OTHER ALTERATIONS: There are so many ways you can customize your gown to fit your tastes. I’ve already mentioned choosing the depth of your neckline scoop. Left as is, the bodice front pattern gives you a four-inch scoop (bodice back scoop is around three inches from the nape of your neck). If you want to make the scoop higher, you’ll need to adjust that on your master pattern piece before you cut out your dress. If you want to lower the scoop, I recommend waiting until you can try on the bodice lining, then marking how much you want to cut off (we’ll cover this step in lesson three). You may also wish to change the fullness of the sleeves, making them less gathered at the top or bottom. You can make this change while you are tracing your master sleeve pattern (see photo illustration #4). You’ll be altering the height of the "bell" curve at the top of the sleeve and the width of the curve at the bottom of the sleeve. If you wish to devote the time to it, a little experimentation will help you determine exactly what shape you need to get the sleeve you want. You can make several muslin sleeves just for fun (when we get to the sleeve step!) and decide which style suits you best. You can also use the long sleeve pattern to create a semi-fitted, straight elbow-length sleeve. You’ll just need to measure from your shoulder to your elbow, adding an extra inch for a small hem and allowing 5/8" at the top for your seam before you cut out the sleeve. A very simple addition to your gown is an overskirt, which can be made in several ways (see the illustrated examples at the end of the pattern instructions as well as photo illustration #9). One of my favorite types of overskirts is a sheer or opaque material (like organdy or voile) over top of a colored gown fabric. You can make overskirts knee-length or longer, creating a dramatic and feminine effect. You might also wish to try a split overskirt, which is open down the center front, revealing the underskirt beneath. Adding an overskirt is as simple as cutting out a second skirt front and back. The split overskirt is done by cutting your second skirt front open down the center front and hemming the edges. You can really get fancy with a good combination of fabrics and colors – be as bold or demure as you like! Finally, you might wish to add a dramatic train to the skirt of your gown (see the sample gown with train in photo illustration #5). You can add the train to your master skirt pattern if you wish, but it is not necessary. You can also cut out a train "by eye" when you cut your skirt pieces from your material, following the measurements given in illustrations #7 and #8. Do remember that you’ll need extra yardage if you want to add a train (anywhere from six inches for a demi-train to half a yard for a full sweep in the back). There are still more alterations you can try (such as making the gown bodice open in the front instead of the back). If you come up with something you’d like to alter, feel free to post a note on the bulletin board, and I’ll provide instructions and/or tips on your specific design idea for everyone to read. See my Diary of a Dress page for a full description of how I altered my pattern to fit one customer's design ideas. For instructions on how to make the gown open in the front (suitable for nursing moms, especially), go to my Easy Alterations page. To see how to make your bodice fitted (with darts instead of gathering at the front) or to alter the gathers to make more of a "fan" front, go to the bodice page I have set up exclusively for this class.

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