Chapter 23: Digital Toile Check of Layered Bolero-Style A-Line and Tent-Line Dress Patterns

Using the Kiiya_ModeliaStylish_38_N (Set-In) Body Form, this chapter explains the pattern making and digital toile check of two types of dresses: a layered bolero-style A-line dress and a tent-line dress. Let’s get started.

Chapter 23: Digital Toile Check of Layered Bolero-Style A-Line and Tent-Line Dress Patterns

1. Modify the Blouse Sloper Created from the Kiiya_ModeliaStylish_38_N (Set-In) Body Form into a Sheath Dress Sloper

Figure 1: ①Modify the length of the blouse sloper created in Figure 5 of Chapter 20 to a sheath dress sloper length of 950 mm.
②Perform a digital toile check.

A sheath dress sloper is a dress prototype with a long, narrow silhouette that fits closely to the body, like a sheath for a sword.

2. Develop the Sheath Dress Sloper into a Layered Bolero-Style A-Line Dress

Figure 2: ①Starting from a point 20 mm below the armhole corners along the side lines, draw the front and back yoke lines (red lines) as shown.
②Draw three expansion lines on the back bodice: from the shoulder dart point to the 4th notch, along the waist dart centerline to the hem, and vertically down the hem bisecting the space between the centerline and the side line. For the front bodice, draw three lines: from the bust point to the 2nd notch, along the waist dart centerline, and vertically at the same distance from the side line as the back bodice ● mark.
③Separate the back yoke from the bodice, and open it by 5 mm at the 4th notch using the red circle as the pivot point.
④Draw a 30 mm horizontal line from the dart point, and connect its end to the midpoint of the neckline.
⑤Close the shoulder dart and open it at the neckline (red line), using the red circle as the pivot point.

Figure 3: ①Separate the front yoke from the bodice.
②Close the shoulder dart and open it by 10 mm at the 2nd notch, using the red circle as the pivot point.
③Align the shoulder lines of the front and back yokes, and draw the neckline (red line) as shown.
④Cut the front and back yokes along the neckline (red line), using the red circles on the expansion lines as the rotation centers.
⑤Open the hem by the values shown in the spread-width table, set the waistline to a 100 mm high-waist position, and redraw the side lines as straight lines (red lines).

Figure 4: ①Shorten the skirt length by 100 mm and perform a toile check.
② ⓐPrepare a sleeve sloper cut to a length of 70 mm from the sleeve width line and draw expansion lines (red lines). ⓑOpen the pattern in parallel by 8 mm along the vertical line and by 5 mm along the concave line.ⓒCut 15 mm off the sleeve hem line.
③Perform a digital toile check of the set-in sleeve.

Figure 5: To modify the pattern into a cap sleeve:
①Prepare the short sleeve in Figure 4 ⓒ
②Modify the pattern using the enclosed drafting method as shown.
③Stitch the cap sleeve and perform a digital toile check.

3. Create the Bolero Parts

Figure 6: ①Prepare the front yoke and front bodice parts in Figure 3 ④.
②Align the front yoke and the front bodice (red line) along the bust line.
③Draw a straight line from the bust point to the position 20 mm from the 1st notch as an expansion line.
④Close the side dart and open a dart toward the armhole, using the red circle as the pivot point.
⑤Separate the parts along the front yoke line and move the dart point back by 20 mm. ⑥Add an 80 mm extension width, draw the neckline and front edge line (red lines) as shown, a
nd attach 23 mm buttons.

4. Perform a Toile Check of the Layered Bolero-Style A-Line Dress

Figure 7: ①In the 3D menu, select [PM Preform] to set the seam parameters.
②In [Layer Order] menu, set the yoke, bodice, and sleeves to layer 1, and the layered bolero-style bolero part to layer 3.
③Check [Mirror], and click [Fill] for the pattern color.
④Check the placement on the body form.
⑤Perform the stitching.

Figure 8: ①With the parts stitched, hide the sleeves and bolero parts using [Show/Hide Parts] to check the A-line bodice silhouette.
②Show the sleeves.
③Perform a toile check of the sleeve attachment.
④Show the layered-style bolero parts and perform the final toile check.

Let’s try creating a tent-line dress, which has even more ease than an A-line dress.

5. Develop the Sheath Dress Sloper into an H-Line Dress Sloper

Figure 9: ①Draw expansion lines (red lines) from the 3rd notch to the back waist midpoint and from the 1st notch to the front waist at the same width (red circles).
②Using the 3rd and 1st notches as pivot points, develop into an H-line silhouette.
③Perform a toile check.

6. Develop the H-Line Dress Sloper into a Tent-Line Dress

Figure 10: ①Draw vertical lines from the back shoulder dart point, the 3rd notch, the front bust point, and the 1st notch.
② From the [Cutting Expansion] menu, set ⓐ the spread amounts and ⓑ the pivot points.
③Using the red circles as the pivot points, open the pattern by the dimensions shown in the figure.

7. Modify the Tent-Line Dress Pattern Using Dart Manipulation

Figure 11: ①Draw expansion lines (red lines) (refer to Figures 2 and 3).
②Using the red circles as pivot points, close the front and back shoulder darts and open by the values shown in the figure.
③Connect the armhole lines.
④Draw the front and back necklines (red lines).
⑤Extract the lower front and back bodice pieces, and prepare the cap sleeves created in Figure 5②.

8. Perform a Toile Check of the Tent-Line Dress

Figure 12: ①In the 3D menu, select [PM Preform] to set the seam parameters.
②Perform a toile check using the half-body parts.
③Apply the actual fabric pattern to be used and perform a toile check with the full-body parts.