This is the story of the dress made last week. I have been tasked with making a flower girl dress for my daughter. Yay! The wedding is next month. I have been given a picture of what the bride would like the flower girl dress to look like:
I noticed details right away:
The dress needs puffy sleeves with wide casings,
a transparent overskirt,
a green sash and tie,
and covered buttons.
I think I see piping trim at the neckline.
I think the skirt needs to be a circle skirt as opposed to a paneled skirt.
I would work with the bodice from the pattern that I had just used for the purple dress last month.
I have a pattern for a dress with puffier sleeves. That pattern is in a larger size. I took the sleeve shape from that pattern and sized it down.
I wanted the bodice to be less baggy. I scooched the side seam over and the arm holes and made a new pattern piece.
The back of the bodice has to be converted from a zipper closure to a button closure. I had a dress pattern with a button closure on the back. That was the pattern that was too many sizes too big. I took the bodice back piece from that pattern and measured how much overage was allowed beyond the center back line to make the button overlap. Then I took that measurement and added it to my bodice back piece.
I had to make a mock up to check all my changes. I basted the sleeve in place. It looked good. I could go ahead and stitch it together.
The skirt was the next tricky part. I had a dress pattern with a circle skirt. I used the circle skirt pieces. I had to make some slight alterations to the curve at the waist. The curve needed to be an 1/8" deeper. I, also, had to figure out a placket to add to the back for the button closure.
I sewed an easement stitch line along the top of the skirt and fitted the skirt to the bodice. It worked! I reenforced the seam and finished the edges. Also, I was lining the whole dress. You can see the lining in this picture.
I narrow hemmed the dress.
Lastly, I had to sew on the buttons. Finding matching buttons would be difficult. On the real flower girl dress I am going to use covered buttons, so that won't be difficult. But, for the mock up I needed something to go with gold.
By the way, I didn't mention this, but I have only been working with materials that I have on hand. Without going to the store, could I find buttons that matched? Yes, thanks to
Sarah from Lilacs and Springtime! A while ago she had sent me a box of sewing goodies. These metallic gold buttons were in that box. Perfect! Thank you, Sarah!
The dress is done!
I will purchase a crinoline to go under the skirt and give it the poofy shape.
For the real flower girl dress the only fabric that I have to buy is the over skirt material.
I have some light colored ivory taffeta leftover from the flower girl dress that I made for my little sister when I got married 12 years ago. I also have some sage green satin. I have the lining, interfacing, and covered buttons from thrift store shopping.
I am going to look for a zipper foot to use on my machine. If I find one, I will sew in piping at the neckline.
I am excited to get started on the real flower girl dress!