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If you are making the dress, you can assess this quickly and easily by pinching it at the top of the shoulders and holding it up to yourself. It should be wide enough to get over your hips, and a suitable length. The asymmetric top can be made from a t-shirt that is already a snug fit.
Create a stylish asymmetric top
First, make sure that your T-shirt is adequately proportioned to accommodate the transformation to a fitted top (see Sew smart). Turn it inside out so that you can clearly see where all the existing seamlines are. All chalk marks will be made directly onto the wrong side of the garment. Note: you will be cutting through both layers – front and back – at once.
Remove one sleeve and the neckline. To do this, lay the T-shirt flat, smoothing out any creases. Carefully snip off the neckline first, then make a decision as to which side the asymmetric shoulder strap is going to sit. Cut off that sleeve, along with the attaching armpit seam, as close to the join as possible.
With dressmaker’s chalk, mark out the asymmetric neckline. Draw an arc that swoops from the upper neckline on the strap side (going across the upper torso) and ends just underneath the armpit on the opposite side. Cut along this line with dressmaker’s scissors to remove the second sleeve and create the asymmetric neckline.
Check the fit against your measurements, and prepare for any necessary adjustments to the side seams. If you want the finished garment to be fitted (and have chosen to work with a wellfitting T-shirt), you may not need to adjust the side seams at all. However, if you are working with larger size, each side seam will need to be taken in to fit.
Draw a figure-grid onto the T-shirt. To do this, fold it in half and mark a vertical line along the fold to mark the centre. Draw your noted shoulder-to-bust measurement onto the shirt (measuring down from the top of the garment) with a horizontal chalk stroke. Measure the bustto- waist measurement down from this point and mark with another horizontal line. This has created a basic figure-grid: one vertical line marking the centre and two horizontal lines – bustline and waistline. For longer garments, the hipline can also be added.
Mark the bust measurement onto the shirt. Add 3cm for total side seam allowances (1.5cm each side) to your halved bust measurement and hold a tape measure out to this length. Fold the measurement in half, placing the fold point at the centre line marked on the T-shirt, and chalk the ‘end’ points on either side. Repeat for the waist (and hips if applicable).
Using the chalk, smoothly join up the ‘end’ points of the bust and waist lines down both sides. Once you have contoured the shape, pin carefully through both layers and cut. There should now be two identical body pieces, front and back, ready to stitch together. Keep the pins in place ready for
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