How to make a Christmas dress.

Step 1: Materials List

Furnitures :

-Rule

-Pencil

-Pattern paper

-Dress form

-Electric Iron

-Scissors

-Needle pins

-yarn

-Panne velvet x2 meters (slightly stretchy)

-Sretch satin x2 meters (for the dress lining)

-Tulle large width x1.50 meters (for the underskirt)

-Coton x1 meter(for the underskirt)

-Zipper 40cm

-Auto gripping tape x 30cm

-Press stud x 1

-Feather boa x 35cm (Depending on your neck size)

Step 2: The Pattern

The top dress is composed of elements (9 for the bustier and 9 for the backing):

-1 middle front (fabric fold) + 1 (backing)

-2 side front + 2 (backing)

-2 side back + 2 (backing)

-2 middle back + 2 (backing)

-1 cutting collar + 1 (backing)

The bottom dress is composed in 2 elements (1 for the skirt, 1 for the backing):

-1 flounce + 1 (backing)

The underskirt is composed in 3 elements (1 for the underskirt, 1 for the backing and 1 for the belt):

-1 underskirt + 1 (backing) + 1 belt

At first you should take your measurements. Top of the dress : You can take a clothe to do the pattern or buy a pattern of a strapless. You can also do the pattern with a dressform (draping method) or just with your measurments (flat-patternmethod ). To make the cutting collar you have to draw a rectangle of 4 x 36cm (collar size).

Bottom of the dress : To do the pattern you can take a circle skirt or draw it. You juste have to draw 2 demi circle spaced from the height you want. (I chose 50cm). The smallest half circle shall make the length of your waist.

Underskirt: To make the baking of the underskirt you can use the bottom dress pattern. To make the belt you have to draw a rectangle of 12 x 76cm (your waist size + Sewing margin).

Step 3: Sewing the Top of the Dress.

After cutting the fabric, I sew:

-the middle front with the side front (photo 1)

-the middle back with the side back (photo 2)

-The front and the back (photo 5)

I do the same for the backing.

Step 4: Sewing the Bottom of the Dress.

I assembled the flounce and it backing (just the bottom).

I returned the bottom of the dress assembly.

Step 5: The Cutting Collar

I sew the cutting collar and it backing (all the sides except a part of the bottom of the collar). Then i ruturned it and I've ironed it.

Step 6: Sewing the Top of the Dress and the Collar.

At first I sew the bustier and its backing (photo 1 and 2) just the top. I returned it and I ironed it, I overstitched the assembly. (photo 3). Then I Sew the collar with the bustier (photo 4 and 5).

Step 7: Sewing the Top and the Bottom of the Dress.

I assemblate the top with the bottom of the dress. (exept the lining strapless brassiere).

Step 8: The Zipper

Set the zipper to the dress. (Photo 1,2,3 and 4) and sew the snap fastener on the collar (photo 5).

Then you can hand sewing the lining bustier to hide the assembly of the top and the bottom of the dress (photo 6).

Step 9: Finish Dress

Now the dress is finished. You only have to sew Feather boa to the collar (hand sew).

The following steps concern the underskirt. It's optional (It gives volume to the dress).

Step 10: The Underskirt

To make the underskirt, I make flat peat to tulle and I make a seam to hold the folds (photo 1). Once the desired width, sew the bobbinet fabric with the backing underskirt (Photo 2).

Then I fix the thermobonding interlining to reinforce the belt (photo 3). After I sew the belt with the underskirt (photo 4) and I overstitched the belt (photo 5).

To finish I sew the auto gripping tape on the side of the belt.