I need help already with my 18th century gown

[madamemodiste]

So I'm at step one, and I've been trying to picture this for like a half hour. OK...

I was told to cut 4 fashion fabric and 2 interfacing of the center front piece. Why 4 fashion fabric?? Makes no sense to me. Also, I don't use interfacing. I am just using white cotton.

So the initial directions are...

1. "pin interfacing to wrong side of two bodice front sections, having raw edges even. Baste front opening and upper edges along seam line. To form channel for boning, stitch 3/8" from center front. Insert boning through channel. Bast remaining raw edges together.

2. With right sides together, stitch facing (I guess they mean interfacing?) to bodice front, leaving notched edges open between large and small dot, back stitch at dots to reinforce seam. Trim seam and corners, clip curves and to stitching at large dot.

3. Turn bodice front right side out, press, baste raw edges together."

Oye! Can someone put that in easier language?? The way I'm picturing it, they want me to make two front sections and pin interfacing to both in step 1. BUT they only told me to cut 2 interfacing, not 4, so how is that possible? OR they mean by "two bodice front sections" the right and left, as opposed to two pairs. Fine, so then where is the second set of fashion fabric used??

What makes more sense to me is to use 4 interlining and to sew them together to form one underlayer (or lining) in which the bone casing sits, then sew that to the fashion fabric so the bone channels don't show on the outside.

Comments

[weyakin.livejournal.com]

Is the piece something that would have two piece, one for each side? In which case, I'm picturing that the fashion fabric will have a piece on the inside and a piece on the outside, for both sides of the garment (making 4 pieces).

I think you sew the interfacing to the backside of one of the fashion pieces (and the same thing for the other side). Make sure it's close to the edge (probably about 1/4").

Then, with both pieces of the fashion fabric facing inward toward each other, sew them together, except for the part that you leave open.

Then, with the open part, flip it right-side-out so it has a nice finished edge with fashion fabric on the inside and outside with the interfacing in the middle.

And finish it off by pressing and sewing up the hole either by slip stitching by hand or sewing by machine close to the edge.

Since I'm not looking at the direction sheet, I'm not sure if that is right, but from past experience, I'm guessing this is what they are saying. I hope that made sense? It's so much easier just to physically show you.

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

Thank you for taking the time to help me!

But why use the fashion fabric underneath? No one can see it. I'm so confused! See, my fashion fabric is white taffeta with black velvet flocking. If it's backed in the same fabric, it'll show through on the white parts any black behind. Can't I just use white cotton back there?

And can you tell from these directions whether that boning channel shows on the outside? I think it does...?

[quincy134.livejournal.com]

I would think you could just use plain cotton for the inside. Then you could put the boning channels on that layer, say using a pre-made boning casing. That way you don't have to use as much fashion fabric for the bodice.

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

Oh, good! I just wish they were clearer. I mean, this pattern calls for a lot of fabric. And imagine you are using expensive fabric! Are you going to want to LINE your bodice with expensive fashion fabric? NO!! We want to be economical :) Cotton broadcloth to the rescue! And it's breathable :)

[quincy134.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think it is ridiculous to expect people to line the gown in fashion fabric. That seems like such a waste.

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

[(Anonymous)]

This is the newest 1800's ballgown pattern from Simplicity, right? I bought that same pattern, so when I get home, I can pull mine out and look at it. :-)

And from what I can tell, it does look like the channel is visible on the front since it says to stitch the pieces that you just basted together (presuming the fashion fabric is the front).

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you!!

I am notoriously bad at interpreting the Big 3 directions. I wish Truly Victorian would become Truly Historical and do every era!!

[bauhausfrau.livejournal.com]

I think I know what's going on. If you look in the pattern pieces they probably have a facing piece that you missed. What they are telling you to do is sew the fashion fabric together, wrong sides together with the interfacing sandwiched in the middle. Then sew the facing along the CF edge and fold to inside of the bodice so the raw edge doesn't show. Really what they should ahve said is cut 2 bodice fashion fabric, 2 LINING and 2 interfacing.

Personally I think this is a really silly way to do it. Why not sew a casing - this could be a ribbon or bias tape, to the CF of the wrong side of the bodice lining pieces then sew the bodice fashion fabric and interlining to it right sides together, turn it and you don't need a facing. I hope that makes sense.

This is why I've come to pitch the directions, I find I usually have a better way. I know one of the simplicity designers and she told me the designers don't write the directions, it explains so much doesn't it? :-P

[bauhausfrau.livejournal.com]

And then you also don't have a boning channel visible on the outside!

[madamekat.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's sort of what I did with my Ren bodice last year. I used two lining pieces and made channels in that, then when they were sewn together, I slid the boning in and attached that to the fashion fabric. So maybe I'll just pitch this section of directions! So it was 3 layers instead of 4.