How to Line a Sheath Dress With Back Vent
Whether a sheath dress is ready-made or you've made it yourself, adding a lining gives the wearer privacy and helps smooth lines and bumps when the dress is worn. Because a sheath dress has a simple shape without zippers and gathers, you can add a lining with just basic sewing skills in a single afternoon. Line the dress in a complementary color or choose a flesh-tone fabric so the lining won't show when you're wearing the dress. A back vent poses only a minor challenge to the project.
Things You'll Need
- 3 to 5 yards lightweight nylon or rayon lining fabric
- Scissors
- Fabric pencil or temporary fabric marker
- Thread
- Sewing machine
- Needle
- Iron and ironing board
Instructions
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1
Cut the lining fabric from the pattern of the dress. If you are making the lining for a ready-made dress, trace around the front of the dress onto the lining fabric using the fabric pencil. Repeat for the back of the dress and then cut as marked.
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2
Pin the front of the lining to the back of the lining at the shoulders and side seams with the right sides of the fabric facing each other.
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3
Stitch the shoulder seams and side seams as pinned.
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4
Fold over 1/4 inch on each edge of the back vent and press with a cool iron. Fold over again 1/4 inch and press. Stitch as pressed to create a narrow hem. Finish the arm holes and neck hole in the same manner.
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5
Hem the bottom edge to the desired length.
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6
Try on the lining inside out. Slip the dress on over the lining. Ask a friend or assistant to help you safety pin the dress to the lining at the top of the shoulder seams, along the side seams and at the center of the front and back neck hole.
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Take the dress and lining off and replace the safety pins with regular sewing pins. With the wrong side of the lining facing the wrong side of the dress, stitch the two together at the neck hole and arm holes, leaving the bottom and side seams free. Hand tack the top of the back vent to the top of the back vent of the dress to secure the bottom while leaving movement unrestricted.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are large-busted, your sheath dress may contain darts in the front, making it a bit more difficult to create a pattern from tracing. If you cannot recreate the darts easily, try lengthening the shoulder straps and widening it through the bust. Try it on using trial-and-error to pin it to the correct size in front.
