Echino-A

 

Two more dresses this week!

 

Fabric is Echino Landscape in salmon and turquoise.  They come in 24″ X 44″ panels in linen.

I thought they would make perfect A-line swing dresses (at least I think that is what they are called).  The linen is rough, so I lined it in a very soft cotton.

I didn’t make the front neckline and back neckline different.  I think it’s fine being the same.  The backs are closed with an elastic loop and button.  I decided on big, plain, matte buttons.  But here are the backs before putting the button on.

 

 

I used a panel dress I had made by modifying another A- line dress, folded it in half, traced around it on paper, and added a 3/8″ seam allowance as well as 2.5 more inches of hem. The panel dresses are getting short.

 

Can you make it out there on the left?  The right is a t-shirt pattern made the same way for the February Project Run & Play challenge.  Then I cut the fabric on the fold, positioning where I wanted the images on the panel to show as best I could given the size of the pattern and size of the fabric.  I did the same for the lining.

Here are the subsequent steps I took to construct the dress:

1. Sew side seams, right sides facing, for both main and lining.

2. Keep main inside out.  Turn lining right side out and place inside main dress, matching up shoulders, center of front and back and side seams.  Pin together and sew armholes and front neckline.  Do NOT sew top shoulders!

3.  For back neckline, I drew a line, about 4.5 inches long from the top center straight down.  I started sewing at the shoulder ( starting a little more than 3/8″ from the top) and when I reached just a smidge before the line, I pivoted and sewed right next to the line, but not on top.  Then at the bottom I did one diagonal stitch toward the bottom and then pivoted to go the other direction toward the top.  Then do the same sewing back up the line, not on it but just to the side.  Before getting back to the top of the neckline, I inserted elastic, loop-side inside the garment, toward the top and sewed over it several times, then pivoted to go back around the other side of the neck.

Yes.  I know I should have taken pictures.  I made two dresses.  I have little excuse except my phone storage was full.

4. Clip corners and clip all curves.

5. Turn inside out and press. Then turn back inside out.

6. Match shoulder seams up, main fabric to main fabric, right sides together.  Move lining out of the way.  Sew at the seam allowance chosen.  Mine was 3/8″.

7. Next is where I cheated a little so I don’t have to do so much hand sewing,  I pressed those main shoulder seams open, trimmed them, and then folded the lining over so it overlaps the seam.  I used Wondertape to make the folds stick together.  Then I stitched in the ditch on the right side of the main, going through both folded edges of the lining shoulders.  Hee hee!  The only hand stitching left is to make it all look nice and close any gaps not stitched by the machine.

8. Hem as desired, hemming the lining inward toward the main.  I did a blind hem stitch by machine on the main fabric and straight stitch on the lining fabric.

9. Sew a button on opposite back corner.

Next time I make one of these I will take pictures.

 

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