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Well, nobody's perfect! ;-) Even with a year of design, drafting, testing, redrafting and more testing, patterns go to press with mistakes in them. Hate to have to confess it, but there are some boo-boos in my patterns. Information on these errors is below, along with techniques to make corrections (if you have an uncorrected early pattern sheet). Fortunately, all of the errors are minor and easy to fix! If you find an error on one of my patterns and are the first person to report it, I will send you a free pattern of your choice. I need all the editors I can get! LOL!Important: I have made revisions to some patterns and am happy to provide the revised pieces as PDF files to customers. Check the Revisions section below to see if you need an update. If so, contact me through the Feedback Form, and I will send the PDF files for you to print on your end. Thanks!
General Note for All Patterns A customer alerted me to the fact that the ink will transfer off the patterns if you iron them! This is because the patterns are printed through a heat-transfer process, and heat will just transfer the ink right back off (although it will leave the patterns intact). If you want to iron the patterns flat, I would recommend putting butcher paper over your ironing board and ironing on the wrong sides of the sheets (the sides with no ink). Another customer informs me that you can also use this "flaw" to transfer the pattern pieces onto butcher paper or interfacing, leaving your original patterns intact! Great idea!
Index
Click to go straight to the info you need!
All Regency Gown Pattern Instructions Printed Prior to March 30, 2006 Amazingly, this oops went unnoticed for eight years! It's an omission in the pattern instructions that no one brought to my attention and that I didn't catch until I recently made a dress with a lined skirt. That's got to be some kind of record (ouch!). ;-) Here we go: If you line the skirt of this dress, you will need to turn under BOTH sides of the placket rather than just the one side. This is because I intended to make a drawstring closure option for this dress, and with a drawstring, you don't want any of the placket to show. Because I insert the drawstring into a casing between the skirt and the lining of the dress, I didn't catch this until I made a drawstring dress with lined skirt this year! I usually never line my skirts (preferring a petticoat), and when I wrote the pattern instructions back in 1998, I totally forgot about the drawstring option and left it out. To all of you who may have attempted to line your skirts and found the placket sticking out beyond the bodice, I humbly apologize! Totally confusing, I am sure. If you'll turn under both sides of your placket, you'll find the skirt and lining match the bodice perfectly. And I am making a special page for the drawstring option, which will go online ASAP! Thanks so much for your patience.
2006 Regency Gown Pattern Corrections NOTE: This "oops" does not apply to patterns purchased prior to 1/16/06 (see corrections for the earlier versions below).
The latest version of this pattern has larger armholes and wider short sleeves. However, I forgot to update the pattern layout to reflect the wider short sleeves. For sizes 14 and up, you will not be able to cut out the sleeves on fabric folded vertically (with fold on one side and selvedges on the other). Instead, you'll need to open the fabric to the full width and fold it horizontally to get the entire sleeve cut out. This will also mean you need to add 1/4 yard to your yardage requirement in order to fit the larger sleeve.
Revised Regency Gown Pattern Corrections NOTE: These "oopses" do not apply to patterns purchased prior to 6/17/03 (see corrections for the earlier version below).
1. The bodice pieces are all missing the lining notation. The bodice front piece should read, "Cut 1 of lining on fold." The side back and back pieces should read, "Cut 2 of lining." Sorry about that! Note: If you purchased this pattern after 8/6/03, the error had already been corrected, so you can ignore this.
2. The bodice back and front pieces do not match properly at the side seams on the size 18 only. One piece is 3 5/8", while the other is 4 1/4"! I have no clue how this went undetected for so long; I was sure I'd doublechecked all the seams before pasting the pieces to my master sheet! All you need to do is trim the larger piece down to match, trimming at the upper portion (armhole)--not the lower portion (waistline). Note: All patterns ordered after 1/28/04 do not have this error, since the sheet has been corrected and rescanned at the printer's. Thanks!
Early Regency Gown Pattern Corrections NOTE: These "oopses" do not apply to patterns purchased after 6/17/03. I've corrected all these oopses in the revised Regency Gown pattern! If you have the earlier version, you do not need to purchase a new pattern, however. Just follow these instructions to correct the mistakes. Thanks!
1. The skirt back piece was "shrunk" by the printer to fit the pattern sheet (which is limited to 49.5 inches in length), so it does not match the skirt front piece by about four inches. I was not made aware of this change until 1,000 patterns had rolled off the presses--eek! If you are under 5'4" tall, you won't need to add any length to the skirt back. In fact, you will want to cut both skirt pieces shorter than the printed skirt front length. I designed the length to accommodate ladies up to 5'8". The best way to doublecheck your needed skirt length before cutting your skirt pieces out is to hold your measuring tape up at your bra band (right below the bustline) and let it fall down over the hipline (on the side of the body). Look in the mirror to see how long you want your skirt, then have someone tell you what the measurement is at that point. Add 5/8" for the skirt-bodice seam allowance and add as much as you wish for a hem (one inch is plenty). That's how long you want to cut your skirt front (measuring the side seam). Take this same measurement and make sure the back skirt piece's side seam is the same. Voila'!
2. Somehow I ended up taping the wrong bodice front piece onto the pattern sheet. You will find that the bodice front is slightly longer than the bodice side back at the side seam. My final "master" pattern here matches perfectly at the side seam, but I accidentally used an earlier draft when I taped the final pattern pieces to the sheet. Everything else about the piece is correct--you'll just need to cut the extra length off the bodice front, starting at the side seam and tapering down into the bustline curve, as illustrated below.
3. The bodice back piece has two cutting lines -- one for A-C cup sizes and one for D. If you use the "D" cutting line and also plan to line your skirt, you will need to add to the width of the skirt back lining piece. I completely forgot to add a "D" cutting line to that piece! Just add as much to the center back of the skirt back lining piece as is added for the "D" line on the bodice back. Thanks to one of my Costume Classroom students for discovering this error!
4. If you are using stiffer materials (thick cotton, satin, taffeta, etc.), the side back piece isn't going to "ease" as nicely or evenly into the back piece curve as it would if you were using muslin, voile, organdy or other fabrics with more "give." So if you find that, after adding the side back piece, there is an extra bit of material on the back piece (leading up to the shoulder), just trim it off diagonally as you did for the extra bodice material (so that you don't trim down the width of the shoulder). This isn't an "oops," since I figured most people would use the lighter materials that stretch more often than the stiffer materials. I didn't know how else to make the side back piece to allow for this difference in fabrics, so don't panic if you end up with "extra!"
5. This isn't really an "oops," either, but I've since devised a better method of attaching undersleeves than what is given in the pattern instructions. You can find the new method in my Online Pattern Instructions.
Regency Gown Supplement Correction
[Note: If you purchased this supplement after 2006, this correction does not apply. The pattern has been corrected.] I accidentally drew an extra size line above the 26 on the shoulders of the bodice front and back pieces. I forgot to erase the line before I took this pattern to the printer, so there are at least 60 supplements out there with the extra line. Just ignore it; cut your bodice out according to the appropriate size number!
Regency Underthings Pattern Correction
[Note: If you purchased this pattern after April 2007, none of these apply. The pattern has been corrected.] 1. There are typos on three pieces of the Short Stays pattern. The strap, side back, and front should all say "Cut 2" of the various fabrics -- not "Cut 1." (This applies to patterns printed prior to June 2006.)
2. The yardage chart has typos for the chemise for all sizes (this applies to all patterns shipped previous to April 12, 2007). Please click HERE for the corrected chart!
Regency Spencer/Pelisse Pattern Corrections
[Note: If you purchased this pattern after 2004, none of these apply. The pattern has been corrected.] 1. This applies only to the first 60 patterns printed -- the size numbers were omitted from the center back lines on the bodice back piece. They are on all subsequent patterns. For those who received a flawed pattern, the size lines are as follows (going from the inside to the outside): 8-12, 14-16, 18-20, 22-26.
2. Not really an "oops" but an omission: In step 3B, I instruct you to pin the sleeve together, but I do not follow that with instructions to stitch the sleeve seam! Instead, I say, "Pin sleeve seams together, making sure you catch only the basted end of each wristband. Turn sleeves right side out and run gathering stitches in the top of the sleeve as marked." Obviously, you'll need to stich the sleeve seams before you turn the sleeve right side out! LOL!
Girls' Regency Dress Pattern Corrections 1. The seam allowance notation is missing from the first 15 patterns I printed and sold. The seam allowance for this pattern is 5/8". Seam allowance is noted on all patterns sold on or after 10/28/2003. Thanks!
2. The directional arrow is missing from the long-sleeved pattern piece (showing to cut the sleeve out on the grain). If you purchased a pattern after 1/15/04, you have the corrected pattern and can ignore this notice.
Girls' Regency Spencer/Pelisse Pattern Corrections
[Note: If you purchased this pattern after 2003, none of these apply. The pattern has been corrected.] 1. On the first few dozen patterns that were printed, the center back pieces say "Cut two," when they should say "Cut one on fold."
2. The first few dozen patterns also had the sizes reversed on the shoulder areas on the large piece (instead of 6-10, you have 10-6).
Girls' Pinafore/Pantaloons Pattern Corrections
[Note: If you purchased this pattern after 2006, this correction does not apply. The pattern has been corrected.] The smallest ruffle piece should have size markings for sizes 1-2 and 3-4. As originally printed, it only has 1-2. The smallest ruffle is, of course, for 1-2, and the next line up is for 3-4.
Ladies' Romantic Dress Pattern Corrections
[Note: If you purchased this pattern after December 2007, none of these apply. The pattern has been corrected.] 1. On the first 50 or so patterns printed, the yardage chart is incorrect on the jumper bodice and lining for sizes 24 and 26. Instead of reading "7/8," the chart should read "1 7/8" for those sizes.
2. All patterns printed prior to 7/9/2007 are missing the "+" marking on the sleeve that is meant to correspond with the marks on the bodice front to show where the sleeve matches the shoulder of the bodice. The "+" goes directly at the center top of the sleeve (right below the word "Gather").
3. All patterns printed prior to 12/15/07 have an incorrect marking on the center back bodice piece. The size 12 line hits the 8/10 line at the side back curve. Whoops! All you have to do if you already have this pattern is to continue the 12 line 1/4" down to its curve line.
Romantic Blouse Pattern Corrections 1. The first 100 pattern instructions printed omit the yardage for the front facing and the instructions for cutting out the facing. You actually do not need any extra yardage, since there is room to cut out the facing next to the blouse pieces. :-)
2. One of my customers discovered that the pucker under the collar on this pattern was actually a design flaw in the original garment that inspired this pattern. I've now fixed the pattern to eliminate the pucker. If you purchased a Romantic Blouse pattern before August 20, 2007, you will need the fixes. Click HERE to download the zip file containing the corrections (for the bodice front, you'll need to tape the four "frontfix" pieces together). These files are in PDF format, which opens with the free Adobe Reader. Be sure when you print the pieces that Adobe is scaling to 100% (sometimes it shrinks pieces, so you'll want to double-check). To use the corrected pieces to change your original pattern, you need to match the "elbow" at the bottom right-hand corner of the Collar Extension on the PDF of the bodice front with the one on the original. If you have the newer version of the pattern with the words "Collar Extension," then you can just match the words (they overlap as shown in the photo below--though you only see the "C" in the picture):
For the bodice back, match the XL shoulder and neckline curve on the PDF to the original:
If you put the pieces on a light box or against a window with bright light outside or on a lightbox(as shown here), you'll be able to match them perfectly.
1909 Edwardian Gown Pattern Correction If you ordered this pattern prior to August 26, 2004, and did not receive an e-mail from me, please use the Feedback Form to contact me. I will send you a new pattern free of charge! This one went to press with some errors, so it has been redone. The pattern instructions are still correct, but some of the pieces are missing notches, and some of the sizing lines were off. Thanks!
Edwardian Apron Pattern Corrections 1. This correction applies only to the earliest version. The back waistband piece was not labeled on the first pattern sheets or on the pattern layout diagram. So, if you have an early apron pattern, that little unmarked rectangle is the back "belt" (waistband) piece, and it can be cut out anywhere you have room on the material when you cut out the back straps and pockets. :-)
2. One of the instruction illustrations was incorrectly rendered in the early version of this pattern. In the picture demonstrating how to attach the back strap to the waistband, the back strap is shown curving in the wrong direction. The curve of the strap should be sewn on facing the other direction, as shown below. (This illustration has now been corrected, so this will not apply to you if you have the latest version.)
3. On all patterns printed before 1/08, the "Miss Petite" line was inadvertently omitted from the back strap pattern piece. You can simply copy the "Miss Petite" lines from the main apron body pattern piece onto the lower portion of the back strap to fix this error. The "Miss Petite" lines are for short-waisted ladies who want to keep the straps from sliding off their shoulders! ;-) Please also scroll down to the "Revisions" section on this page for updates made to this pattern in 2008!
"Beatrix" Jacket Pattern Corrections
[Note: If you purchased this pattern after January 15, 2008, none of these apply. The pattern has been corrected.] 1. This only applies to the first 25 patterns that were printed: The jacket back piece says "Cut 2 of Fabric" and "Cut 2 of Lining." You only need to cut one of each on the fold. I had originally designed the jacket with a seam down the back, meaning you needed two pieces. But I changed it to cut out on the fold, so you only need one of fabric and one of lining!
2. On all patterns printed prior to 1/08, the "D Bust" cutting line is missing from the shoulder of the bodice side front piece. Simply copy the cutting line from the bodice front onto the shoulder of the bodice side front to fix this piece as shown in the photo below:
"Beatrix" Shirtwaist Pattern Addition All patterns printed before May of 2008 are missing a note in the instructions. The note goes under the "Leg o' Mutton" sleeve option:
Note: Using the long sleeve pattern piece as indicated will create “demi” versions of leg o’ mutton sleeves. If you’d like your sleeves very full (like the ones shown on the 1909 model on the front page), then substitute the puffed sleeve pattern piece, lengthening it as necessary to match the length of the lines indicated on the long sleeve pattern piece and adding the dot where marked. The rest of the instructions are identical.
1910s Tea Gown Pattern Corrections
[Note: If you purchased this pattern after March 10, 2004, none of these apply. The pattern has been corrected.] 1. The yardage requirement for interlining was inadvertantly left off the yardage chart. You'll need one yard of material for bodice interlining.
2. When I taped all the skirt pieces to the pattern sheets, I accidentally left off the cutting lines for 45"-wide fabric. There should be two sets of cutting lines for the skirt pieces -- one set for 54"-wide material and one set for 45"-wide. I did this because I hate wasting fabric and thought it would be nice to show how to use up all the material with as little waste as possible. But I totally forgot to tape down the 45" cutting lines! If you lay out the skirt pieces on 45"-wide material, you will see that they run off the edges. Just taper the skirt pieces down from the top to fit onto the fabric. Your skirt will look just as nice. :-)
1912 Kimono Dress Pattern Corrections 1. Many customers reported that the neckline scoop on the original version of the pattern was not deep enough to allow the gown to slip easily over their heads. I have revised this on the master pattern, and I now have available a PDF file of the new neckline (bodice and inset). I am e-mailing everyone who has already purchased this pattern, but if you haven't gotten a note yet and would like the PDF, please click THIS LINK to download the file. The revised pattern sheet will be scanned at the printer around March 13, 2006, so those folks who purchase the pattern after that time will get a corrected pattern and won't need the PDF. If you're in doubt, though, don't hesitate to download the file and compare it to your pattern sheet. Thanks for your patience as the kinks were worked out. We can test and test on our end and still not find fitting issues that affect people of different shapes! ;-)
2. Several alert nursing moms have written to tell me that the nursing option given in the instructions does not work well for ladies with a low bust point (I tested the pattern on myself and my mannequins, and we all have high bust points!). If you find the nursing option given in the instructions inadequate for your needs, there is another way to create nursing access (thanks to customer Carol K., who dreamed it up!). I've now added the new method to the instructions (available in mid-March), but if you have the early version of the pattern, please CLICK HERE for the additional directions!
3. The "DD" option given is not necessary for anyone other than those gals with a high bust point. You may actually find that you do not need to make any adjustments at all for DD other than adding a little bit of length to the skirt (which is something you choose according to your personal tastes anyway). As always, try a muslin bodice before you cut your fashion material! This is a step I recommend with every pattern, and it saves a lot of hassle and grief, giving you the opportunity to check important fitting points prior to sewing your dress.
1914 Afternoon Dress Pattern Corrections
[Note: If you purchased this pattern after 2003, none of these apply. The pattern has been corrected.] 1. This only applies to the first 30 patterns that were printed, but I taped the wrong capped/cuffed sleeve to the pattern sheet! I thought I had discarded it after I made changes to it, but apparently not. In the final version of the bodice, I made the armholes smaller than in my initial draft, so the original capped/cuffed sleeve pattern is too large for the armhole and will not ease into it. If you have a pattern with the larger sleeve (the top curve of the sleeve measures five inches larger than the armhole measures around), you can "fix" this problem easily. Just cut the sleeve vertically up the middle, then overlap the two halves to take up 2.5" of the sleeve. Now the sleeve will fit beautifully into the armhole!
2. There is a typo on the first 100 or so patterns printed. The "DD" bodice front piece says, "Cut 2 of fabric on fold" and "Cut 2 of lining on fold." I have no idea what possessed me to type that! You do, of course, need only one of each!
Girls' 1914 Dress Pattern Correction
[Note: If you purchased this pattern after 2007, none of these apply. The pattern has been corrected.] 1. The fold line on the bodice back pieces was accidentally omitted on the first print run of this pattern. To add the fold line to your pieces, just measure in 1/2" from the back edge and use a straightedge to make the line.
2. The piece marked "Puffed Sleeve Band Guide" should actually read "Puffed Sleeve Band and Waistband Guide." Would you believe this error was not caught for three years?!
1940s "Swing" Dress Pattern Corrections 1. If you purchased this pattern before March 7, 2003, you'll see that the bodice front piece is missing the grainline to help you cut it out properly! To cut this piece out correctly, lay it out on your material so that the gathering line (below the shoulder) is at a 90-degree angle to the selvedge or the fold of the fabric.
2. If you purchased this pattern prior to January 15, 2003 and have not received a note from me, please e-mail me. I have a corrected pattern piece to send to you!
3. On all patterns purchased prior to 1/05/06, the fold line is missing for the self-facing on the bodice front. This has been added, but if you have the older version of the pattern, simply measure in two inches from the bodice front edge and use a straightedge to mark the fold line (which runs parallel to the front edge).
4. I pulled this pattern on 1/5/2008 to revise it and make it easier to attach the back facing and topstitch the front shoulder overlap. If you bought the earlier version (copyright date earlier than 2008), click HERE for photo instructions to modify your pattern! Please also note that there was a very old error that never came to my attention until this revision. The bodice front piece has some mismatched lines at the shoulder area. Click HERE to download the PDF of the fix. The red lines are correct--the old lines had all sizes from 8 to 14 connecting to the size 8 gathering line! Because of the changes made to correct those lines, I also had to re-do the back facing for sizes 8 through 16. Click HERE for the new 8-12 facing and HERE for the new 14-16 facing.
Doll's Wardrobe Pattern Corrections 1. On the first 100 pattern booklets, page four of the 1914 Dress pattern instructions is missing. I've mailed a copy of the page to everyone who got a booklet with the page missing, but let me know if you didn't get one! However, the instructions on this page are identical to the instructions in the Regency Dress section, so you can always turn there. :-)
2. If you ordered this pattern prior to November 19, 2004, there is an error on the yardage chart for the Romantic Dress. The long-sleeved dress requires 3/4 yards, and the short-sleeved dress requires 1/2 a yard. They are swapped on the chart!
Revisions
- The Regency Gown Pattern was revised in 2003 and 2005 in the armhole area. If you purchased a Regency Gown pattern prior to January 5, 2006, I will be happy to supply the revised bodice front and bodice side back pieces as PDF files (you print them on your end, using Adobe Acrobat Reader, then tape them together, since the pieces had to be cut to fit on standard 8.5" x 11" pages). Drop me a line through the Feedback Form to request the PDF files. Please do note that I am in the midst of e-mailing everyone who purchased this pattern to let them know about the revised pieces, but it is taking a while to get in touch with so many customers. You may receive a note from me even after you've requested the new pieces. Thanks for your patience!
- The Regency Gown Supplement was also revised in the same areas (except the sleeve, which needed no changes) in 2005. If you purchased the supplement prior to January 5, 2006, you can download the revised bodice pieces in PDF format at THIS LINK. Use the circles and rectangles to help you match the pieces back up after you print them and cut them out.
- The Edwardian Apron Pattern was revised in January of 2008 to add size lines to the shoulders and back strap and to add the missing lengthen/shorten line to the back strap. The size lines at the shoulders were initially ommitted on purpose back when I first published the pattern, but long-time customer Carol K. pointed out that they really are needed to keep the waistline and neckline from creeping up (or down), depending on the size of the wearer! To download a ZIP file containing all the revised areas in PDF format, click HERE. Also note that I've added Online Photo Instructions for this pattern in 2008 to make construction even easier!
The 1911 Kimono Dress Pattern has been revised to enlarge the neckline. If you would like the PDF with the revised neckline (bodice and inset), please click THIS LINK to download the file. The revised pattern sheet will be scanned at the printer around March 13, 2006, so those folks who purchase the pattern after that time will get a corrected pattern and won't need the PDF. If you're in doubt, though, don't hesitate to download the file and compare it to your pattern sheet.
- The 1940s "Swing" Dress Pattern has been revised to make steps two and three much easier! You can download the changes to the shoulder area of the bodice back piece in PDF format by clicking HERE. Go to this page to read the revised pattern instructions.
IMPORTANT: Some customers find that their printers do not scale the PDFs to 100% but shrink them or enlarge them. Be sure that your printer is set to 100% scale prior to printing, or the PDFs will come out the wrong size on the sheet! Customer Carol K. also sent this interesting fact after she had some pages print incorrectly: "When I brought up the PDF files, they came in at 100%, BUT when I enlarge the window to full screen, this is when the PDF goes to the 130% that I kept getting when I tried to print off the Romantic Blouse PDFs. So, I brought the window down, and it brought it back down to 100% and printed it at that scale. So for some reason, when I enlarge the window to full screen, it wants to print at 130%. If I keep the window, as is when it first pops up, it will print at 100%."
Also note that the PDF files were created to print on standard American paper, which measures 8.5" by 11". Many customers in foreign countries have reported that their standard paper size is slightly narrower and longer, which means their printers are cutting off edges or corners of pattern pieces. If you are unable to get larger paper to print the files, try contacting a professional copy shop or printer to have them output your PDF file for you. I hope this helps!
