Hi everyone, here is the final tutorial for this spooky fall dress! I used Vogue 9076 pattern and added pockets and some fun fabrics. Let me show you how to finish sewing the dress, get the lining in there, and do some other finishing details 🙂
Let’s get back to the poor neglected lining pieces.
Line up the waistband piece at the front yoke. Mark the 1/2” seam allowance and line up the stitch edge.
Mark where the yoke piece ends, and then mark in a half inch.
This is where you should stop sewing so the yoke edge can turn back later.
Sew at 1/2″ (unless you’re using the original pattern, then you should be using the 5/8″ seam allowances), stopping at your mark, and then press open.
Pin the collar to the lining and sew, snip, and press open like we did on the bodice.
Now at the corner of the yoke lining, mark the stitch line at a half inch.
Use a small stitch length, I’m using 1.5mm, and sew about an inch on either side of the corner to stabilize it.
Then snip into the corner right up to, but not through, the stitching.
Press the seam allowances back at the back yoke, front yoke and down the corner, and at the waist band pieces.
Trim away any pesky seam allowances as you’re pressing.
The outer edge will get sewn right onto the garment. So line up the seams and notches and start pinning.
Keep in mind that the serged edges might have been trimmed, so use the stitch lines as a guide.
Now sew the entire perimeter at a half inch. At the corners shorten your stitch length for about an inch on either side of the point. And be sure to check that you’re not sewing over the skirt or extension pieces, especially in the left corner. There’s a lot crammed in there.
When everything’s good and sewn, snip away the corners to within an eighth of the seam.
Grade the collar lining at the curve (trim away the lining fabric so the seam allowance is shorter than the self) and snip little Vs out of the rest of the seam allowance so it can turn back smoothly.
I’m going to understitch this outer edge as far as I can, so I’m just folding the lining over the seam allowance and stitching near the seam. I also understitched at the waist seam.
Then turn it right side out and press the edges flat.
I’m pinning along the collar seam so I can sew the seam allowances together.
With the collar pinned together, I folded back the lining to reveal the seam allowances. I sew them together so the collar doesn’t shift around. This is a tailoring technique but it will work nicely on this dress.
I’m sewing it by hand, but you can do this with your machine, or you can even sew from the outside of the dress by stitching in the ditch of the collar seams.
Now take the lining at the shoulder and kinda pull it under itself to pin it to the dress right at the yoke seam edge.
Continue pulling the shoulder through and pin at the shoulder seam and other edge of the yoke.
Sew them together using the sleeve seam as a guide. If you serged it like I did you might have to stagger the edges to account for the bit cut off during serging.
Turn the shoulder back so it’s right-side-out and now we can pin the lining all the rest of the way around.
Now get a needle, thread, and a thimble and go to town. I have to confess this is one of my favorite parts of sewing. Just put on some nice relaxing black metal and get in the zone.
Give all of the collar, yoke, and waistband parts one good press and then we’ll finish up the closure at the front.
First hand sew the left front extension to the extension on the skirt.
Spread the dress out with the front butted together and mark the button placement through the loops.
Sew the buttons in place. I like to put the knot of the thread on the front of the garment so it’s hidden under the button and it doesn’t rub against my skin. I stitch the button down three times, then knot off the thread twice.
I get my snaps in bulk from wardrobe supply.com. These are size 1, and I also like size 3 for larger areas. This pack is a gross, which is 144 pieces, and it was about $11. Snaps on cards really stress me out. There’s something very calming about having this many snaps at my disposal!
I’m going to put the male snaps on the right so it’s flat against the garment. I’m also going to put a few snaps behind the buttons so they don’t pop open on accident. Only sew through the lining and fold over parts, don’t sew it through the outer layer of fabric.
**Here’s a trick for placement**
Rub the side of your chalk over the snap so it has a powdery layer.
Then carefully place it exactly where you want it to be on the other side of the fabric.
Press the snaps into the fabric and the chalk should leave little marks exactly where the partner needs to go!
The female snaps can be sewn through all layers, just be sure you’re sewing them down with the opening exposed 🙂
All that’s left to do is the hem! Since I did a contrast fabric on this dress, it’s looking a little top-heavy. I have just enough skull fabric left to do a little band at the hem that should tie the skirt into the rest of the dress.
So I cut my fabric into 2 3/4” strips, and the same out of my lining fabric because there wasn’t enough of the skulls to fold it over. I joined the ends to make one long piece, and now I’m sewing the skulls and lining together. Then understitch and press with the lining folded under.
I’m pressing the top of the lining down a half inch because I’ll hand sew this just like I did with the bodice lining.
The skirt length is perfect the way it is, so I’m going to cut it back so that this band will fall at the same place. I”m marking 2” out on the skirt hem, then cutting it away.
Lay the skirt out so it’s smooth but not stretched, then pin the band along the hem starting at center back with a little bit hanging past for seam allowance later.
Once you’ve pinned around the circumference and you’re back at center back, mark on both ends of the band right where the center back seam is. Then mark out from there 1/2” for seam allowance and cut away the excess.
Sew the ends together and press open. Cut away the excess seam allowances inside.
Then finish pinning it to the hem and sew the edge at 1/2″.
I want to press the seam allowance down, but the band doesn’t want to fold right at the sew line. So I’m pressing the seam open first.
This way the skull fabric is folded exactly at the stitch. Then I can fold the skirt fabric down over it and press it all down. Pin the band lining up over the seam and then sew it in place just like the bodice lining.
Give it one more good press and it’s done!
The band at the bottom does stiffen the hem and make it flare out a bit, but I think the pop of color down there is worth it.
Over all I love this pattern! I loved the look of it from the start, and the fit was perfect. I’m glad I lengthened the sleeves and tightened the cuff, this way the sleeve blousons a bit. If I make it again I would slash and spread the sleeve another 8″ (or more) so it’s more of a bishop sleeve. And I’m glad I added pockets!!!
I hope you give this pattern a try! I’m already planning to make this dress for my mom 🙂 Share your custom dressmaking in the comments!
