Sew-vivor Challenge 1: Matinée Dress

Emerald… hmmm, that leaves the door wide open to interpretation and imagination.  I’ve been playing with the idea for this dress for a while and thought it would be darling in a rich color like emerald, so I took this opportunity to turn it into reality and I truly love how it turned out. (Am I allowed to say that about my own design?)

 

I drafted the bodice with a pseudo bateau neckline in the front giving no clue of the plunging open back with the simple sash to keep it closed.  I think pinafores and open back dresses on little girls are so sweet!  The main fabric is taffeta which although not my first choice was the only emerald fabric I could find.  I added a lace overlay to give it more of a springtime feel and to keep it from becoming too formal or seasonal. 

This is the second dress I made.  My “wearable muslin” was an adorable green on white dotty ombre from Moda’s Simply Color line but I decided that it didn’t fit the criteria for the challenge.  You’ll see the dotty fabric in the tutorial photos – want to make your own?  Here goes:

I drafted my bodice using a basic sloper I’ve used many times and know fits well.  I adjusted the front neckline to bring it up higher to follow the line of her collarbone and the back with a gentle curve to about 3″ from the bottom back.  Cut bodice front and back from main and lining fabrics. 

With right sides together (RST) sew at shoulders for both front and lining.  Press seams open.

With RST, sew along neckline and arms.  Be sure to leave the side and bottom seams open.  If you prefer button loops, this would be the time to insert them into the seam at the lower back.  I’ve been on a sewn button loop kick lately, so I added my loops later for the emerald taffeta version, and used buttonholes for this one.  Clip curves, turn right sides out and press.

This is difficult to show in pictures, but with RST align the side seams outer front fabric to outer back fabric, and lining front to lining back.  Be sure to match up the seam at the armpit.  Repeat for the opposite side.

Finish the bottom edges in your preferred method.  I used my serger (she’s named Nina).

Cut your skirt pieces.  For the dotty dress I had only purchased a yard of fabric, so I was able to squeak out two pieces about 2x the total bodice width x 14″.  I cut one piece in half across the long edge and finished all the edges.  Sew back pieces together with RST, leaving an inch or so open at the top to line up with the bodice back opening.  Press and sew seam allowances down along the opening.  Sew front to back with RST.  Hem the bottom edge.  As my skirt was only 14″ I had to do a narrow hem for this dress.  I had purchased a yard and a half of the taffeta so I made the skirt fuller at 2.5x the total bodice width x 17″ with a wider 2″ hem for the second dress.  Run two lines of basting stitches within the seam allowance to gather the skirt.

With RST match and pin back edges and side seams of the skirt and the bodice front.  Pull the bobbin threads to gather the skirt until each section fits where pinned.  Spread out the gathers until they’re even and then pin generously.  Sew, remove pins and press.