Print Dominance

My first sewing blog post covered how studying a print before cutting can make a big difference in the results. I cannot under emphasize the importance of doing this when working with lively, bold prints, such as I used for my first project of 2011 - a jersey dress.

I learned this axiom the hard way. I had made a pair of pants and cardigan coat using an African print inspired fabric. The pattern was so busy I thought there no need to concern myself with matching. I didn't think about the importance of not matching. When the ensemble was complete, there were 2 big black Superman logo looking "S" patterns, one on each of my buns. We called them my super suzzy pants. I could only wear them with their matching coat. 

So, when looking at this fabulous matte jersey print, you see that the royal blue swath of color is dominant. I was careful to lay the pattern pieces so that this dominant blue feature of the fabric was placed:

1. Along the right collar - to bring one's eyes to my face
2. Upper left shoulder - for balance
3. Center front hemline - to bring the eye down and offer a perception of length
4. On the left hip - to move the eye away from my belly.

And, nowhere near my buns!

More great lively matte jersey prints available at FineFabrics.com: