I know this is hard to believe but I don’t own a black dress! Mostly because I think it can be a bit boring when there are so many other colours I could be wearing. So it’s been years since I have had an LBD. But the time has come! Yet again, I am seeing a formal occasion as a reason to panic sew and to make something versatile while I’m at it (shades of this post, really). I hit Pinterest running and found some vintage inspirations…..
First, I hunted and gathered. You can have such a good sewing plan but if you can’t find all the elements, the whole plan might have to change! I picked up some cotton sateen from Spotlight (currently available here) for the bodice and bodice lining. Since a full circle skirt was going to chew up 4m of fabric I decided to use some cotton twill from my stash (originally from Lincraft but I bought 10m for a song on eBay) for the skirt and then an overlay of black net with a swiss dot (also, Spotlight and available here). I used black bias binding for the boning channels and plastic boning, a dress length regular zipper, 1” and 2” grosgrain ribbon (I used about 1m each) & 2 small buttons – all from stash. And for added poofiness, I bought 2” black horsehair braid/crinoline from Ortensia Sewing Supplies.
Sewing to a deadline is not my favourite way to sew! I really wanted to do a full tutorial but I got got caught up in the sewing and forgot to snap pics. When I googled some of the ideas I had for this dress, information was thin on the ground. But I will guide you through what I did as much as I can.
I went with the tried and true bodice from Simplicity 4070. You can see it in action here. I wanted a more pronounced sweetheart shape, so I altered the centre front pattern piece a little. If you don’t have a go to sweetheart bodice, I recommend this one but of course feel free to use any bodice pattern that makes you happy. To make the pattern for the skirt layers, I followed my own tutorial but used the math for a full (rather than half) circle skirt.
Cutting: I wanted the cotton sateen as both the bodice exterior and lining, so I cut out all my bodice pieces twice. If you have different fabrics, cut one exterior and one lining. For the sake of my sanity, I marked big chalk X’s on the wrong side of all the bodice pieces. My skirt pattern is a ¼ of the total skirt, so I cut one skirt panel on the fold (to avoid a centre front seam) and two pieces for the back. I did this with both the twill and the net dot. I knew I wouldn’t be hemming the net, so I cut verrrry carefully!
Bodice: The first step was to stay stitch across the top of the centre front bodice pieces, just inside the seam allowance. Then I sewed all the bodice pieces together, except the back seam where the zipper will go. I did this for both the exterior and lining. I pressed the seams open too.
Boning: I departed from the pattern instructions here. I used bias binding to create my boning channels over the seam allowances of the lining pieces. If you are new to boning and want to know more, this Sewaholic tutorial lays it all out nicely. I did mine exactly the same except I used bias binding because my boning didn’t have a casing.
Bodice: I laid the bodice and bodice lining right sides together and stitched across the top and I clipped my seam allowances. I wanted to have multiple strap options, so I stitched a couple of buttons to the front lining, either size of the front, where I would place a halter strap. I clipped my seam allowances and set the bodice aside for now.
Skirt Prep: I stitched up the side seams of the main skirt, leaving the back seam open. I repeated this with the net overlay. I trimmed the seams on the net layer. Mummy Ask is demonstrating the size of the skirt!
Overlocking: I was at Mummy Asks, so I used her vintage 3 thread overlocker but if you don’t have one, this post from Sew Mama Sew has a bunch of ways to finish seams. I overlocked the twill underskirt seams that I just sewed in the step before. I also overlocked along the back seam edges of the main skirt and of the bodice and bodice lining while I was at it. There is a little more overlocking coming, so don’t put the overlocker away yet!
More skirt prep: Now we need to sew up the back seam of the skirt from the hem to where the zipper will go. I like my zippers to extend 8’-9” into the skirt so I started at the hem and stitched up 45cm. I repeated this on the overlay too. I then I put the overlay over the main skirt, both layers facing right way up. I lined up the back seam and pinned the raw edges together, up one side of the zipper area, around the waist and down the other side of the zipper area. Make sure everything lines up nicely and baste the two layers together, where you have pinned. Just sew inside of the seam allowance. This will help when sewing the bodice to the skirt and inserting the zipper later. No photos but I did make you a dodgy drawing!
Joining the bodice and skirt: Pin the bodice (just the bodice, not the lining) to the skirt layers, right sides together and sew them down. I overlocked this seam but if you have a bodice lining, it’s not necessary. Press the seam allowance up towards the bodice.
Inserting the zipper: I went with a regular zipper with a centre lap. I always use this method (the first one she uses) of insertion but if you have another way that works, go with that. I don’t try and trap my bodice lining in this process. So once I had the zipper in, I pressed in the seam allowance for the bodice lining. I also pressed the waist seam allowance while I had the iron out.
Final Fitting: Of course I had messed with the bodice shape and when I have made this pattern before, I put proper straps on. I tried on my lovingly made dress and realised there was something up the bodice. Sigh. It was pulling away from my chest and just seemed wide visually. I was prepared to rip and redo because I didn’t want to feel off in this dress. So I stood in front of the mirror and Mummy Ask & I pulled, tugged, pinched and tried to find a fix. It was a sort of hydra problem, fix one issue and two pop up in its place. Mummy Ask is not entirely sewing minded. She is more of a safety pin, brooch or other simple fix. She pinched up the fabric at centre front and magically, all was perfect! She pinned up this quick fix and threw a few hand stitches at it. Not only was the problem solved, I now had a charming bust detail! And you know I’m a real person because I make mistakes!
Finishing the lining: I hand stitched the lining, first down one side of the zipper tape, along the waist seam and up the other side of the zipper. I was careful to catch only the seam allowances/zipper tape and not sew through to the outside!
Hemming: Circle skirts should hang for a bit before hemming, the bias can make them quite uneven and for once I bothered! This hung for several days before the hemming. I neatened up the hem of both layers before hemming. If you are wondering how, I did that, the netting has no grain and therefore, no bias. So I carefully arranged the skirt layers and marked where the net layer hit and then carefully trimmed acordinly. I wanted a skirt with a good deal of body, so I used horsehair braid to make my hem. Gertie has a post and video all about it. I wanted the net to be slightly longer than the main skirt, so I used a 5/8” seam allowance when I attached it the right side of the skirt hem. Then when I turned the horsehair to the inside, it would make the underskirt 1 & 2/8 shorter than the net. I elected to machine my finished hem, since it was under the net anyway. Nearly there!
Halter Strap: I cut some offcuts of the cotton sateen into 3’ wide strips, folded them hotdog style, right sides together and sewed them into a tube. I trimmed the seam allowances, turned them right side out and pressed. I tucked in one of the short sides and stitched it down. I made a button hole at the finished end and attached it to the dress on one side, so I could mark the length and button hole placement for the other side. I trimmed the strap, tucked in the end and top stitched and then made the final button hole. Voila, a removable halter strap.
Fancy Floof Halter: I basically bunched some net around my shoulders and worked out what looked good. I cut a rectangle of net, based on that. I just ran some basting stitches across the short ends and gathered them until they were quite tight. I cut 2 pieces of cotton sateen about 7” x 3”. I pressed the edges of the cotton sateen bits in about ¼” on all four sides and top stitched along the short ends of each piece. I then folded the bits in half and trapped the gathered net into it. I top stitched around the three open sides, making little hem around. Sort of making a little tab. I made a button hole in each tab so I could connect it to the buttons on the dress.
Okay, I know that took a while! That was some full on, from the beginning sewing and pretty fancy. But it was all worth it when my car arrived at the venue and Mr Ask saw the labours of my sewing, an hour and a half at the hairdresser and a fair while at the makeup mirror. He escorted me to the front of our historic town hall and I was greeted by his colleagues, who gasped and threw endless compliments my way. They were even more tickled to find I’d made this frothy confection! I’m pretty sure I wowed them!
Without the fancy floof halter, just with a regular halter strap, without a crinoline but with a cute brooch and ballet flats, this could be much more casual. Maybe not BBQ casual but nice dinner out casual. Shucks, who am I kidding? I want this to be my silver screen glamour, my black & white movie, my red carpet. A girl needs to have one million dollar dress!
I hope there has been inspiration in this post and that you had to pause reading to order some amazing fabric. Just reviewing this to post it makes me want to unzip the garment bag, slip this baby on an twirl! Everyone who saw me wearing this probably felt like they had to be nice, so I’d love your thoughts! Too much? Just right? Do you want your own? Let me know xxx
Leave A Reply