Laying out a Dress Pattern

When making a garment such as a dress and you're using a fabric that has varied shades/colors, is there a particular way to lay the pattern out? Should the bodice be the same color as other parts like the straps? The pattern I'm going to be using is Vogue #2847. The fabric is hot pink and orange. The dress isn't needed for a couple of months from now, but I want it to be as nice as it can be.

Monique

This dress is gorgeous! It's really up to you, the designer, how you want the colors to flow. Personally, I would lay out the bodice first – positioning the pieces carefully to get the pattern where I want it.

Next I would position the dress itself so that the pattern flows from the bodice. Finally I would look at the top of the bodice and decide what color(s) the straps should be. The idea is to have the pattern flow over the entire garment as if it were cut in one single piece.

Unless the pattern is very large, I wouldn't have the straps a single color. I would want both the hot pink and orange to be present.

Good luck. I bet you're going to wow them in this lovely creation!