Evening Dress 2

Version 2 of this dress, using a dark green satin, View E of the design, for Milly. Hopefully, although the fronts are the same, they will look sufficiently different for the Dining-In.

I am not very good at this blogging. I was so stressed out doing the straps I forgot to take any photos. In my defence, I was trying to get them all done before taxiing daughter to explorers. This is what they turned out like after the dreaded turning out and ironing:

I tried a couple of methods of turning them the right way round. First I tried leaving a long end, knotting that, and pulling it through with the weird long ‘crochet needle’, but the cotton kept snapping!! Their were screams, and I had to unpick some stitching at one point when it was stuck, with the hook in there! I then left a MUCH longer end, which went through the whole length of the strap before I stitched it. I just needed a normal knitting needle then to get it going and could just pull it through. This worked much better, although I won’t be trying it again in a hurry!!

The straps were basted onto the bodice, and then the lining attached. It is important to line the straps up correctly to align with the edge of the bodice. I did a quick check of that before trimming and snipping the seams to turn out the right way. Iron iron iron to get neat edges, and then gathering the bottom edge.

Next comes the mammoth task of sewing all the skirt seams – all seven of them, then trying to get M to try it on, to check okay before overlocking them, and hemming.

Next comes the scary bit of sewing the two bodice parts to the skirt and getting the bodice gathering right. More trying on – she doesn’t like that bit!!! Needed to check the fit, and position the straps. At this point I realised that I did need to adjust the gathers on one side of the bodice as they were a bit uneven, and adjust the positioning a bit as it was gaping a little on her. Also needed to take another centimetre off the back when putting the zip in.

I think it looks good. I have tried it on, but I can’t zip it up (I shouldn’t be surprised!!!). I am waiting for her to come back from a friend’s party before I can get her to try it on again.

1 comments

  1. “By a process of deduction, I found out what I wanted – a lightweight lace dress with a boat neck and a low back with button fastenings. My mum thought she’d seen something in a small Sussex shop that had it all and there it was, hanging on the rail in my size! We decided it must be fate and bought that one there and then. It was a Karis accessorised her gown with Rachel Simpson  shoes, a veil and a wonderful gypsophila garland in her hair.

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