Constructing the Layers

Constructing the Layers

Cutting the chiffon outer layer. It was easier to use the weight of the fabric I'd already cut instead of trying to fold it and use the paper pattern. This skirt has side seams because it's physically impossible to do a floor length circle skirt with no seams. Like just imagine how wide a bolt of fabric would have to be to make that possible.

One of the features that I was sure I wanted was a full skirt. I opted for a circle skirt, and when you're working with that much fabric, there are a couple ways you can really change up the silhouette:

• Add a petticoat/crinoline. This is a second, separate undergarment, typically made of a mesh or netting, that puffs out an overskirt. I associate these the most with historical re-enactors and "Sexy Bee" type Halloween costumes. The pro of using a crinoline is that you can get that very full, almost ball gown silhouette without adding extra fabric to the dress itself. The downside is that I've found them to be quite itchy on the legs, they're all synthetic (read: don't breathe well), and can be irritatingly pricey.
• Add more fabric. If you want a "more than circle" skirt (find out what these are called), you can use a gored skirt construction method to fit even more fabric in your lower half. Be aware if you end up going the gored skirt route, you will need more fabric than with a circle skirt- even more if you have a directional fabric, you will have seams in several places around your skirt, and if your fabric is heavier, this is going to add considerable weight and heat to your dress.
• Underline the skirt. This is the method I opted for because I wasn't going full ball gown. Basically when you underline a garment, or part of a garment, you baste a second piece of fabric to the wrong side of your fashion fabric, and then treat those two layers as one piece as you continue to sew. The advantage to this method is that you're not adding bulk or heat, but if you choose a stiffer fabric, you can add significant body to your skirt. My main fabric was a hemp/silk blend, and I underlined it with a polyester organza from Joann Fabrics. Nobody will see this layer, and if your dress is lined it won't touch your skin, so no need to break the bank. I underlined the bodice too but I'll go over that more in another section. This is actually an excellent technique to use other times too, for any garment where you might want more structure, or if you have a fancy fabric you want to keep from sweating on, or to turn a summer dress pattern into a 3 season dress by adding some warmth.

So from the bottom up, the skirt consists of china silk/habotai lining, organza underlining, hemp/silk main fabric, and chiffon on top. This was constructed in its entirety before adding the back zipper. I just left a good foot or so open at the top center back to allow for zipper insertion later.

Somehow I have no pictures of the bodice construction, but it's a pretty standard pattern. From the bottom up it is the same china silk/habotai lining, plain muslin interlining (for breathability), and the hemp/silk main fabric. Instead let's talk boobs. I'd tried on several dresses that had cups, so I assumed incorrectly that that was the way to go. Here's the bodice, pre-fitting, with just cups and no boning:

Even before being clipped together in back it is SO. SAD. 

Fortunately I have a friend in southern Indiana, Melissa of Serendipity Fibers, and she's had extensive costume and bridal alterations experience. So I paid her a visit and we put in some boning instead. This didn't change the structure of the bodice at all, because we just sewed down the seam allowances in the main fabric and that created the channels for the boning. Now here's the difference, cups out and boning in, and pinned snugly to my body:

The proper fit! At this point it doesn't have to be absolutely perfectly smooth up top, because I am going to have a tiny bit of help from the lace to hold it smooth, and as a human being with a functioning torso, bends, twists, and wrinkles are going to happen in the course of normal wear.

So now that I have my bodice and my skirt put together, it's time to make sure everything has the perfect fit before I spend a thousand hours hand stitching lace to the bodice.

Part three: Alterations