Polk-a-Dots for Work

I love this beautiful dress Carla made for her daughter.  This is a perfect dress for a CPA to wear to work!  Thank you Carla for sharing this review.

Butterick 5951

After completing the Susan Khalje Couture Class, I decided to combine some of the couture techniques with some of my favorite techniques.  After making a muslin for view B—which my daughter did not like—I changed the bodice to View A.  I prefer to make adjustments on a traced paper pattern rather than the muslin.  Maybe I will change over time—but I like paper patterns!

I used fabric from Sew Much Fabric.  The bodice is a silk polk-a-dot and the skirt is a black wool (the black wool is now sold out).

I used silk organza to underline the bodice.  I knew I wanted to finish the sleeves as in the couture class by leaving extra seam allowances and catch stitching them to the underlining.  Then I attached the lining to the fashion fabric with a fell stitch.

The couture class only uses regular zippers, and I favor invisible zippers.  My daughter is 26 and no ready to wear for her age uses regular zippers.  I’m sure there is a couture method using invisible zippers, but I don’t know it.  So, I have a modified method—
•Put the zipper in fashion fabric
•Make neck facings out of the fashion fabric and attach to lining
•Attach lining to back at zipper using zipper foot (couture does this by hand)
•Attach lining to neck edge (stabilize neck edge with a stripe of silk organza selvage); understitch
•Turn and press