After being told everything was correct and told to begin making my final dress; the first thing to do was cut out my pattern pieces in my chosen fabric: Duchess Satin. Folding the fabric in half; selvedge to selvedge, I placed my pattern pieces carefully onto the duchess satin; placing the centre front piece on the fold and measuring from the selvedge to the grain line of each piece; to place the remaining pieces as accurately on the grain line as possible. Once placed accurately onto the fabric; I then cut all of the pieces out ready to begin manufacture.
I was then told that I would need a lining for my dress and
that pattern would be different to that of the dress. Therefore a pattern for
the lining was needed; to create the lining pattern I traced off each of the
pattern pieces for the dress and took the depth of the facing (4cm) off the top
of each piece and then adding a 1cm seam allowance back onto the top. This
pattern is needed because the lining will be attached to the facing rather than
the top of the dress, therefor the alterations are needed to adapt to the shape
of the pattern to fit the lining in correctly.
Checking that the lining pattern pieces were correct, I then pinned them
to lining fabric before cutting the pieces out ready for manufacture.
Pattern Drafting
Pattern Pieces
Lining Fabric
Pieces cut out in Lining Fabric
Before starting to sew the dress together; the sides of each panel needed to be overlocked to ensure they don’t fray. Using a 3-thread overlocker, I carefully overlocked the edges of each piece, taking my time whilst overlocking round the curved edges to make sure I didn’t trim off any excess fabric.
Overlocked Edges
With all the edges overlocked it was time to start sewing. First
I pinned the edges I was going to sew together, matching the notches together
to ensure I sew the pieces together accurately; starting with the side front
pieces to the centre front panel. To ensure my seam allowance stays the correct
size I used a guide, measuring with a tape measure 1cm and placing the guide on
the machine to ensure my seam stays 1cm all the way down.
Setting guide to 1cm
Pinned Fabric ready to sew
Taking a 1cm seam allowance; I sewed the side fronts to the
centre front and then pressed the seams open, I then sewed the side backs to
the side fronts and pressed the seams open, finally I attached the side backs
to the centre backs and pressed the seams open.
I also attached the back pieces of the facing to the centre front piece, but first I attached interfacing to it; by cutting pieces of inter facing using my pattern pieces, then ironing them onto the duchess satin pieces before placing them in a heat press to fix them in place.
It was now time to sew my lining; using the same method of
sewing the side front panels to the centre front, then the side back panels to
the side fronts, etc. I attached the lining panels together, however instead of
overlocking each edge and then joining the panels, this time I used a 5thread
overlocker to join each panel to one another; overlocking the edges and joining
them together in one quick process. Although I found it a bit difficult at
first, because the fabric is so slippery, this process was very effective and
saved time.
Once all of the lining panels were sewn together; the facing
for the top of the dress was attached to the lining. Taking a 1cm seam
allowance, I carefully stitched around the curved top of the lining, ensuring
that the centre front goes nicely into a point at the centre front. I then
overlocked the centre back edges of the lining; ready to attach to the lining
to the dress.
The lining is then attached to the dress by lockstitch
joining the facing- which is attached to the lining, to the dress, taking a 1cm
seam allowance and sewing with fabrics right sides together. Again I had to
ensure the point goes down at the centre point correctly, a notch is made to
help with this once turned out. I then trimmed the excess seam allowance, and
pressed the seam. I then turned it out and edge stitched along turning the seam
under towards the facing.
It was now time to close up the back of the dress; first the zip needed to be inserted into the centre back. I changed the foot on the machine and edge stitched down form the top to the zip, as far as it would let me sew. I then turned out the top of the dress, making sure the corners pointed. I then joined the remaining back seams – the dress and the lining, and pressed open.
Inside Zip: Open
Inside Zip: Closed
I then turned out the entire dress and overlocked the hem. Measuring the 4cm hem allowance, press the hem before sewing a blind hem using blind hemmer machine.
Blind Hem: Inside
Blind Hem: Outside
Once
the blind hem is sewn in; turn out the dress and lay on a table. The lining
should be longer than the dress; therefore it can be trimmed to the correct
size at this stage. Using tailors chalk I drew across the lining along the edge
of the duchess satin dress hem. Then moving the dress out of the way, I cut off
the excess lining, and then double over 1cm and sewing a hem on the lining
before pressing that flat. The dress is now complete.
My finished dress; fully lined, pressed and ready for marking. I tried it on a mannequin to finish and take photographs for documentation and evidence, as you can see the dress doesn’t quite fasten all the way up; this is because the final fitting of the toile was fitted to a model and not the mannequin therefore once on a person/the model it will fit better. I am happy with the result, although previously concerned about the small fit, and I think it will work well with the embellished cape I designed.
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