Striped fabric dress help/advice.

[Missie]

I have a lovely striped fabric that I have always intended to make a dress with.  It is quite wide stripes (mustard with large  white dots in it) and then white background with a black-outlined floral pattern.  Sounds hideous but I love it.  I was planning on making a sort of 50's style dress (with less of a full skirt as it is for everyday wear) with the stripes of the bodice going diagonally from CF to shoulder and the skirt going horizontally.  However, due my, er, curvy derriere, my back skirt needs to be about an inch longer that the front.  I have to have the hem landing on the edge of a stripe but then the problem occurs at the waist as it will be obvious that there is a difference in the width of the first stripe.  I have procrastinated on this all weekend (which is when I was going to start the dress) and changed my mind, looked at different patterns but my heart is set on this and I know nothing else will live up to my imagination.  So how am I going to get around this?

Would it work if I shortened the back bodice accordingly so that the difference is more hidden in the diagonal direction of the bodice?  Any ideas?  I've not sewn for such a long time and I really need to get to it, whilst smojo (sew-mo-jo) is awakening!

thanks.

Edited to add and I am aware I will have to be careful with pattern placement to avoid the bullseyed nipple look  lol!

[Ohsewsimple]

I’m assuming there is a waist seam. And the back isn’t going to be cut the same way as the front. If it was cut the same there shouldn’t be too much problem. 
Quickest thing that came to mind was to put a fabric belt round.  You’re right the hem does need to be on the stripe.  Sometimes a fabric just isn’t right for the job. 

[dolcevita]

Would it be possible to add a yoke above and below the waist seam that you could cut from the stripe, giving a slight colour block effect? That way you can shape the waist to how you need it to be and contain the back length adjustment within the yoke. It depends on whether the stripes are wide enough for the purpose, of course.

[BrendaP]

my back skirt needs to be about an inch longer that the front. 
....
Would it work if I shortened the back bodice accordingly

If the back needs to be longer than the front then I'd suggest lengthening the back bodice rather than shortening it!

If you don't need to alter the front bodice you'll need to keep the side seams the same and work a gentle curve into the waist seam of the bodice.  If that too is on the diagonal it won't be very noticeable.

[Bodgeitandscarper]

Can you even have the stripe running horizontally around the hem?  Won't the hem edge actually be a curve if it's a flared skirt?

[Missie]

Sometimes a fabric just isn’t right for the job.

I think in this case it is a body isn't right for the fabric 

[Missie]

Can you even have the stripe running horizontally around the hem?  Won't the hem edge actually be a curve if it's a flared skirt?

I haven't got that far yet!  I was kind of thinking along the lines of a border print pattern and was just to get a rectangular piece of fabric and do soft pleats at the top.

[Missie]

If the back needs to be longer than the front then I'd suggest lengthening the back bodice rather than shortening it!

If you don't need to alter the front bodice you'll need to keep the side seams the same and work a gentle curve into the waist seam of the bodice.  If that too is on the diagonal it won't be very noticeable.

The back bodice will, if I've enough fabric be on the diagonal as well.  I was thinking of shortening the bodice and putting the extra inch on the waist of the skirt fabric, but it would mean having to ensure that the front skirt was placed so as to allow that.  I guess, it is swings and roundabouts, just which one would be easiest to achieve.

Gah, this is why I end up not sewing anything as I complicate things, procrastinate, ponder, put it away whilst I ponder some more and then forget about it.

Even if I turned the fabric so the skirt was horizontal, I'd still have the same problem as the dotted part of the fabric is a regularly-spaced pattern.

[dolcevita]

In which case, I think @Ohsewsimple nailed it with her comment that
 

Sometimes a fabric just isn’t right for the job. 

[Ohsewsimple]

In which case, I think @Ohsewsimple nailed it with her comment that

  Years of been there done that!

@Missie if the length needs to be longer because of your derrière then that’s where the extra length needs to be, not on the bodice.  If you lengthen the bodice you’ll end up with a pool of fabric up there.

[Missie]

This my fabric for info. What else can I do with it if I can’t make it work. I love this fabric.  :thinking:

[Bumblebuncher]

@Missie Could you do the top of the skirt to match the bodice with vertical striping, just a few inches into the skirt which is where you would put the extra length.  Then do the rest of the skirt horizontal which would give you (kind of) the effect you wanted? I agree the fabric is lovely
BB

[Ohsewsimple]

Have a look at this
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/carolynd/sewing-with-stripes-ideas/

I often find Russians have some fantastic ideas for dressmaking and pattern cutting.

[Missie]

Thank you all.  I think I am going to change the style of the dress.  If I have enough fabric, I will do an A-line style all on the diagonal going towards the waist, if that makes sense.  I think I will be able the hide the back skirt issue better.  Just hope I do have enough, else it will have to go back in the stash until I can come up with something else!  I just really fancy playing around the stripes and doing something a little bit different.

[Ohsewsimple]

Sounds like a good idea @Missie.