Butterick Dress

Yesterday afternoon I started on the Butterick dress pattern. I had gone to JoAnn's earlier to pick up a navy blue zipper. I also ended up taking advantge of the $1.99 Simplicity patterns sale. More on that later.



I sewed all the darts in the front and back. I stitched the buttonholes and added the casing for the insertion of the drawstrings. Great progress up to this point. I sewed the drawstrings and attempted to turn them using my Fasturns that I have had since living in Florida in the '90's. I could not get the fabric through, no matter which I sized tube I tried. Not only that but I bent one of the wire inserts that is used to grab the fabric and turn it. I thought I could straighten it-NOT! I ended up breaking it. The next insert I used, I pulled too hard and broke the handle off it and fabric got stuck in the tube once it decided to start coming through it. I could not pull the insert out as I had nothing to grip with. Pulling the fabric back out from the other end, ending up with my losing another usuable wire insert.



While looking through my bias tape drawer to find tape to use for casing I found some navy ribbon that matched the dress perfectly. It was also 1/2 inch wide and would fit through the casing. So instead of cutting and sewing new drawstrings and trying to figure out how to turn them without breaking anymore sewing notions, I inserted the ribbon. At this point DH and I went to dinner and movie; so sewing was done for Saturday.



Before starting this dress project I had decided I wanted to try inserting a centered zipper using this technique from Fashion Incubator. It is good to learn new things as one sews. I printed out the bookmarked pages so that I could follow along on how to do this. I reduced neckline seam and CB seam as posted. I was truly happy with my ability to follow along and it was a gamble to do this on this project without testing it using the pattern sample and examples in this great tutorial. When I got ready to zip it up, I discovered that I had put it in backwards!!!!!!! So after spending a good hour on working to get this method down, I had to rip the zipper out. After fixing breakfast for DH and I, I returned to sewing and re-inserted the zipper. I am truly happy with the outcome of the zipper. I took photos and will post later.

I then attached neckline facing to the front dress piece and I am ready to attach front and backs at shoulders. I had to stop sewing at this point to do other required chores, etc. I will resume sewing and provide updates on this dress later.

Response to comments on sleeveless dress

Laura said...
Thanks for this video. Does the lining fabric just stay unfinished around the zipper, then?

No not really. I hand stitched the lining to the zipper. As one of the final steps in the dress completion. You could, I think, topstitch the pressed in seam allowance for the lining and let it hang loose. You could attach the lining fabric to the zipper by machine only I have yet to get one to lay correctly. I scanned in a portion of the instructions from the Vogue pattern that addresses attaching the lining to the zipper that may help answer your question.

Carolyn wrote--That was very kewl! My question about the insertion is that you are now inserting the zipper into a finished garment with all of that fabric...my pet peeve. I love flat insertions of anything whenever possible because I seem to have more control over the process. But that was a very interesting take on inserting a lining into a sleeveless garment and I have bookmarked this entry for when I'm feeling more adventurous in the future!

Carolyn, I understand your pet peeve. Yet this is still mostly flat as you have not sewn any seams other than the shoulder seams and attached lining to neck and armholes. Side seams have not been stitched. Your next seam to sew is the back seam below where you will insert the zipper. Then insert zipper. You are still working with basically a flat piece. I scanned another part from the Vogue pattern instructions for this step, and for the step following showing how to sew the lining and fabric as one continuous seam. I found this was easy.

I am most curious why these instructions are not used for all Vogue sleeveless dress patterns? I have made two sleeveless dresses using this technique but the instructions for one pattern did not have these directions at all.