How to Make Formal Dresses
The first thing many budding fashion designers learn to make are dresses, which are extremely versatile in terms of design variety. Dresses can come in many different lengths, with different sleeves, necklines, waistlines and bodice styles. Unlike other, more structured items of clothing, making your own dresses is not as difficult as it may seem. With a little sewing ability and a good dress form, you can create unique formal dress looks in any style.
Things You'll Need
- Dress Form
- Cotton T-shirt
- Muslin Fabric
- Dress Fabric
- Sewing Machine
- Sewing Notions
- Measuring Tape
- Fabric Pencil
Instructions
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Set up your dress form, adjusted to your size, near a table or other counter with all your sewing materials. You can also use a "duct tape dummy" instead of a professional dress form. Determine what type of formal dress you would like to make, and sketch it on a sheet of paper. Pay attention to the skirt length, where the waistline falls, and what type of sleeve and neckline styles you would like.
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Put a nonstretch T-shirt over the dress form and cut the sleeves off at the seamline. You can also use any other type of plain shirt made from cotton, so long as it does not stretch. Following your sketch, mark the T-shirt with a fabric pencil at the desired waistline and trim away the excess fabric 1/2 inch below that marking. Also mark the neckline, making sure that it is even on all sides, and trim the fabric 1 inch above that line. Draw a vertical line at the center back, from neckline to waist.
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3
Determine whether the skirt you are making is fitted or circular. For a fitted skirt, drape a sheet of muslin fabric around the dress form, pinning the fabric to the waistline 1/2 inch below the edge of the muslin. Adjust the muslin for the fullness you desire in the skirt, and trim away the excess fabric, then trim the hem of the skirt to the length you would like. If you are making a circular skirt, which flares at the bottom, drape the muslin around the dressform and pin it together in the back. Select upside-down triangular sections of the fabric running from the waist to the hem, and fold each triangle together, away from the skirt. Pin them in place so that you have a smooth line of pins all the way down the skirt. Trim away the triangles to leave 1/2 inch seam allowances.
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Lay the T-shirt sleeves against a folded piece of muslin, with the top of the sleeve lined up on the fold. Trace the sleeve on all sides and remove the sleeve, then adjust the length of the sleeve to suit your design. If you are making long sleeves, measure the distance from your shoulder to your wrist and apply it to the sleeve tracing. Add 1/2 inch seam allowances to all sides of the sleeve except the folded top. Cut the new sleeve from the fabric and pin the underside edges together, then pin the armhole to the armhole on your dressform to see how it looks. Adjust as necessary.
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Take apart the dress pinnings and lay out the skirt and sleeves over your final dress fabric. Cut the T-shirt up the center back line and take apart the shoulder seams, then lay the T-shirt on the dress fabric as well.
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Pin the pattern pieces to the dress fabric and cut around each piece, making sure to add 1/2 inch to each side of the center back and shoulder seam edges. Remove the pattern pieces and cut another sleeve piece. Pin the bodice piece together at the shoulder seams, right sides together, and stitch 1/2 inch away from the edges. Press and finish the seams as desired.
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Turn the neckline under 1/2 inch and press with an iron, then turn it under another 1/2 inch and stitch it in place. Stitch the sleeves together at the underside seam, then turn the sleeve hem edges under in the same way and stitch them in place. Place the sleeves inside the armholes with the right sides together and stitch the armhole seams together.
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Pin the skirt to the waistband, right sides together, and stitch it 1/2 inch away from the edges. Stitch the center back seam of the skirt together up to 4 inches from the waistline, then turn up the hem of the skirt 1/2 inch. Turn it up another 1/2 inch and stitch it in place. Turn the remaining center back edges of the entire dress under 1/2 inch and stitch each side of the zipper to each side of the edges.
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Tips & Warnings
If you would like to make a less-fitted dress, drape the muslin fabric directly on the dressform instead of using a T-shirt.
