Early Access // Drafting Princess Seam Patterns

Excellent info, as usual!

I am not yet to the point of drafting my own patterns, but I just did my first ever hack of a commercial pattern (changed a button-up shirt from a side seam dart to a shoulder yoke with gathers going into it). Thank you for teaching me the skills to do that!

Dear Bianca, my husband and I talked about influencers lately and you are the only real big channel who doesn't do minutes of talking about a sponsorship. Just wanted to say how much this is appreciated! (And that I'll chose the next higher tier bc of that.)

Since I came across your Learn Pattern Drafting Instead Video 4 years ago.... I have been changed. But like staying in a situationship even though it's toxic for me, I have continued to use commercial patterns all while secretly working on improving my darted bodice sloper every few months or so. This past week, I took my well-fitting sloper and made a commercial dress by The Pink One using this wackadoo method (https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2008/11/02/the-merits-of-a-basic-fitting-pattern) - which was so so painful and it worked!!! -... but the victory feels very Pyrrhic. It was basically taking my sloper and moving lines around it, no different from drawing the style lines myself. SEARCH YOUR HEART, YOU KNOW IT TO BE TRUE. I do. I can't lie to myself anymore. I'm done with commercial patterns. Tier upgraded - you deserve it.

Happy birthday! Enjoy!

Wow. Thank you for all the time it took to put this video together. So, so informative. I especially appreciate the armseye princess seam, tricky to be sure, but I love the look. So much sewing, filming and editing.... just know we appreciate it.

If anyone has trouble sewing armscye princess seams, as I did for many years, I recently tried hand basting first. Wow it made such a difference. I thought it would take ages but actually I think it made the whole process way faster, because I could see the seam a bit faster (not fast, mind you!) on the machine. Just in case this is helpful to anyone else!

Well...you are the best. I owe you hazard pay...lol. Thank you for the lesson in how doing things backwards means I still have to figure out the hard part of getting a well-fitting block. Things make more since now.

I loved this so much I upped my tier.

Thank you, wonderful episode.

Something I've been wondering since learning from you that dart points need to be walked away from the apex for best fit/appearance/comfort - why doesn't the basic princess seam instruction seem to do this? It seems to me like you could start by swinging your side dart up to the shoulder (or armscye, or neck), leaving the waist dart as it is. Then draw in the dart legs as normal, with the dart tip the normal inch-ish away from the apex. Then simply cut the darts away along the legs, and cut straight between the two dart points which are a couple inches apart. Then add seam allowance etc. It seems to me then you'd get the same exact garment shape as the two-dart pattern, and you'd have a pair of much shallower angles on your side-front piece rather than the single very sharp point. Maybe then you could avoid the smoothing and slashing correction, or at least keep it less dramatic? No idea if my description made any sense... Anyway, thank you for drafting dangerous and everything you do! I just added a new cowl-neck top to my wardrobe that I absolutely love, thanks to your tutelage!

I love this. To the point (pun intended) and clear, including the punitive talk about finally making that @#$% block 😂

I love that dior thingy. And this whole tutorial will be so useful for me making clothes for my friend with a G cup and 31 inch waist...

Yeey another part in the series, can't wait to try and find a moment to watch it

oh wow! This is fantastic. I had not seen correcting for the seam length difference after a bit of smoothing anywhere else. I guess most resources (or at least those I've consulted) assume a much smaller bust angle? I love a princess seam, the less typical the better, so this is all wonderfully helpful. As always, this is an excellent, clear explanation of how this works, and I really loved the less common examples. Thank you!!

Sorcery, witchcraft I say!! Every time I feel like I’m grasping it … it eludes me

Excellent video as always - I'm really enjoying Drafting Dangerous, so thank you Bianca for all your hard work (and the great supervision from all the kitties!) I discovered recently that armhole princess seams are actually called Viennese Cut or Vienna princess seams. The style comes from the curved seams on the back of men's tailored coats and uniform jackets C18th-19th. With sewing, every day is a school day!

For the longest time, I thought I hated princess seams, but it was your previous video about princess seams a few years ago that taught me what I *actually* hated was commercial patterns with princess seams. I'm so excited there's an updated and longer video on the subject now!