The difference between Ease and fullness and how to add them to a pattern

You may not be ready for my last posting but this information can be helpful no matter if you have a sloper or not. We are dealing with three things that make our clothes wearable.

1. Basic ease-just enough to move correctly. Drafted into every pattern. (see chart in last posting) Will my pattern fit?

2. Design ease is what is added to give a fashion a silhouette, a certain look, a style or just to add to our comfort. Do I look up to date and fashionable?

3. Fullness is ease added other than on the seams of an outfit and in only the appointed location for the effect desired.


Let me show you what I mean....... Lets do WEARING EASE

This is a cute skirt I was making and the top is perfect for adding wearing and design ease.

WHY?

Lots of seams to work with.

Lets say on the skirt I need 4 inches added to the waist and 2 inches added to the hips. What could be easier with 12 seams to add to. Don't count the fold in the middle we don't want to touch that. READY for some MATH.

4 inches divided by 12 locations

.33333 or 5/16 of an inch per seam...EASY

The other thing I could do is turn the darts into ease, you'd have to measure the distance between the two pieces of the skirt front and back before you do any cutting out. That could means you add even less on each of the 12 seams. Just draw a line up the middle of the dart and cut your pattern out there.

See the dart ease and other waist area's where I've added my 4". there is no longer a dart, it is ease now!

The 2" for the hips will take some study. This skirt has Godet's and we will have plenty of Fullness around our knees so we want to be careful not to take the hip amount down into the knee area unless we need the over all ease.

Lets do some test math.

If I do add the hip ease on all 12 seams what would that be.....2 divided by 12 is .166666... that would be 3/16 of an inch. This would mean I'd have to subtract to the Godot also so that pattern piece will still fit. Much too fussy for me even at 3/16 of an inch!

Instead I would take my hip out only on the outside 4 seams. 2 divided by 4 is 1/2 inch, a piece of cake!

Hint: I could taper the waist out for the 1/2" of the hip and add back in the darts. Remember my waist has added 5/16 for the waist so I would be adding another some of the 1/2 for the hips to keep the seam line smooth. Using only the 4 side seams.

Adding the 1/2 to each side of the outside hip and bringing it up into the waist and down to the hem without using the Godet seam

As you can see in this picture I still have my dart. Remember by adding my hip up into the waist I have extra in the waist and have added that amount into the dart. Some of the dart is still filled in for my waist measurement. A bit of sharing going on here. A little ease a little dart!

We now have 4 inches added to waist and 2 inches add to hips.

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Now it's your turn. Look at the top above.

How many seams can we do changes in on the top?

These are princess seams and they need to go neatly down though the bust point on the front. If you make changes inside the curve make sure you don't move it out of place. You also must note any change that take place in the armscye. The sleeve will then need adjustment. You have a back dart that can become ease also but you do loose form.

OH EVERYTHING that touches something changes it!

In the case of needing more ease in the bust this is the PERFECT place to make changes in.!

Did you get 8 seams and 2 darts for changes?

Even 6 inches divided by 8 is only 3/4 of an inch per seam.

I often need that 6 inches in my bust ease!

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Time for adding FULLNESS

My first thought is when my daughters needed maternity tops made. I took a normal top and added fullness as so.....Remember yesterday's posting of the blouse? Here it is with fullness added for a tummy.

I cut up to just below the bust

You may want that little bit of fullness at the hip just take two cuts.

How about fullness at the wrist of a sleeve. This will be gathered up and my cuff pattern will stay the same size, giving me a nice blousing look at the cuff. If I did this on a short sleeve and cut into the cap it would become a puff sleeve.

FULLNESS is added where you desire and as much as you desire

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These two forms of ease can be added using several different methods.

Here I have shown you the "SLASH AND SPREAD" method.

Nancy's notions has a book Fitting Finesse that teaches the Pivot and slide method.

They all get you the same results and you can explore to find a method that works well for you.

With SLASH and SPREAD you must true up your seams before cutting (remember truing is taking your french curve or ruler and making the seams connect smoothly.

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One last Ease is DESIGN EASE as in the examples below.

See how the pant legs change shape here. Remember bell bottom pants?

All this is DESIGN EASE. We don't need it to move in our clothes. It's all about fashion. What else can you think of where you see Design ease?

Yes FULLNESS is a form of making design ease but it can also be fitting ease.

Where do you see added fullness in these two photos?

The best thing you can do to learn to deal with ease is to look at every pattern you can

study out how it is made and where you can add and remove ease. What is possible?

I have not addressed Knits in these two posting and there is a lot to say about sizing knits

It will have to wait for it's own posting.....