[Gingerkatiesparkles]

Hi, I’ve been fitting a muslin bodice for my daughter and I think I’ve got it now – she has a bit of a buddha belly so I’ve lengthened the middle on the front and left out the front darts. The interesting bit is the back, where there seemed to be lots of extra material lower down (but it was snug at the chest). I followed some links to discover the sway back adjustment which seems to be the thing. So, it fits when I do both the pattern vertical darts, and a horizontal sway back dart. The question is, is doing both of these OK? And does it matter which one I sew first (I did vertical and then horizontal on my muslin).

[with love Heidi]

Have you thought about closing the sway back darts out? This will slightly change the look of the pattern piece but will eliminate the back dart as a dart but keep the changes keep the side seams the same.

I can’t find a good picture to illiterate it at the moment.

[meleliza]

So the sway back isn’t a dart, it’s an adjustment you make to the pattern itself *before* you cut the fabric. And yes, you should keep the back darts. Lots of little girls have this. It seems to go with the Buddha belly.

[Nicole]

I was hoping you would pop in Melanie, you are invaluable for fitting advice.

[mcholley1]

I’m not sure what age child you are sewing for. When I made this dress for my 6year old (she has a sway back but not the belly to go with it) rather than fiddle with adjustments I just raised the bodice length by about 1 1/2″ to hit her above the problem area in her lower back.

And, yes…I have to do a sway back adjustment on my own garments. You fold the adjustment out BEFORE cutting.

[meleliza]

Oh yes, empire waists are a good way to avoid sway back on girls. This little girl has a sway back, but with music box, it didn’t really effect the fit: http://queenoftheflies.blogspot.com/2013/07/i-wish-i-may.html

Thanks, Nicole! So kind of you to say. (Btw, I emailed you yesterday and it got bounced back because your account was full.)

[Gingerkatiesparkles]

Thanks! I followed the link from here, but it seems to be broken/expired now.

So, if I take the muslin where I’ve sewn out the horizontal wedge and trace round it, would that work? The centre back seam then kind of has a kink in it, is that ok or is there a way to do it while keeping the back seam straight?

[Gingerkatiesparkles]

My daughter is just turning 7, but the size 8 is the right fit for her chest-wise.

[Cat75]

Ginger, that is my little girl you linked to. I found another picture of what I did and added it to flikr (it is not very neat.)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/9705332@N07/14188009281/

Does this help. I have more pictures if you need them.

[cybele727]

I have a bit of a sway back as does my daughter (with her buddha belly). I am working on my posture. Her therapist is working on her posture b/c it is a result of a weak core. But that being said, I still want to know how to do the adjustment.

And Mel, I followed the links and you mentioned adding a wedge and in the comments put a link of a sketch. But it isn’t working. Can you find a working link? I am so visual when it comes to pattern mods.

[Gingerkatiesparkles]

Cat, thanks, that’s pretty much what I did on the muslin but my centre seam wasn’t so neat 🙂 so how did that transfer to the pattern piece?

[Gingerkatiesparkles]

This is the fit before I did the sway back adjustment. I’m sure I took an after pic but I can’t find it now!

[Cat75]

I took a picture of the pattern piece I used. (If I shouldn’t do this please let me know I will delete it.)

It’s been a couple of months. I think I measured the piece I took out of the muslin and then cut a wedge in the pattern then taped it together. I don’t know if this is how you are supposed to do it or not, but that’s what I did. Here’s a final picture. I think I may have taken too much out or something because it seemed to pull a bit still around the waist.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/9705332@N07/14191602692/

[meleliza]

Sorry, ginger, I was cleaning up my flicker stream and deleted extraneous stuff. But the pattern piece cat linked to looks right. Technically, you should measure how much of a wedge you pinched out for the sway back and transfer that to your pattern. However, you can also use a muslin as a pattern. Press it nicely flat first.

[with love Heidi]

Thanks for putting up that first picture, it’s what I was meaning when I meant fold out the dart but I couldn’t find a decent picture. The centre back will no longer be straight as it is conforming to a concave lower back.