1844 Striped Bodice
Stripes are awesome! (if you don’t know). And they rule fantastic designs throughout the 19th Century.
What if you love stripes but the matching part terrifies you? You avoid sewing with beautiful linear patterns because you think the Stripe Matching Game is beyond your reach. I can assure you it’s not. It’s a matter of knowing what steps to take first and developing patience to get it right.
Let me walk you through the steps I use when matching stripes. This method can be used for stripes of all sizes and plaids too. 
Before we begin, you must remember to work on only 1 layer of fabric at a time. None of that, “Oh, I can fold it exactly on one of the stripe edges and it will all be on grain and match” stuff. No.
You want your bodice to look good, right? Then spend the time and cut one piece at a time. Trust me. You will thank yourself later.
Step 1
Remember the key to accurate matching: your pattern seamlines must match perfectly before you even touch the fabric.
Walk or measure each seamline you want to pattern match. The photos in this tutorial are of a mid-1840s bodice back. Notches help here, but for this method you want to concentrate on even seamlines.
1844 Bodice Back Pattern Pieces
If your back piece along the princess seam is 9-3/8″ then make sure your matching side back piece seamline is also 9-3/8″ long. You may have to adjust the length of either piece in the middle or at the bottom (but not at the armhole usually).
Directional striped fabric
Step 2
Determine if your stripe has a top & bottom direction or even a left & right. You’ll want to pay attention to this direction when cutting.
Step 3
Cut your main bodice piece first – usually center back. If you have a center back seam, cut one half first like the right hand side here.
Position the stripe to where you want it to run within the piece. It’s always best to have the main motif or largest stripe running along the fullest part of the piece. But position it where you feel it has the most emphasis.
Step 4
Lay your cut center back piece on top of the fabric, aligning the stripes, and with enough fabric to cut out your matching piece. This part is where it counts.
Lay the cut out back fabric piece on the remaining fabric
Step 5
Clip into the seam allowance of the two paper pattern pieces you want to align – here the center back and side back pieces. Clip at intervals and fold up along the seamline on both patterns
Step 6
Lay the center back paper pattern on top of the cut fabric piece. Keep the seam allowance folded up. Pin to hold if needed.
Lay the center back paper pattern on top of the cut fabric piece
Step 7
Lay the side back paper pattern on the fabric aligning the seamlines of both paper pattern pieces. Here the seam allowances are folded out of the way so you concentrate on the seamline only.
Fold up seam allowances and match seamlines
Be attentive in matching up the seamline intersection at the armhole /princess seam.
Align top of seamlines
Step 8
Pin the outer edges of the side back piece to hold in place. Be extra careful here not to move the cut center back fabric section or the paper pieces.
Pin outside edges of side back piece to hold
Step 9
Gently remove the center back pattern and cut fabric piece.
Remove center back pattern and fabric pieces
Step 10
Finish pinning the side back piece. Remember to unfold the seam allowance! Cut out the side back.
Pin remaining edges of side back piece then cut out
Center back and side back pieces, matched and ready for sewing
Step 11
Pin the seam matching the seamlines of both pieces. Stitch. Sometimes you have to tweak the fabric a little as it goes through your machine so the stripes stay aligned. You can also hand baste the seamline for a super matched stripe!
Finished bodice back seam with matched stripes – piping was added to the seam too
Repeat for the other half of the bodice. Follow the same steps if matching a center back seam – cut out one side, fold up the seam allowances, and match the pattern for the other side.
Not too hard, huh? It can be done by beginners and professionals alike. Of course, the toughest part is finding the patience to go slow.
The finished dress!
Have you tried this method to match stripes? Do you pattern match another way? Share with us!
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for this one, Jennifer. I have used a similar method before–to match wallpaper! I seldom wear stripes or patterns because I mainly favor solids–but that doesn’t mean I never will. After all, I love Steampunk and I’m not the only person I’m sewing for.
I’ve begun a ring binder for the corset class. I think I’ll expand my horizons and start filing these wonderful tips so that they’re at hand when I sew.
You’re the best!
Oh dear, crying on the inside a little at the moment. Tried to make a striped corset top with chevron front. Terribly bad. I wish I had this article earlier, but I forge ahead, perhaps not on the current project due to a rapidly dwindling fabric supply, but on a new project!
WONDERFUL! And just in time as I start my sewing for this years events!! Thank you!!
This is very helpful, thank you! Do you not worry about grain lines then, or do you cut your flatlining to grain so your top fabrics matters less?
That is EXACTLY what you do – cut your underlining fabric on grain to flatline to your bias cut/off-grain fabric for support. Although, some bodices like the tight 1840s will still need the side front pieces cut on the original bias so it fits smooth around the torso. But if you’re tweaking your striped fashion fabric, you need that underlining on grain so the final bodice doesn’t twist.
Great tutorial! When I made an 1870s striped bustle dress, I actually used tracing paper for my altered-to-fit pattern pieces. This made it easy to trace the stripes and line them up. Of course, it was my very first costume and I didn’t yet understand the difference between lining up the *edges* and lining up the *seam allowances*! It turned out surprisingly well in spite of my ignorance, but I wouldn’t mind the chance to redo certain parts of the bodice.
Thank you so much for this! I tried making a plaid bustle and really failed at the matching part. But, now I see where I went wrong was trying to use two layers of fabric instead of one. I also did not fold up the seam lines as you mentioned. I will give the plaid bustle a try again. Thank you for your helpful advice!
This will be so very helpful when I begin working on the wonderful silk fabric I found on sale. I was worried about matching up the stripes but now, with your hints I can actually start sewing.
Thank you for the tutorial. It has been decades since I really matched stripes. I really want to make a stripe or plaid Steampunk skirt one of these days.
I’ve seen many methods during my sewing career, some with mediocre results and other just too time consuming to attempt. Your method is straight forward and simple, really. Another great tip, Jennifer! Thanks!!