Out on the town in my new dress

Here I am in my dress at an opening at the Lyle Gallery on Town Street in Columbus.

I love it!

FINISHED DRESS

Here is my dress finished. I love the way the prints work together!

I am looking forward to seeing all of you in class and helping you to create your own dress or tunic.

Thanks,

Nan Turner

CREATING THE BELT

I added a belt to my dress in the same print as the trim fabric. To turn the belt to the exterior, it helps to use a "Loop Turner".

SEWING AN INVISIBLE ZIPPER

To set the invisible zipper, you need a special zipper foot which is sold separately.
I put the zipper in the side seam insead of the center back seam as the pattern instructed. I wanted to eliminate the center back seam to avoid a seam in the very large pattern of the printed fabric that I had selected for my dress. Also, this way the zipper is really hidden under the arm.

SEWING THE ARMHOLE FACING

Be sure to trim the seam allowance of the armhole facing to reduce bulk. Clip the seam allowance along curves to ensure that it will lie flat when pressed to the interior.

SEWING THE DARTS

The end of the dart must be sewn carefully and tapered gradually at the bust point. Do not back stitch the end of the dart. Instead leave long thread tails at the end and tie a knot by hand to ensure the dart will be smooth at the end.

GRAINLINES ARE VERY IMPORTANT!

This pattern does not have the grainline marked on the armhole facing pattern. The grain of the facing should be the same grainline of the main pattern piece. I aligned the armhole pattern piece with the front body pattern to mark the grainline of the armhole facing before cutting it out.

CUTTING OUT THE FABRIC

Use a tracing wheel and special pattern tracing paper to trace the outline of the pattern onto the fabric. This way the pattern is not cut up and can be reused.

DETERMINE THE CORRECT SIZE

Patterns today are printed with all sizes on one pattern. Read the size chart carefully to determine the best size for you. Use a tape measure to measure your body for the key measurements: Bust, Waist and Hip. The Hip is measured 9" below the waistline.

It is a good idea to highlight the cutting line for your size so you don't confuse the lines while cutting out. Use a contrasting marker to hightlight the correct cutting line.

DIRECTIONAL PRINTS

I have chosen a "One Way Directional" Print for my dress. It is important to determine the best placement of the print before cutting out the dress. Hold the fabric up to yourself and look in the mirror to see the best placement of the pattern. You might have to try different placements to determine the best.

PRESSING

It is a good idea to press the fabric after washing. I like to press the paper pattern as well. Do not use stream when pressing the pattern.

It is a good idea to pre-shrink the fabric and all lining and interfacing before you cut out the pattern pieces. This will eliminate the possibility of the finished garment shrinking. After all you hard work that would be a disaster.

Pre-Shrink

**Be carefull not to tear your pattern pieces. The tissue paper is fragile!**

Preparation

Read the directions for the pattern carefully. This pattern does not have a sketch of the style showing the design details so I have to look carefully at the pattern to see what the style will look like. I have cut out the pattern pieces to make this easier.

Fabric and Pattern

Here is the fabric and pattern. I bought them at "Sew to Speak", a really cute sewing store on High Street (a few blocks south of Morse) in Columbus, Ohio. The owner, Anita Bowman was very helpful. The shop offers classes in beginning sewing, home decor and stitching and finishing etc.

Sew to Speak
4610 N. High Street
Columbus, Ohio
614-267-3011

Getting started

Today I selected my pattern and fabric for my new dress, a boat neck, sleeve-less sheath in a large one direction print pattern in aqua, tan and rust. The trim fabric is a geo in tan and rust. The pattern is very large so I will have to plan the cutting and placing of the pattern carefully. I will be posting photos and sewing tips while I sew the dress. When I am done, I will teach you how to make the same dress!