a few instructions for shortening/lengthening the bodice, neckline, and the rest of the dress within the instruction manual! The “easiest” method will be to just shorten the neckline & bodice pieces as shown in the above answer. And then also shorten the remainder of the dress accordingly, as shown below. I’ll share one more option below as well though!
Shorten/Lengthen Mid Tiers
To adjust the placement of the middle row of ties and bottom row of ties, use the shorten/lengthen line on your #3 Front Upper Mid Tier, #4 Back Upper Mid Tier, #5 Front Lower Mid Tier, and #6 Back Lower Mid Tier pattern pieces. Add or subtract the corresponding measurements from both front and back pieces per tier. This adjustment will also change the overall body length of your dress.
If you specifically want less height between the bust and shoulders, I would recommend doing pattern adjustments as shown below! This adjustment is not included in the instruction booklet, but I mocked this up for anyone who wants to do this adjustment. It shouldn’t be too difficult, but you will need to draw in your own shorten/lengthen lines.
Shorten/Lengthen Bust To Shoulder
To adjust the height between the shoulder and the full bust, create a new shorten/lengthen line on your #1 Front Bodice, #2 Back Bodice, and #11 Front Neckline pattern pieces. Use the armhole notches as the guide for where to mark the horizontal shorten/lengthen line. Match the placement on the #11 Front Neckline with the neckline edge of the #1 Front Bodice.
You will also need to adjust the sleeve pattern pieces: either the #13 Front Short Sleeve and #14 Back Short Sleeve OR the #16 Front Long Sleeve and #17 Back Long Sleeve. Use the armhole notches as the guide for where to mark the horizontal shorten/lengthen line.
Add or subtract the corresponding measurements from all pieces. This adjustment will also change the overall body length of your dress.
Q: How would you tackle a Small Bust Adjustment for this pattern?
A: Below is how I would approach doing a Small Bust Adjustment. I’m sure there are plenty of ways to do this, but I believe below is the most concise and easiest way with the least amount of pattern pieces requiring adjustments.
1. On your #1 Front Bodice pattern piece, draw a vertical line straight down from the top point parallel to the grainline. The intersection with the shorten/lengthen line will become the apex point.
2. Draw a second vertical line (dotted blue) parallel to the first line (green) the distance apart you want to reduce the bust. Remember this measurement should be 1/2 the total bust circumference reduction you want to make! (i.e. If you want to reduce by 1” (2.5cm), then this measurement should be 1/2” (13mm).)
Cut along the first line (green) from the bottom edge up until the top point, but not past it! You want to be able to use the top point as a hinge to move the paper pattern. Cut along the shorten/lengthen line from the side seam up until the apex point, but not past it!
3. Move the pattern so that your first line (green) aligns with the reduction line (dotted blue). Bring the cut shorten/lengthen line to match. The bottom edge will be uneven. Draw in a new bottom edge curved line, shown in blue.
4. The amount removed from the bottom curved edge is the amount that needs to be removed from the top edge of your #3 Front Upper Mid Tier, shown in gray. Mark the amount that needs to be reduced along the top edge of your #3 Front Upper Mid Tier and mark 2 parallel lines down to the bottom edge. Draw a V from the top edge parallel lines down to the center between the parallel lines.
5. Cut along one side of your V and overlap your pattern to match the V lines (red). Draw in a fresh top curved edge and bottom curved edge.
Q: Do I print off the pages, or have it printed on A0?!?!
A: Obviously this is a personal preference, but I am going to discuss the options!
For both the print at home and the copy shop files, you can choose if you would only like to print off view A or both views. For printing at home, the pages needed for only printing view A are included on pages 12-13 of your instruction booklet.
For printing at a copy shop, you only need to print pages 1-2 of the A0 format PDFs (for both size ranges) if you would only like to print view A. I’ll also give a little shoutout to another small local business called Brooklyn Motif where you can order your sewing patterns! They have a lovely pattern designer library where it is really easy to order Forest & Thread sewing patterns. After purchasing your PDF copy, just go on over to their website and upload your A0 file to show proof of purchase. Then, they will take care of the rest! They also print in color at no extra charge which is really nice because my patterns are always formatted in color for an easier time deciphering between sizes!
All Forest & Thread patterns are layered so you can choose which sizes to print which is also explained within the instruction booklet on page 11.
Patterns released in 2024 all include projector formatted files as well! (Hopefully I will make it through the back catalogue in 2025!)
Q: Can the V neck be hacked to change the way it cinches at the top? For a different look?
A: It totally can be hacked! Below are two reference images that I personally want to hack the pattern into:
This gathered crewneck top would be an incredible hack!
And this is an interesting idea for switching up the construction slightly for a bias bound neckline and center front ties!
Q: Can you do elastic in the casings instead?
A: Totally! You can simply just replace the drawstrings with elastic. Or if you want a more “pro” finish, these are the changes I would make to the construction:
Skip the section in red anytime it tells you within the instructions to leave an opening like this along the side seam!
Leave an opening each time when you sew the edgestitch securing your bias tape down in place! (This will happen 3x total.)
Instead of making drawstrings and inserting them through the side seams, you will use elastic cut to your desired tightness. Insert them through the bias tape channel opening you left, and then secure your elastic ends together. Finish sewing that edgestitch around the channel and that’s it!
You’ll be doing this from the inside of your garment, it’ll look different to this illustration below. But this is the part of the instructions when you’d insert the elastic!