Replies

1. 
   alotofstitches | Apr 04, 2005 05:37am | #1

   Have you shortened the length of the halter from shoulder to full bust line?  When you add fullness to bust, the center front has to be lengthened to have enough fabric to cover the b. fullness so it makes sense to shorten the length for smaller bust.  Try pinning out some of the length on the muslin.  Another idea--add a "stay" to the seam allowance of the "V" to prevent stretching & you can even "ease" out a little length to make it hug the body.  In RTW alterations, sometimes clear elastic is added to the  front or back neckline seams to hold the seam snug to the body when only small amount of "gapping " occurs.  Beauty pag. gals also use body glue to secure necklines and swimsuits, using glue found to hold up stocking in medical supply stores.  Hope some of this works but I bet the first is the solution.

1. 
   FabricHog | Apr 05, 2005 09:27pm | #6

   Thanks, Liz for your ideas. Will try them on the muslin.

    

                                Thanks again, Netta

2. 
   ElonaM | Apr 04, 2005 05:39am | #2

   First off, the vee of such a neckline has a bunch of bias edges. Bias is inherently stretchy, and needs to be stabilized. In this case, the vee has to be brought in close to the body. This subject was actually covered in a Threads article some years ago, so it may be searchable on the Threads website. Basically, the technique is to use stay tape (or the thin selvedge edge of the garment fabric, assuming it's lightweight). You lay the staytape on the seamline of the pattern to get the right length, and then you make it a bit shorter! The amount to take out is kind of an eyeball thing, but you can start with something like 3/8" per side of the vee. Now, the idea is pin the stay tape to the top and bottom of one side of the vee, and do some serious pinning to ease the fabric onto the tape so that no puckers appear. It takes a fair number of pins. Do the same to the other side, and you will have created a neckline that should kind of hug the body, since it's a little shorter than the actual pattern.

   BTW, you may find that you have to do something like this to the armhole edges, since they also are on the bias, and may want to show a little extra skin.

1. 
   SewNancy | Apr 04, 2005 04:23pm | #3

   This article was about Charles Kleibacker and it showed a deeply v'd neckline.  He used dozens of pins to ease the neckline to a stay tape.  I did this and it really works.  Also, before you start take a narrow dart perpendicular to neckline in the pattern that shortens the neckline.

   Nancy

2. 
   FabricHog | Apr 05, 2005 09:33pm | #7

   Thanks, Elona

   I have read of a similar approach in Sandra Betzina's Power Sewing Step By Step.

   I will try this technique on the muslin.

                                                    Thanks again, Netta 

3. 
   mem1 | Apr 05, 2005 11:18am | #4

   you need to ease the excess fabric onto some stabilizing tape . You do this while she is wearing it .This way you will take out the xecess which occurrs because of the bias of the neckine and you will also stay the neckline and stop it from gapeing . You need to use a firm twill tape and boil it in water first so it wont shrink after you clean the garment.You will use alot of pins and it will take a while to do .

4. 
   Elisabeth | Apr 05, 2005 03:49pm | #5

   You might look at granddaughter's posture. A combination of being small busted and having even a tiny bit of a slouch will make it hard to wear a deep V. The movie stars that wear this type of gown on the red carpet are super aware of their posture and often use double stick tape to keep things in place. If all else fails maybe you could add a design feature such as a bias cord just under the bust, sort of like a string bikini top, and channel the cord under the bust and around the back to tie in the back or in the front with a bow, tiny jeweled buckle, or brooch.