Gathering A Cotton Bodice

Over the last week I have had the opportunity to gather the bodice on my cotton print dress. It was a great learning experience for me. Here is the progression, starting with the gathers directly under the bust.

You can imagine how unsatisfied I was with this most unflattering, baggy, sloppy looking bodice. So, I asked, and received guidance from the great folks over at The Sewing Academy forum. They set me on the right track and encouraged me to move the gathers more to the center.

This was an improvement but still did not give the tidy appearance that I was looking for. So, I moved the gathers in farther.

And here we are. The gathers could be moved in even more but I am more than satisfied with the current state of things. This dress is to be used for a rural farm wife impression and I think it fits the bill just fine.