TOILE MERMAID DRESS

Dress 

1. To begin with I cut out my dress pattern in my fabric.

2. I then over locked the edges of my fabric.

3. I sewed the darts in the front and in the back pieces.

4. I sewed together the shoulder seams using a 1.5cm seam allowance.

5. Then I sewed together the side seams, also using a 15cm seam allowance.

6. I ironed open the seams.

7. I inserted an exposed zip in the front of my dress.

8. I sewn the zip edge, right sides together, using a 0.5cm seam allowance.

9. Then I repeated the same method to the opposite side.

10. I placed the garment on the mannequin to check that it was fitted to the body.

11. I noticed that the arm holes where a lot wider than I wanted, so I took the side seams in by 1.5cm and faded it back into the normal seam allowance.

12. Then I adapted the patterns to match my alteration.

13. I them bias bind the edges of the armhole and the neckline.

14. I used a bias binder tool to help me get a perfect measurement.

15. I sewed the bias binding right side to wrong side using a 5cm stitch.

16. I then folded over the binding to make the opposite side of bias binding disappear.

17. I finished the bias binding of with a invisible stitch into the seam holding the bias binding in place.

18. I traced of the pattern for my fish tail, and cut it out of fabric cut on the bias.

19. I sewed together the front and back right sides together.

20. I then finished of my dress by hand stichthing a hem so that it was 80cm above the floor the whole way around.

Trail

1.     I traced of my pattern for the trail.

2.     I placed the front and back pieces right sides together and pinned so that it was ready to sew.

3.     I sewed the sides and the bottom across the 1.5cm seam allowance.

4.     I ironed open the seams and turn the tail the right way round.

5.     Then I ironed a 1.5cm turn in form the top of the tail.

6.     I sewed a line 1.5cm away from the top, which made the tail irreversible.

7.     I used the buttonhole machine to create a buttonhole.

Buttonhole machine

1.     I changed the settings so that it was on setting 14: mode 3. I adjusted it to this setting because I am using a fine fabric.

2.     I pulled the leaver down.

3.     I measured the button, which was 2.2cm, then added an extra centre metre for ease.

4.     I marked the buttonhole on my tail and positioned into the machine correctly.

5.     The setting for the feed dog is setting number 3, this then lowered it.

6.      I then aliened the to and the bottom thread and pulled it so there was enough to begin stitching.

7.     The stich sews back to front so I made sure my fabric was in the correct way around.

8.     Then I rested my hands on the fabric and the machine pulls the fabric through automatically, and tells you when it is complete.

*When I attached my tail it didn’t look right, so I spoke with my tutor and we change the way of making it.

Mermaid trail

1.     I folded a piece of fabric on the bias.

2.     Then I put the bias line onto my garment with pins.

3.     I then began to cut away at the fabric to create the shape I wanted.

4.     I marked where the waist line was starting and ending and took it of the garment.

5.     I traced of the pattern onto paper so I could re-do trail.

6.     I used a roll hem to finish of the trail.

7.     I practiced using a rolled hem, which was very time consuming.

8. I set up the roll hem machine to have a try and see if it was faster than doing it by hand as it looked perfect.