Sewing Techniques
Lining a Dress
Add a lining to a dress and it will hang better, crease less and fit smoothly. As with skirt linings, there are two methods.
The construction-Lining Method
1. Cut the lining the same as the dress pieces, except the facings and collar. Mark notches and centres on dress. Mark darts, notches and centres on lining.
2. Baste together 13 mm (1/2") from raw edges and through the centre line of darts.
3. Make the dress, treating the two layers as one.
4. Mark hem length an even distance from the floor. Press up hem and trim to an even width. Then either
A. Unfold hem and hand tack lining to dress about 13 mm (1/2") below hem fold with long and short running stitches.
OR
B. Trim hem portion of lining away along the fold line. Then turn up dress fabric hem and hem with your chosen method, catching lining within hem allowance.
The slip-lining method
1. Cut lining the same as dress, except for facings and collar.
2. First make the dress, leaving the neckline and armhole unfinished.
3. Then make the lining, leaving an opening for the zip 2.5 cm (1”) longer than the dress.
4. With wrong sides together, pin lining to dress at neckline and armhole edges, matching darts, seams, centres and notches and having raw edges even.
5. Turn under edges of lining and slip stitch along stitching on tape of zip.
6. Machine baste neck and armhole edges together 13 mm (1/2") from edge.
7. Finish neck edge.
8.For a sleeveless dress, attach armhole facings. For dresses with sleeves, see below.
Dresses with sleeves
9. For a dress with sleeve, attach sleeve to dress.
10. Sew sleeve lining and pin to sleeve, WRONG sides together, matching markings. Turn under the seam allowance on the lining and hand sew over armhole seam.
11. Trim sleeve lining even with lower edge of sleeve. Turn under 13 mm (1/2”) on sleeve lining and slip stitch over sleeve hem.
Hem
ming
12. Make dress hem first.
13. Make the lining hem so that it is 13 mm (1/2") shorter than the dress.
This project has been written by the Simplicity pattern team. For more details of Simplicity and New Look patterns, visit: www.simplicitynewlook.com.
