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I would press your seams before you despair. It looks like part of the problem is that the seams are pulling the fabric in towards your thighs instead of in a straight line down.

Also consider that if you wear anything like petticoats underneath, that will help fill out the skirt and create a fluid line from the waist down. Or add a little more flare to the skirt so that instead of coming down in a straight line parallel to your legs, it widens a little bit. (but again petticoats since the fabric is a bit stiff.)

Good Luck! You pull it off.

For the ballooning - when you reduced the fabric, from which seams did you take it out?
You may need to adjust the darts. I don't know if you've ordered the Reader's Digest book yet, but there's loads of help in there on this exact subject.

Looking at the photo on V2237, it looks like either the model has massive hips anyway, or the hips have been exagerrated on the pattern due to the shape of the dress. However it's true that the stiff fabric could be reinforcing the puffiness, since crepe is reccomended, which is very thin and drapey. What I reccomend you do is, work out how much ease is given in the bust and ease. Add this ease onto the hip measurement. Compare the number you come up with, with the hip measurement on a well-fitting pencil skirt, or another similar shape dress. Decide on which measurement would be best. Then alter the toile in that way. If you're happy, then alter the pattern etc.

If I lived in your vicinity I would totally offer to adjust it for you, but it's not really feasible is it? :) Good luck!

Hmm, what a dilemma. I have 4 thoughts for you. 1. From the polyester satin practice run, it does look as if your seams may be slightly puckered which might be contributing to the ballooning effect. After you have sewn a seam, hold one end of the seam between your thumb and fore finger. With your other hand run your thumb and fore finger (the stitching of the seam between them)along the whole length of the seam. This should even out any puckering/tension in the stitching, however slight. I hope this sort of makes sense - I don't know how else to explain it. I think you should do this in the 'from hem to bodice' direction. Slight puckering/tension in seams seems(!) inevitable even on the most perfectly tensioned sewing machines. Also press, but using the correct method for the pattern and the fabric.
2. Perhaps you should attach a practice small skirt and full skirts to the polyester satin practice run before you definitely switch patterns. The weight of them may well have an effect of the hang/look of the ballooning effect.
3. Even if you do or don't attach the small skirt and the full skirts, just leaving the polyester practice run to hang for a while may also make a difference - it might 'drop' slightly (like a new curtains do when they are hung for a while).
4. Having said all of 1, 2 and 3 it might be that changing pattern is the answer. After all, from looking closely at the dress you are trying to copy, it does appear that it has seams that run all the way down the entire length of the skirt (above the small skirt and the full skirts). It may well be that having a pattern with that feature is the only way to go after all. I guess you'll find out. Lots of luck and keep us posted!!
Kathryn

From number 4 in my previous comment I meant the dress that you are trying to copy does have seams that run all the way from the bust down the entire length of the skirt (above the small skirt and full skirts) whereas the version you are working on at present doesn't.

It looks like the dress you want to copy doesn't have seams on the sides, this could alter the look of the dress. It's hard to tell from one picture, especially with the model's hand on the side and only one view. Maybe you can go check out the dress you like in person and try it on? Or at least get a full 365 degree view of it? In my experience, if an original painting is done in oil and you copy it in acrylic, or vice versa, the copy is going to look pretty different. If all you've seen is the frontal view of the dream dress, and not tried it on, and are trying to make models with different fabric than the intended end result and fabric different than what the practice pattern calls for, you're going to be getting some different-looking results, not necessarily what you want. If you have very sewing-machine oriented acquaintances or friends, I'd ask them, also, perhaps you could schedule a consultation with a tailor - they might tell you what is and is not possible. If it was 30 or 50 bucks, it might be money well spent if you get the information you're looking for.

Oh, and it looks like the fabric is a bit loose on the modeled dress that you're inspired by, around the hips down to the thighs. The torso/bust part is all filled out, but it looks like there's some pretty heavy layering going on for her undergarments. So you might be on the right track with your prototypes anyhow. If you didn't try on the dress, you might not realized that it's not a style you actually don't like to wear, for one reason or another. Also, the looseness around the hips/thighs on the dream dress is pulled down by her voluminous and Floor Length skirts, probably the fabric too, and whatever finishing they applied to the piece. Your prototype is short, it's not going to be so weighty and pulling down any flounces.

Hi... I found your blog a few months ago, and loved your knitting. It just so happens that my mom made my wedding dress using the exact same pattern (Vogue 2237) last year. She tried both using princess seams (like the other pattern) and ultimately went with adding another set of darts at the waist inside those already part of the pattern to take in extra fullness around the hips and waist. It looked great- no poofing out at all, and the fabric was shantung- not as stiff as satin, but not drapey like crepe.

Ok, I just looked back at the dress. There were actually two extra sets of darts- if you are interested, you can email me and I will send you a picture.

Hi,

I was mistaken on the comment in your previous post about the pattern. I thought you are making Vogue 7848 as your dress.

Now that I see the various patterns, I see that Vogue 2237 seems to taper into pencil-skirt style to the knees before flaring out at the bottom. This may be why you have the problem with the poofing at the hips. The pattern you are trying to copy tapers less before the knees. Its more a straight skirt.

Also, I think Vogue 7848 has more flare, maybe more than necessary (?) but you can of course see it in the bridesmaid dresses.

So in all, I think the amount of narrowness (or flare) would be crucial for you to achieve your look whichever pattern you choose.

Good Luck!

Go to:
http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/patterns/sewingpatterns.pl?patternid=3466

It is Pattern Review.com. I hope it helps!
Don't forget to press!!!!

A couple thoughts. Pressing changes the character of a garment so much that you really can't evaluate anything without pressing. Next, there is no hem in this (because you're adding the skirting later) but that causes the sideseams to go inward, exaggerating the pooch. The darts are puckering at the ends, perhaps they can be tapered more gradually, especially at the end? I can't see the back, but how are things at the end of the zipper? Is it pooching out because the tail of the zipper pushes the fabric out? I also notice that this is tight around the ribcage on the dressform...does it fit you this way as well? Since your muslin fit well, and since we're seeing the fit on a dress form rather than on your body, I'll bet the fit issues you're seeing are due to the fabric/pressing/dart stitching rather than a poor fit. The darts also appear a bit long....they end at the tops of the thighs, releasing fullness at a point where you won't want it. Darts, in general, should end before the place you want fullness. Did you shorten this pattern a lot and perhaps not also shorten the darts? Just a thought. What happens if you pull the dress up a bit, does the pooching then seem to happen in the right place? Good luck with it. I'm also getting married in TWO(!!!) months and I've not even begun to make my dress. It's gonna be crunch time for me, LOL!

Wow, your commenters have great advice! I'd try pressing, though pressing poly is no joy.

Kathryn observation that the dress you are copying has princess seams rather than darts may be a key to a better fit. I think the pattern your making calls for a drapier fabric than duchesse satin. Perhaps it would be easier to control the fullnes with princess seams. You can certainly alter the bridesmaid dress silhouette to get the look you want. You could also take a look at V2931 which has the type of skirt you're looking for, cut for duchesse and see how that pattern handles the skirt fit. Then perhaps you can cobble together the bodice from the bridesmaid dress and a skirt you like to get the perfect dress.

Anyway I see it, you've got another muslin or two in the offing :) You look like you've got a great start though, so don't despair.

Is the fabric straight or on the bias? On the bias adds more drape & movement to a dress, and you can create a bit more tension on the fabric by stitching something into the hem to weigh it down. (The weights are difficult to do & conceal, and a rather drastic step to take, but I had to mention it. )

It appears to me that you are trying to construct a muslin/shape from a pattern/idea that does not take into consideration the qualities of the fabric you have chosen and your dimensions. Out of curiosity, I just googled on your behalf and found this website. I think the bridesmaids' dresses sum it up. You can see from the fairly complex construction that Duchesse satin does not lend itself to subtle shapes! The photos might give you some hints on what to do next - good luck!http://weddingpatterns.co.uk/bridesmaidpatterns.aspx