Pattern Review: Charm Patterns’ Peggy Bodice
When Gertie released the Peggy Bodice through her Patreon, I knew it was a pattern I wanted to make up sooner rather than later.
I tend to really like the fit of patterns that have both a waist and an under bust seam, and the high neckline is a change from many of my go-to patterns that have that kind of seaming detail. I was also curious how the underarm gusset would affect the fit of the cut-on sleeve; I often struggle with fabric bunching with cut-on sleeves as the material navigates the side boob/ armpit area.
I made my initial muslin in a size 18F graded to a size 20 waist. Based on this muslin, I transferred some of the length from the midriff piece to the upper bust piece, as I wanted the under bust seam to fall all the way under my bust. I also added a little bit of length at the waist, as I was afraid that once I attached my skirt, the bodice would be a touch short. I did not add the underarm gusset to my muslin, and although I was afraid the size I cut might be a touch too snug through the bust, I didn’t want to change anything without seeing how the gusset affected the fit.
Well, it turns out, the gusset did affect the fit! And so did attaching the skirt. And… so did making it up as an entire dress, with facings and a carefully installed zip, and not just a muslin. But that’s always the case for me, and I tend to make my first “real” version of any given pattern a wearable muslin, using a fabric that I wouldn’t be broken hearted about if it didn’t fit perfectly. This fabric, by the way, is a flannel from JoAnn Fabrics.
I really probably should have cut this in a straight 16F, because it’s about an inch big from the bust seam up, and about two inches big through the midriff/ waist. Thank God for belts, and the fact that this sort of style doesn’t require a really tight fit like certain necklines do! I also didn’t need to add length to the waist anywhere but for the center front 8”-10”, so I’ll be correcting that on my next version of the dress. I may also add an underlining to the midriff pieces on my next version, to give that section a bit more body and hold. If you’re working with a material that isn’t as lightweight as flannel, you may not need to worry about that. For this version, I paired the bodice with the longest sleeve I could fit on my fabric (this is between the short and 3/4 sleeve length), and a circle skirt.
The gusset was something that I was eager to try, but intimidated me. I’ve used gussets on historical clothing, but I’ve never done this particular method that involves applying silk organza to the area and using that to turn the dress fabric and create a clean edge. It wasn’t nearly as finicky as I thought it might be, although I will say, I think you do need to spring for silk organza. I ordered mine through Dharma Trading, and it was relatively inexpensive, especially considering you only need a small amount for this application. I think my second choice fabric would be a very thin (thin enough to be at least semi-translucent), crisp cotton, like an organdy. You want something with some body to it, and that isn’t slippery; a natural fiber will also help with the pressing that’s involved.
Overall, I do recommend this pattern based on my experience with it. It took a lot less fiddling to get a good fit than many patterns I’ve worked with do, and I am confident that the fit will continue to improve as I make little alterations to the pattern each time I make it up. I want to be clear that needing to further adjust the fit isn’t something that I hold against any pattern, I expect to need to make adjustments to get a perfected fit. I base my assessment on how good or poor I consider a pattern to be on how extensive the alterations I need are (i.e. can it be fixed through alterations or not), how well the pattern’s instructions are written, and if I needed to improvise fixes to make a pattern workable. The Peggy Bodice had very clear instructions, including a video tutorial, and I was able to make it up exactly as written. The construction, aside from the gusset, was intuitive, and the gusset was not difficult to make work based on the instructions provided. I’ve already got my next version planned, and I’ll likely start it in a day or two once I finish up my current project!
-Dress Pattern is the Peggy Bodice, available through the Charm Patterns Patreon, with a circle skirt
-Fabric is a flannel from JoAnn Fabrics
-Brooch is from Lipstick & Chrome
-Bangles and earrings are by Splendette
-Belt is from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VNkFb7
-Shoes are by MeToo
-Hair flowers are a mix from several different makers!
