I usually look at outfits and try to figure out how they were made, it's a tailor thing. I find that the most complicated looking outfits are usually a combination of simple patterns and extra details. Combining several patterns on a dress turns out great if done properly and it saves me some money too. It's killing more birds with a stone when I can do two sewing assignments on just one outfit.
For this dress, I had four different patterns to practice. First is a padded bustier top that's fitted under the bust and gives the illusion of voluptuousness. Second is how to attach a V-neck yoke and third is a keyhole pattern at the back of the dress. The last pattern is the 6-pieces skirt pattern where there are a total of 6 pieces cut to give a form fitting skirt.
The Making
- Using a pattern paper, I drafted my measurements and cut out the pattern
- I then transferred the pattern to my fabric
- For the skirt I made the pattern directly on the fabric using a formula. Waist/6 = Answer/2. I did same for the hips and knee measurements. From the knee point, I made a wide flare for each piece
- I went on to sew the pieces together
- After padding the bustier top with something called wadding, I sewed the pieces together and attached to the skirt to form the dress
- I used a bias to turn in the rough edges of the front and back neckline
- To close the hem, I turned in by ½ inch twice and top stitched
- Lastly, I added sleeves
...And the final look!
