This lovely dress was inspired by a 1945 Lucien Lelong design.
For more information about this dress, click here.
Click on the photo to make it bigger.
View A
Bodice lining shoulder seams
Bodice lining center front seam
Press shoulder seams open.
Bodice center front seam
Press seam open.
Stitch bodice to lining at the neckline and armholes.
Trim and clip the seam allowances.
Hem the back edges of the skirt. Gather stitch the top of the skirt.
Gather the skirt to fit the bodice and stitch the bodice to the skirt.
Underbodice
Shoulder seams
Center front seams, press up the armhole openings.
Stitch the collars.
Trim the seam allowances.
Turn the collars right side out and press.
Baste the openings closed.
Baste the collars to the neckline.
Stitch the lining to the underbodice at the neckline.
Trim and clip the seam allowances.
Under-stitch the lining.
Turn the underbodice right side out and press.
Stitch the side seams.
Hand stitch the armhole openings together.
How the darts and waist seam should look.
Inside view
Outside view
How to mark the hems.
Hem the skirt, cut off the extra fabric close to the stitching line and press up the second hem.
Stitch the second hem, don't forget the tissue paper!
Remove the tissue paper after each hem.
Hand stitch the bodices together at the back.
Hand tack the bodices together at the shoulder seams.......
and the center front.
Bodice Drape
Press up the top and bottom of the the bodice drape.
Hand hem the top of the bodice drape.
Make the stitching loose, to allow for the stretch of the bias.
Mark the center of the drape.
Fold and pin the drape.
Pin and hand stitch the drape to the center front of the bodice.
Put the dress on a doll or a dress form. Drape and pin the neckline drape at the shoulders.
Be patient, and don't expect it to be perfect.
Hand stitch the drape at the shoulders.
Drape and pin the neckline drape to the back of the dress and stitch.
Belt
Stitch the belt and bow.
Fold the belt in half again and press. Sew snaps to the ends of the belt.
Mark 5" up on one end of the sash and 6" up on the other.
Mark the folded end of the sash. Press the end seam open and pin the marking on top of the seam.
Hand gather the bow at the mark.
Pull the gather stitching tight and wrap the thread around the bow a few times knot the thread on the wrong side.
Hand tack the bow to the belt on the left front dart.
View B
Press up the edges of bow A, WRST, center the pressed edges on Bow A and stitch the ends. Stitch Bow B, leaving an opening for turning.
Trim the seam allowance.
Press the bow pieces flat.
Mark the centers of Bow A and B.
Place Bow A on top of Bow B, match the centers and hand gather the bows together.
Wrong side
Pull the gather stitches tight, wrap the thread around the gathers and knot the thread on the back of the bow.
Shape the bow by tacking the ends together on the underside of the bow.
Tack the bow to the front of the dress.
The bow on the belt can be stitched to the back of the belt.
This lovely dress was inspired by a 1945 Lucien Lelong design.
For more information about this dress, click here.
Click on the photo to make it bigger.
View A
View B
View A
Bodice seam, use tissue strips when sewing chiffon.
Turn the bodice right side out, and press. Mark the darts and baste the side, back and bottom seam allowances.
Pin the center front seams on top of each other.
Stitch the darts and press. Stitch the side seams, press the seams open, trim the seam allowances and Fray-check the edges.
Underbodice
Underbodice and lining
Pin the side and front seams on top of each other and base the backs and bottom. Stitch the darts, press the darts in the opposite direction as the bodice darts.
Stitch the skirt lining to the dress. Stitch the underbodice to the waist so that all the darts face each other and the waist seam is sandwiched between the two bodices.
How the darts and waist seam should look.
Hem the skirt, cut off the extra fabric close to the stitching line and press up the second hem.
Remove the tissue paper after each hem.
Bodice Drape
Fold down the top of the drape about 1/4", mark the folds on the drape.
Wrap the neckline drape around to the inside of the bodice. Trim off the extra fabric, whip stitch the ends to the inside and Fray-check the edges. Sew 5 snaps to the back.
Trim the corners and press the seams open. Turn the pieces right side out and press flat. Hand stitch the openings closed.
Lay the markings on top of each other and stitch the ends together.
View B
