Pattern #1347 - New Fantasy Dresses - design

Why did I choose these particular dresses to put together in this pattern package? Of course I am looking for costumes that people will want to dress up in. Costumes that are the current popular characters.  But, why this mix??

Well, look at the basic shapes.  In order to get more that one outfit in a pattern, I have to figure out how to re-use the same pattern pieces from garment to garment. 

Here are some of my planning sheets that I sent to Simplicity while we were working this out.

This is my basic concept sketch. You can see the original plan was to just have three outfits, but I realized a fourth could be squeezed in without one additional pattern piece, so why not!

You can see how each of the garments has the same high waisted silhouette.  The wide belt changes the shape for two of the dresses.

The next sketch explains this a little better.  I was trying to make this set of costumes particularly comfortable to wear by elasticizing much of it. But, I didn't want the skirt to have an elastic waist (the pattern department asked if I could) and actually the final skirt has no elastic.

I photograph all the fabrics I plan to use before getting started.  They are not always approved.  But, this time everything I purchased was OK ... lucky me, this time.

These are the fabrics for the skirt and midriff top outfit.

These are the fabrics for the brown dress with belt and gauntlets.  The dress is the smaller swatch in the middle and the pleather is for the belt and gauntlets.

These are are the fabrics for the two long blue dresses.  They look remarkably similar, but the Mother of Dragons does wear blue A LOT.


Next time I will show pictures of my muslins and explain some of the construction.