Butterick sew along part 6

Let's finish this bad boy up!  I don't think there's anyone who's caught up (or even started lol!) but just in case you were making a Christmas dress, you could finish in time.

Last time we finished sewing the skirt and the lining but now we need to assemble.

We first need to sew the skirt to the bodice fabric.  They should line up  perfectly (I love not having to do pleats or gathers!).  If you played with the seam allowances you might need to unpick a side skirt seam and adjust.

If not, pin and stitch, keeping the bodice lining free.  5/8" seam allowance.  You can of course change it if you need to shorten or lengthen your bodice, just remember your seam allowance amount so you can duplicate it for your lining.

Now do the same for your bodice lining and skirt lining.

It should look like this.

Now let's get to the finishing details.

Zipper

I like to start with the left side.  Unzip the zipper.  Take the left side and put it right side down on the bodice fabric, lining up the edges.

The teeth of the zipper should not be on the edge.

Using a zipper foot (most machines come with them, it's super helpful for zippers or doing piping.  If you don't have one, that's ok!  Use your regular foot), stitch down the zipper to both your dress fabric and the lining.  I just pinned both skirt layers together but if you want to baste them (only to the end of the zipper!!  Not to the hem) you can.

Now zip up the zipper.  We need to pin the other sides together.

With right sides together, matching the waist seam, pin the zipper tape just like before.  I like to start with the waist to make sure it's lined up (and sometimes it still isn't or slips or something!).

Right sides of the zipper and dress together, btw.

In the picture above you can see how I'm moving towards lining up.  The far side of that zipper tape is to be lined up with the far side bodice in the bottom of the photo - the piece with the lining side up.

Match centers.  Pin right at the center point.

Now flip it around and pin the rest with the zipper tape on top and transfer your first pin, being careful not to move your waist seams.

This time, starting at the bottom of the zipper , stitch.  Remember to stitch right at the bottom of your tape.  Don't stop where the zipper stops.  I used to do that.

I didn't touch on this with the first zipper side, but I will now.  I never remember being taught or reading how to get around the actual zipper.  I remember many wonky zipper installations when I first started because when the presser foot hit the zipper pull it lunged to the side.

When you get below or above the zipper pull and need to move it out of your way, hand rotate your needle down into your fabric (my machine automatically stops in the up position).  Lift your presser foot and keeping your needle down, rotate your fabric sideways.

Now grab the zipper tape from underneath or through the arm hole and pull it down carefully.  By rotating, you should have just enough room to pull it down.  Keeping your needle down makes sure you don't lose your place.

Here's what you're left with at the bottom of the zipper.

Finishing this.  Did you serge or hem the end pieces?  If you did, you're good to go.  If not, do that now.  At this point, I wouldn't serge zig zag, I would do a small hem.  Remember to figure out which side of your lining is the right side - check with your bodice.  It's so smart, it has all the right answers.  Roll twice.

Lining first.  With the right sides together, pin the lining sections together right where the little metal stop is at the end of the zipper.  Stitch to the end.

Isn't my lining pretty!  I don't know where or what this is from, it was in a huge fabric stash my mom cleared out.

Now do the dress fabric.

Now separate the two layers of skirt.  Right sides together, pin them together at starting at the metal zipper stop.  Backstitch quite a few times at the start, just to reinforce.  Then stitch to the end.

Now let's top stitch your zipper.  Starting at the top, where your neckline stitching is go in the opposite direction, down the side of the zipper.  With your zipper foot. Stop at the end of the zipper (not zipper tape).  Use the rotating method if you need to.  Do the other side.

Hem time.  Presumably you cut your lining shorter than your skirt fabric - I'm pretty sure that was notated on the pattern pieces.  If you didn't, that's ok!!  You can trim them now or just give them an extra hem.

Start with the dress fabric so you have a reference point.  You want the lining to be a smidge shorter.

 

I like to do a very small hem.  I have less issues that way.  When I used to do the hem called for in patterns (5/8" usually), they looked so so wonky.  I don't know how anyone can do one successfully.  There's a skill I need to master.  The Emily & Fin dresses are so cute with their wide hems.  Once you go all the way around, go again.  This locks in your edges so your dress doesn't unravel.  I've done only one hem before.  It was fine at the time but two years later I had to majorly shorten a dress to get rid of all the fraying and hem again.

Now hem your lining making sure you pay attention to which side is the right side.  You want the part that touches your body to be pretty, even at the bottom.

We're almost done!

I don't know if you want to lay it on the floor for this step, hang it on a hanger or just hold it like I did.  We need to stitch the bodices together.

You can hand tack them which would be the neatest way.  Or you can be lazy like me and machine stitch them.  No guarantees that it'll look nice on the inside. 

I started at front center and held the top neckline with my left hand and pulled down on the waist so they were taught then pinned.  I did this all the way around.  Pin on the outside.  The outside is what counts.

Now stitch in the ditch, or just above the ditch on the bodice.  Your call.  I did the ditch.  That sounds like some sort of drinking challenge that I've earned a t-shirt for.

My inside did not look nice.  Clearly my method for lining them up wasn't the best. 

You're done!  

Unless you want to do the bow like me.  But even so, and even though you may not know it at the onset, you're still done.

You might want to just stop here.  Or use a ribbon.  I promise I'm right.  Here's what I did.  

Sew the bow piece together following the directions.  Should look like this.

Leave the opening, turn it.  Pin the opening closed.  Top stitch all the way around.  I don't hand sew often.  Now comes the most helpful part of the directions.  I was wondering if I missed a piece, or mistakenly cut it too short.  The bow creation.  

"Tie a bow."

Helpful.

Good one, Butterick.  It's so freaking short!!  How can anyone tie that into a nice bow?!

My dress is bow-less.

I tried to just do some creative twisting but it still looked like crap.

So, no bow.  But I still love my dress.  It's so nice having a fully lined dress and I'm like a 5 year old with the full, twirly circle skirt!

I sure wish I had moved the laundry out of the shot, made my bed and closed my husbands dresser and closet doors!  Old house, people didn't need a his and hers dresser I guess.  So his is in one of the closets.  Obviously I've gotten off track.  Trying to avoid justifying my modcloth sale purchase that just arrived the day before Christmas to an angry husband.  Wish me luck!!

I can't wait to see everyone's dresses!!!