News You Can Use

LivingSoft Northwest Subscriber Newsletter | Volume 11

Q & A

Q. Where can I get directions or advice about sewing a neckline or closure type that I am unfamiliar with?

A. While Dress Shop does not include directions for every option in the product (you would need a substantial book for that and there are many such available), those most often requested have had articles written and added to the program. To see what is there, run Dress Shop and select Help - Help Index. You'll see a number of drop list boxes. You should visit them all, but the one labeled "How To Assemble Garments" has the most articles. You need to first select a category, then choose the article you are interested in.

Take a look at all of the categories and what articles are included. There are many, all with photos and step by step directions. Check it out.

 

Q: I'm never sure, when I run into a problem, if I should use the problem report function of ds/mpd, or if I should just post the question on the discussion board. Anyway, is there a rule of thumb or a preference?

A. Yes, there is a rule of thumb. Here's a list of problem types and how you can best get help for each:

1. You need to adjust the fit. For example, you have a wrinkle, or your garment does not hang right. You need to talk to somebody who sews. Sending in a problem report will not help, although the programmer can forward such reports to Kaaren. In this case it is best to post your concerns to the discussion board.

2.
You are consistently getting a sloper that does not fit right. The pattern drafts properly. Others are using it without problem. But, yours does not fit. You need measuring advice. The discussion board could be useful, but a problem report would send in your measurements and anything that is obviously wrong can be spotted that way. Your best first step, however, would be to print out a full chart using a standard that is close to your size and see if any key measurement differs a lot while most differ a little. The differ-a-lot one should be looked at more. The most common issues are inseam and armhole depth (people tend to use garment measures, not body measures), side length (just hard to get right) and shoulder slopes (same).

3.
My custom pattern drafts badly, but drafting the same pattern with standard measurements looks good. Now, here we have the perfect candidate for a problem report. The problem only happens with your measurements and does not happen with others. The problem report will send in your measurements, so we might be able to find it using those. This does not automatically mean that your measurements are wrong. That is frequently the case, but there are other times that a design just does not work with some body shape and the program could be changed to make it work properly with that shape. That change would not be possible without measurements that show the problem. When you send in a problem report, the following are attached to it automatically:

A. The measurement set you were using when you submitted the report. Be sure to send it while the problem is visible on screen so we get the right data.

B. The pattern you have selected, including all options you have chosen on Mia. This is critical information. The problem may only occur, for example, with the gathered halter neckline and raglan sleeves, so we need to know you made those choices.

C. Every adjustment you have made with any tool. This is also critical to know.

D. Which version of the program you are using. If you are not using the latest revision, then updating is always going to be the first suggestion. We attempt to correct any problems reported in the next update. Sometimes we cannot, but usually we can. If you are not using the latest, then you are using a version with known problems that have been corrected.

E. System information and settings, such as printer margins and which version of Windows, which might help us reproduce what you are seeing.

F. The activation codes you have entered. Again, this will help us configure Dress Shop to what you are using. Some problems (user interface issues mostly) have come up that only happen with some particular mix of products.

 

Finally, please keep in mind that if you send in emails, describing something that others are not seeing, or even post pictures that others cannot duplicate, then you may be spending the time of hundreds of other sewers with every email you send. One problem report can often provide an answer within minutes that others may struggle for hours to track down. The forums are the ideal place for other sharing. Fit and measuring adjustments , fashion advice, information links and fabric sources are all ideally suited for discussion in the forums. Reports of your successes and difficulties overcome  absolutely belong on the forums, as do  procedural questions (e.g., how do you adjust something or other) .