What is Reddit's opinion of Gertie's Ultimate Dress Book: A Modern Guide to Sewing Fabulous Vintage Styles (Gertie's Sewing)?

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The "Cranberry Wool Dress" pattern is from Gertie's Ultimate Dress Book, which you can get on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gerties-Ultimate-Dress-Book-Fabulous/dp/1617690759 😊

Pattern Bolero: https://www.minerva.com/mp/1241394/charm-patterns-sewing-pattern-dorothy-bolero

Pattern dress: Surplice bodice from Gertie's Ultimate Dress Book: A Modern Guide to Sewing Fabulous Vintage Styles (Gertie's Sewing) https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/1617690759/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_XCM6HHGT08825H4045GW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 With an A-line pleated skirt

Fabric: Star wars fabric https://www.lovelyjubblyfabrics.co.uk/ourshop/prod_7714458-Star-Wars-Stained-Glass-Empire-Red-Darth-Vader-Storm-Trooper-Helmet-Death-Star-Camelot-Cotton-Fabric-per-half-metre.html

black cotton https://www.minerva.com/mp/1133928/minerva-core-range-100-cotton-poplin-fabric

This https://smile.amazon.com/dp/1617690759/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_AR7QHNV01G5DA48D4XQE

https://i.imgur.com/egvfmPu.jpg

I think the skirt pattern might look something like this. Pencil lines would be the fold lines with pink being cut lines. The ruffle pieces on the left are out of proportion in the drawing to the skirt compared to reality.

Although I agree with another respondent that the bust piece is princess seams (instead of cut like a bra like the one I’m recommending), this reminds me a lot of the Bombshell Dress by Gertie which is sold by Burda, but last I checked it only goes up to Burda size 34, which is frustrating. The skirt cut is similar and it has a close fitting strapless top.

Gertie also doesn’t really seem to understand how bra sizing works, so it’s harder to get it to work for large busts. I traced the top pattern pieces off one of my own bras to get it to work.

There’s also V1174, which is nice and includes a tutorial for how to bone the bodice of the dress (so it shows you how to do the innards of a really structured gown properly, which can be hard) but the lining is princess seamed so it’s harder to get to work with a larger bust

My preference for tops like this, especially with a large bust, is to use a heavy fabric, or interline in a heavy fabric, and add boning, underwire and a built-in bra with a separate waist stay (so the bottom of the bra is separate from the dress but the cups are not).

However, an easier way (but may not look as nice and may be less structured) would be to make the bodice in a knit so it stretches and avoid having to build a structured bodice altogether. I’d use ponté.

I’d still use a stiff woven fabric for the skirt. You could get a polyester “silk” (taffeta if you want crisp, etc) blend with something like Lycra in it for some stretch if you wanted.