Taking Time to Play--Pattern Master Boutique Style

Tonight was the monthly meeting of the group of friends who use Wild Ginger's software for sewing pattern creation.  Most have Pattern Master Boutique for women's clothing, but tWild Ginger also hse Child's Play to create children's patterns, Curves for exercise wear, Knits for knitwear and a program for making men's clothing.  I think there may be more, but I have the first four and have used them all at one time or another.  I've probably used Child's Play as I love to sew for my grandchildren. 

The meeting tonight was using the pattern editor of the software to create a pattern based on our own measurements that copied a ready to wear or a commercial pattern.   I worked with Vogue 9079.  It has both dresses and a top and pants.  The thing that makes it striking is the front of the sleeveless top is cut into two parts with one shoulder one color going off into a curve into the other half of the garment and back in an arc to the hem.  You can look at the picture at https://voguepatterns.mccall.com/product-search?ref=Vogue%209079 and to see the top, put your cursor over the dress picture and it changes. 

We first had to figure out what the basic design, and in the PMB software you have a lot of things to pick from. We chose a boat neck, sleeveless top with French darts. The back has a zipper with princess seams.  All of these choices can be achieved with just a few clicks of the mouse.  When you save it, the program automatically creates the pattern pieces you've chosen designed to your unique measurements. 

Next you take them into the pattern editor.  The back pieces were actually ready to cut and sew, as were the armhole facings.  The back neck facing was fine, but the front neck would have to be changed as soon as the final pattern was finished.  The front half piece, normally placed on a fold, had to be duplicated and the two pieces combined to form a single front piece that we then had to place the arc to cut into two very distinct pieces. 

I hadn't used Pattern Editor for awhile, so the exercise was a good refresher course for me.  Sure was nice to think about something other than unpacking boxes!