Hello everyone! Another exciting week of sewing has begun, and I’m thrilled to see so many of you joining in. This week, we're diving into creating a beautiful drapey dress that’s both stylish and versatile. I’ve been getting tons of compliments on mine, and it's perfect for everything from casual outings to formal events. Last week, I wore mine to a charity gala, and it was super comfy even during the long speeches. That’s the beauty of this design—it’s effortless to wear while still looking chic.
For today’s post, I wanted to share some tips on fabric preparation. When I first started cutting out my fabric, I decided to serge all the edges to prevent fraying, especially since I planned to dye it later. As you follow along with the sew-along, you'll notice the white serging thread throughout the process. If you’re working with a delicate fabric, serging beforehand is a great idea to avoid any messiness. However, remember not to serge the yoke or the edges of the dress pieces to keep things streamlined. Pre-finishing your seams can save time and make construction a breeze, particularly if you’re dealing with light fabrics. Consider French seams for the side and back panels to ensure a polished finish, especially at the high-low hem.
Here’s the daily plan for our sew-along:
- **Day 1 (Today):** Sew the pockets and assemble the dress front.
- **Day 2:** Finish the dress front and assemble the back.
- **Day 3:** Sew the belt for View B. (If you’re going for View A, take a breather!)
- **Day 4:** Complete the yoke and neckline.
- **Day 5:** Hem the sleeves and dress. Then, rock it out—after all, Friday nights call for something special!
As always, I’ve added my personal notes and suggestions to enhance your experience. The official instructions remain the same as in the pattern packet.
**Day 1**
Let’s start with the front of the dress.
1. Staystitch the side front edges of the FRONT piece between the upper two notches. (You’ll notice my staystitches along the curved edges in black.)
2. Attach the POCKET section to the front and each SIDE FRONT section along the side front seam, using a 1/4†(6mm) seam allowance. Press the seams towards the pockets. (A word of caution: If you’re using a lightweight fabric for the pockets, opt for matching fabric instead of contrasting colors. After finishing my dress, I realized that the pockets can peek through when sitting, so consider switching to self-fabric.)
3. Pin the side front to the front at the side front seam, aligning notches and circles, and clip where needed. Stitch, leaving the area between large circles free. Connect the pocket edges to the side seams. Clip above and below the pockets.
4. Fold the pockets towards the front along the seam lines and press.
So far, so good! Tomorrow, we’ll move on to the yoke and back assembly. Stay tuned!
**Day 2**
Today, we’ll focus on finishing the front and starting the back of the dress. These steps should be quick and straightforward.
5. Gather the upper edge of the front from the neck to the small circle. (Check out my gathering stitches at the shoulder of the center-front piece. I left it until I pinned the front to the yoke.)
6. Align the YOKE FRONT sections with the front, matching small circles, adjust the gathers, baste, and stitch. Turn the seam allowances towards the yoke. (The remaining yoke fronts will serve as facings.)
Now, let’s tackle the back.
7. Staystitch the side back edges of the BACK piece above the notches. (Look closely at my staystitching along the curved section in black.)
8. Join the SIDE BACK sections to the back along the side back edges, clipping as necessary. (Oops! I forgot to take pictures of this step, but the illustration is clear enough.)
9. Gather the upper edge of the back between the small circles. (I adjusted the gathers when I pinned the back to the yoke.)
10. Pin one YOKE BACK section to the back at the upper edge, aligning notches, centers, and small circles. Adjust the gathers, baste, and stitch. (The other yoke back section will become a facing.)
11. Stitch the back to the front at the shoulders.
That’s it for today! Simple, right? Tomorrow, we’ll create the belt for View B. If you’re working on View A, enjoy a relaxing day off.
**Day 3**
Today, we’ll focus on sewing the belt for View B. If you’re doing View A, you can either relax or make the belt now to add versatility to your dress.
Since I skipped the belt for my View A dress, I’m referencing the guidesheet illustrations today.
**Tie Ends B**
12. For each tie end, join two BELT sections at the center back.
13. Pin the belt sections right sides together, aligning seams. Stitch, leaving an opening for turning. Trim the seam allowances, especially the corners. Press the seam allowances open as much as possible before turning the belt right side out. Use a wooden dowel to help press the seam allowances.
14. Turn the belt right side out. Press. Slipstitch the opening closed.
15. Gather the belt by stitching 1/8†(3mm) on each side of the seam.
16. On the outside, pin the belt to the back, aligning centers and small circles. Adjust the gathers and secure the thread ends. Stitch the belt to the back along the center back and gathering lines.
Easy, right? Attaching the belt gives the dress a polished look, but feel free to leave it unattached for more flexibility.
Tomorrow, we’ll wrap up the yoke and neckline.
**Day 4**
Today, we’ll finalize the yoke and neckline.
**Yoke Facing**
17. Join each yoke front FACING to the yoke back FACING at the shoulders. Press under 5/8†(1.5cm) on the front edges of the yoke facing. Trim the pressed-under edge to 3/8†(1cm).
18. Pin the right side of the yoke back facing to the wrong side of the back, aligning notches, centers, and small circles. Stitch. Press the yoke and yoke back facing away from the back.
19. Slipstitch the pressed-under edges of the yoke facing over the front seams. Baste the neck and armhole edges together. (Alternatively, use the burrito method for stitching. Since I had already trimmed my seam allowances, I hand-stitched the facing for a cleaner finish.)
20. Stitch the back to the front at the sides, from the lower edge to the square.
**Neck Binding**
21. Staystitch the neck edge of the dress. (This prevents distortion during the binding process.)
22. Stitch the center back seam of the NECK BINDING.
23. Fold the binding along the roll line and press lightly. Pin the raw edges together.
24. On the outside, pin the binding to the neck edge, matching notches, centers, and triangles. Stitch, stretching the binding to fit. Trim the seam allowances to a scant 1/4†(6mm) and turn them towards the binding.
25. Fold the binding to the inside, encasing the raw edges. Slipstitch the folded edge over the seam, stretching the binding to fit.
Isn’t the neckline clean and professional-looking? Tomorrow, we’ll wrap it up by hemming the sleeves and dress.
**Day 5**
Today, we’ll hem the sleeves and dress, and you’ll be ready to hit the town! Don’t forget to share your finished dress photos in the SewLisette Flickr group. It’s always inspiring to see what everyone creates.
Final Steps:
26. Finish the armhole edges with a 5/8†(1.5cm) narrow hem, squaring the stitching at the square. (I added basting stitches 5/8†from the cut edge as a folding guide.)
27. Stitch 1/4†(6mm) from the lower edge of the dress using long machine stitches. Turn up a 5/8†(1.5cm) hem, turning under 1/4†(6mm) on the raw edge. Ease in the fullness and stitch. (Given the thickness of my fabric, I opted for a hand-rolled, hand-stitched hem. Tailor it to suit your fabric and preference. My final hem is longer than the original pattern, with side vents for ease of movement.)
And there you have it—my completed dress, complete with heels for a fancy event last week.
Can’t wait to see how your dress turns out! Share a photo or two in the Flickr group?
Hope you’re enjoying the sew-along! Let me know if you have any questions along the way. Happy sewing!
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