This is not as 'off' as it sounds, honestly !

It's just that different skating dress patterns place the crotch seam in different places, and I am looking for feedback as to which is best: 1/2 way between front & back ie, at the centre of the crotch area, or towards the back like regular panties?

I have tended to opt for toward the back, however when using velvet, the different directions of nape can make the seam very obvious.

Those who make dresses, what do you think looks best?

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Katz

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I personally like the seam a little more toward the center, but for a construction reason...
I know what you are talking about...Jalies are more toward the back, Kwik Sews are in the middle (those are all I use right now)
Jalie bottoms are cut a little more narrow in the back than my Kwik Sew patterns, which makes for too much booty cheek showing, IMO. Sometimes, I have to add more coverage, and that is hard the way that the bottoms are drawn, so I have to redraw the Jalie bottoms with the seam more toward the center in order to add the coverage. I have had to do this enough times that I just automatically do it when using a Jalie pattern. It is no fun to have a dress completely done, then have to un-sew it, and recut the panty back 'cause it gives the kid a wedgie!

ETA: I also have to adjust the height of the leg opening as well to counteract the wedgie problem. Jalies can be cut a little high on the hip, just for my coverage tastes

I have never noticed the nap difference on dresses using velvet. And if someone notices it while you're skating, then they are looking at the wrong place for way too long!

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BuggieMom
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Some people are like a Slinky...not really good for anything,
but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs....

I've been making skating dresses for quite a few years now, and, honestly, have never given any thought to the crotch seam at all. The master pattern I use puts it more toward the back, so that's what I do. I've done lots of dresses for my daughter in velvet, and it's not a problem when the naps run towards or away from each other at a seam. It's going to happen at the shoulders, too, if there's a seam there. It would look way weirder to try to match the nap direction at the seams by having it run down the body on one side and up on the other. If you do that, the dress will look darker on one side than the other.

Depends if you're going to have it sewn up, or use poppers or hooks so that you can have access for emergency visits to the loo..... I always put poppers in, so half-way makes life easier.

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Mrs Redboots
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Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I'd put the seam in the narrowest part of the center. For normal undies, I believe the seam is placed for comfort rather than looks but skating dress panties have different functional requirements, being outerwear not underwear.

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It's all about the dress!

I mostly use Jalie patterns so it tends to be towards the back, and I don't worry about which way the nap is running--nobody should be staring at my crotch seam for long enough to be worrying about the nap and if they are they'd better not tell me about or they'll suffer the consequences!

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You miss 100% of the shots you never take.--Wayne Gretzky

If you move it to the back the crotch seam has to get curvier. Look at a Kwik sew that has a two piece back panty, and then look at one that is one piece. The curves of the hip, crotch and back seam all relate to each other.

Okay, thanks everyone! Seems (pun intended) like it doesn't matter too much where I put it. Say tuned for more sewing related threads...

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Katz

Saved by Synchro!
I was over it, now I'm into it again !