Progress on the Glee dress

I hadn't got round to much sewing last week so blogging about nothing seemed a bit foolish. But I'm back. due to a cold and lots of snow cancelling all my meetings, I had a few days off this week so some sewing actually happened! I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed sewing in daylight, all the colours look so much more beautiful. 

so.. progress. 

Charlotte's been jumping up and down a bit in impatience for this so I took a proper run at it over the last few days. Firstly I cut out the pattern in her size and then tissue fitted it on her using the Fit for Real People method. I'm not sure what is going on with this pattern but it seemed to expect her to be at least 6 inches wider across the back.. very odd. I then cut out the bodice and tried that on her with the straps. The material I selected has a bit of stretch, which I though would be useful but mainly so far has been driving me mad! Despite my 6 inch reduction the bodice was still 2 inches too wide across the back! Alterations made, I cut out the same in lining and sewed it all together.  I then cut out the skirt. Its got some pleats at the top but I made it a little more flared as well, the fabric's quite heavy but has a really nice drape. The pattern only calls for a bodice lining, but I hate it when skirts ride up and Charlotte looked slightly blank when I mentioned slips so I thought I would line the skirt too. I went for a slightly bodgy more interlining approach, sewing the lining on before assembling the skirt. This turned out to be a bit of a nightmare as sewing slippery lining to stretchy fabric proved tricky, but it looks fine now its assembled. 

The front is now almost finished but I need to try it all on Charlotte before I put the zip in. I was completely confused by the instructions as I assembled it, until I realised that was just as I assumed it had a back zip when its actually meant to be the side.. not a problem, but initially confusing! 

So, dress almost done-now it needed to be a Glee dress-the bow...here's Rachel wearing hers in the show.

I made mine out of about half a yard of white fabric. It needed to be quite stiff so I ironed on some interfacing which worked very well. Then Is tarted to fiddle around with it-Charlotte had said she wanted it just right so I studied the pictures for a while. Mine is made in 4 pieces, one tube which is sewed into a ring and then flattened to make the main bow, on small flattened tube which wraps round it. and two flattened tubes with slanted ends which are folded to make the ends. I've yet to sew it together but its all pinned and I'm pretty pleased with it. 

Here is the half assembled dress.