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first time to sew formal gown (Moderated by Deepika)
Posted on: 8/12/12 11:57 AM ET
I was doing ok with just the dress or just the lining. Now that I'm combining them, all this fabric is overwhelming me! I'm concerned about catching the wrong fabric up in a seam, keeping the stuff off the floor (sweeping daily), and just where to put it all while sewing, for example, the armholes. Good grief! And this is a sheath-type design...how do sewists manage gowns with fuller skirts???
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Indecision may or may not be my problem. -Jimmy Buffet
Posted on: 8/12/12 12:11 PM ET
In reply to schmammy
A large table is a necessity -- one of the reasons my machines sit on banquet tables.
I have also been know to "bag" part of the dress to keep it off the floor and out of the way. This works particularly well when working on the armholes or necklines. I simply take a drycleaning style garment bag and place it around the lower end of the dress and bring it up as high as I can and tie it off with a strip of fabric. This keeps all the layers together and out of the way.
Whenever possible I do as much as I possibly can with the bodice and skirt separate -- this only works when there is a horizontal seam of course.
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I have also been know to "bag" part of the dress to keep it off the floor and out of the way. This works particularly well when working on the armholes or necklines. I simply take a drycleaning style garment bag and place it around the lower end of the dress and bring it up as high as I can and tie it off with a strip of fabric. This keeps all the layers together and out of the way.
Whenever possible I do as much as I possibly can with the bodice and skirt separate -- this only works when there is a horizontal seam of course.
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Sheila
"sewing very slowly to fill an empty closet"
Stash Tally: net +46.375 yds (2014 to 2020); net +48.0 (2021); net +57.125 (2022); net +109.875 (2023)- Stash Tally 2024: 77.5 yds out/90.375 yds in (net + 12.875 yds)
2025 Stash Busting:
0 yds sewn (as of 01/01/25)
0 yds purchased/received (as of 01/01/25)
"sewing very slowly to fill an empty closet"
Stash Tally: net +46.375 yds (2014 to 2020); net +48.0 (2021); net +57.125 (2022); net +109.875 (2023)- Stash Tally 2024: 77.5 yds out/90.375 yds in (net + 12.875 yds)
2025 Stash Busting:
0 yds sewn (as of 01/01/25)
0 yds purchased/received (as of 01/01/25)
Posted on: 8/12/12 4:22 PM ET
In reply to SheBear0320
I swear, the bagging actually crossed my mind! Did I mention that both fabric and lining fray like mad? Bagging would help reduce that, I'll bet, too.
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Indecision may or may not be my problem. -Jimmy Buffet
Posted on: 8/12/12 7:20 PM ET
In reply to schmammy
The bagging would help -- how are you planning to finish the seam edges?
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Sheila
"sewing very slowly to fill an empty closet"
Stash Tally: net +46.375 yds (2014 to 2020); net +48.0 (2021); net +57.125 (2022); net +109.875 (2023)- Stash Tally 2024: 77.5 yds out/90.375 yds in (net + 12.875 yds)
2025 Stash Busting:
0 yds sewn (as of 01/01/25)
0 yds purchased/received (as of 01/01/25)
"sewing very slowly to fill an empty closet"
Stash Tally: net +46.375 yds (2014 to 2020); net +48.0 (2021); net +57.125 (2022); net +109.875 (2023)- Stash Tally 2024: 77.5 yds out/90.375 yds in (net + 12.875 yds)
2025 Stash Busting:
0 yds sewn (as of 01/01/25)
0 yds purchased/received (as of 01/01/25)
Posted on: 8/13/12 3:33 PM ET
Yes, it does get cumbersome sometimes! The only real trick I can claim to have thought up myself is to keep the dress on my dress form when doing the yards and yards of rolled hem. This only works if you have full, long skirts, of course. So far (touch wood) I haven't serged off anything key, though I have stitched through too many layers form time to time. But those errors can be made any time. Like when I sewed something closed so it would never, ever come undone and of course, it needed to be not closed. Ever so slowly, carefully and by hand! 
My mom used to put a sheet on the floor to iron nice things that needed to be kept clean, so that would be useful, as well. I like the bag idea, Sheila.
My gowns take a lot of abuse (dreading getting them out of the bags from recent competitions as I am pretty sure they will be smelly) so I tend not to treat them with kid gloves. But for a special dress you do want to be a bit more careful. Have fun!
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My mom used to put a sheet on the floor to iron nice things that needed to be kept clean, so that would be useful, as well. I like the bag idea, Sheila.
My gowns take a lot of abuse (dreading getting them out of the bags from recent competitions as I am pretty sure they will be smelly) so I tend not to treat them with kid gloves. But for a special dress you do want to be a bit more careful. Have fun!
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http://bgballroom.wordpress.com to follow the progress on my next ballgown.
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