Baby Doll

I am still working my way, albeit very slowly, through my crafsty "Creative Darts and Seamlines" drafting course.

The Baby Doll has a seam line going through the high figure point (bust point) and a full skirt.  I did not particularly like the example draft in the course.  I want to do all the drafts in the course, but for garments that I would actually wear.  Then I noticed that the design lines on a nightgown I was given probably meet the requirements for a baby doll.  The design line passing through the bust point is not a straight line, but drops down in the front.  The "skirt" is then gathered from the dropped down section, so that the fullness is concentrated at the centre of the garment.

Here is my version.  Mine has some additional detailing on the straps, due to a cutting error (forgot to add some of the seam allowances and didn't have enough fabric to cut again).

 
Full length view.

This fits well enough, but for a nightgown, I should really have added more ease at the bust / sides.  I find judging the correct amount of ease still to be a bit tricky.

The original garment had a single piece back.  I decided to continue the yoke around and add gathers, to mimic the front.  This is okay, but the nightgown would be more comfortable if the back gathers were positioned a little higher up, in line with the cross-back.  Perhaps next time I will jump the yoke upwards in the centre back, kinda opposite to the front.

I didn't make a muslin first.  I don't always find muslins as helpful as they should be...partly because the fabric behaves differently to the final fabric, but also because I think I need to wear a garment for a while to decide what changes should be made.  I am too quick to think that something is okay in a calico version in front of the mirror.  I won't repeat this draft straight away, but will come back and review next time I need a new nightgown.