Full Tummy Adjustment – Waist-Seam Dresses & Skirts

Project Overview

Full Tummy Adjustment

Difficulty Level = Beginner

Our Facebook group is a great place to get help, share your tips and creations! We are a friendly bunch, and we love to help and see what you have made.

Please read the full instructions before getting started.

Wash, dry, and press your fabric before starting your project. A bit of prep now prevents shrinking and means your garment will stay the same size you made it.

Never leave a child or baby unattended or allow to sleep in a garment made from one of our patterns with ties, snaps, buttons, or anything they could remove, choke on, or get caught on. Always use caution if you are unsure. We love our patterns, but we love your bundles of joy more!

Sizing

Size Range

Craft

Fitting Notes

While you may find your measurements fit into a specific size on our size chart, we are all different shapes. If you find a dress (with a waist seam) or skirt doesn’t quite fit around your tummy, follow this tutorial to add into the pattern pieces.

Follow the tutorial below to adjust dress or skirt, for woven or knit pattern.

You will need to take 2 measurements when deciding how much to adjust:

High hip – This is taken about halfway between your waist and your hip.
Waist – This is taken at the point where you bend if you tip sideways.

Take the difference between the two and this is the measurement needed in step 2.

Materials and Tools

You will need:

Your Rebecca Page pattern
Scissors
Clear ruler
Pattern paper for tracing off your original Rebecca Page pattern, as we are going to split and spread the pattern. I recommend something slightly thicker than tissue paper, as that tears easily.
Pen or pencil
Sticky tape

+ Instructions

1 . Trace your Pattern Piece

1.1

Take your front pattern piece(s).

Identify the fullest part of your tummy and mark the corresponding place on the pattern piece with a cross.

Draw a horizontal line just above the full hip/widest part of the pattern.

1.2

Extend the lines of the cross to the edges of the pattern and down to the horizontal line drawn in step 1.1.

Cut through the horizontal line. You will now work with the top piece.

1.3

Cup up from the bottom to the top, leaving a small hinge.

Cut from the middle to each side leaving a small hinge.

1.4

Place your cut pattern piece on top of tracing paper. Arrange the piece back to its original shape and draw around the top edge.

2 . Adding into the Tummy

2.1

Pivot your pattern piece creating a gap in the center, moving the pattern piece until the gap in the middle (1), is half your measurement.

The remaining half measurement is adjusted in the next step.

2.2

Place the bottom of the pattern piece back underneath the adjusted top pattern piece. Move this piece until the gap created (2) between these pieces is the other half of your measurement.

2.3

Draw around this new piece. Add any pattern markings.

Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the back piece (or any other skirt panel pieces).

Your full tummy adjustment is complete. I recommend sewing a muslin using your adjusted pattern pieces. This will help you check the fit before sewing your final garment.