pattern hack

This is the first in a series of Pattern Hacks for my new pattern – Miss Ruby Tuesday Dress – you’ll learn how to adapt your bodice to a Cross Over bodice.

This feature is particularly good if you are breast feeding. But it’s also a lovely feature to bring attention to the bodice area – if you have big boobs or small, it doesn’t matter. It’s a beautiful feminine feature to add to your dress pattern.

The VERY first thing you need to do is to make sure you have done a Toile (mock up) of the MRT (Miss Ruby Tuesday) pattern to see that it fits perfectly on you. This step is important because if your base pattern isn’t a good fit then the pattern hack won’t be either.

A good place to start to get ideas for a particular style you’d like to create is to GOOGLE images. For this particular lesson I googled – Cross Over Dresses – and I came up with this:

It’s amazing what you can find on Google.

Today, I’m going to show you a T-Shirt pattern hack. It’s going to be a versatile top pattern that in itself can then be hacked and turned into many different top styles. You can make this into a cool summer top, a long sleeve winter top, and using Pattern Hack #1 you can turn it into a cross over top.

I have 2 more Miss Ruby Tuesday Pattern Hacks:

Pattern Hack #2 – Cross Over Bodice with waist tucks
Pattern Hack #3 – Cross Over Bodice without tucks

The possibilities are endless. Is there nothing this pattern can’t do?

Ok, now you get the idea of what’s possible I’ll show you how to turn the MRT pattern into a basic T-Shirt top.

First you’ll need your MRT pattern.

Step 1 –

Make sure you have tested the MRT pattern and the size you’ll be using is right for you.

Step 2 –

Transfer your bodice front pattern to paper and continue the CF line down by about 20″.

Step 3 –

For this tutorial I measured down 10″ from the waist for the length of my top. You can make your top as long or short as you want.

Step 4 –

Now square a line out from the 10″ mark. This will form the hem of the top.

Step 5 –

Measure your hip area of where the 10″ comes on your body.

Step 6 –

Divide that measurement by 4 and measure out on your pattern at the hemline and mark.

Step 7 –

Next, rule a straight line from the waist/side seam point down to the hem/side seam point. This is the start of your new side seam.

Step 8 –

Measure out about 1/4 – 1/2″ at the waist and the hip and curve in your new side seam. Also, mark up 1/4″ from the hem and curve in your new hemline.

Repeat Steps 2 – 8 for the back.

You now have the basic pattern that you can either sew up into a gorgeous sleeveless/sleeved top or you can start playing and changing it into many different tops – like the images show above.

If you’ve just stumbled onto my blog and want to know what the heck MRT (Miss Ruby Tuesday Dress) is, then click HERE. And if you want to see what other talented ladies are doing with their MRT pattern then click HERE.

For other Pattern Hacks for the MRT dress –

Pattern Hack #2
Pattern Hack #3

If you enjoyed this Pattern Hack tutorial or have other ideas for pattern hacks please let me know in the comments below.

Enjoy and Happy Sewing!

This request came from one of my lovely customers, Benita Button. She wanted to make this style of dress without the waist band.

Pattern Hack #2

Original MiSS RUBY TUESDAY DRESS

So, what we have here that is different to the last pattern hack is that the tucks are coming from the waistline and not the side seams. And also, the tuck are stitch down about 2″.

Ok, let’s get started.

Step 1 –

Trace your front piece so that you have both sides of the front.

Step 2 –

Draw in your neckline. You can use the V neck as a guide or draw your own. You need to work out how far down the neck you want your Cross Over to be. If you were happy with Pattern Hack #1……then do the same.

Step 3 –

Now cut out your new front and trace another front exactly as the new front ….. this will be your other front piece.

Step 4 –

Rule 3 lines – like you did with Pattern Hack #1. These 3 lines will be draw from the waist to the armhole of the bodice. By doing this you are directing the tucks up to the bustline.

Follow the image below for the measurements. Then measure up from the waist on each line 2″. This will be the notch for the tuck.

Step 5 –

Now you will be doing a procedure called “Slash and Spread”.

Start with the bottom line cut from the waist to almost the armhole point. Tape the bottom part of the bodice and pivot the waistline part of the

bodice out 1 1/2″.

Step 6 –

Do this same procedure with the next 2 tucks.

Step 7 –

Once you have done this then fold the tucks out to the side seam and trace with a tracing wheel. This will form the inside of the tuck.

Step 8 –

That’s it’s. Your new front should look this the image below. Make sure you have marked in where you need to sew the tucks and also the CF and grainline.

I hope you have great success with this pattern hack.

I’d love to see what you’ve made so pop on over to my FB group – 1PL Sewing and Pattern Studio.

If you don’t have the MiSS RUBY TUESDAY pattern yet then I suggest you pop on over to my website and purchase it. It’s a great little dress that will take you from Summer to Winter.

Thanks again Benita for your Pattern Hack suggestion. If you love what you see please comment below. Or you can suggest more Pattern Hacks that you’d like to see.

Happy Sewing!

PATTERN HACK #1 – Miss Ruby Tuesday Top

Pattern Hack #2 – Miss Ruby Tuesday Cross Over with Tucks