The Blue Steampunk Dress Recipe
Hokay, let's see if I can write this out and make sense. There is this dress we have all been slavering over, but it is SO MUCH out of our price range. It is much lovelier than the dress I am about to teach you to make, but, hey. I made this out of a shower curtain and leftover notions I had lying around, so you take what you can get.
This is more of a recipe than a pattern, per se, because you are probably not shaped like me, so you wouldn't want to make the dress just like mine. I hope this is enough information to make your own version, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask. (You can click through the pictures to see larger versions at my flickr pages.)
Ok, first you're going to have to take some measurements. Don't cheat, a well-fitting outfit will look much better than one that is too small or too big. Measure carefully. Here is what each measurement is:
Schematic 1 - Your Measurements:
A: The circumference of your ribcage, right under your bust. This will be the top of the bodice.
B: The circumference of the thinnest part of your waist.
C: The circumference of the widest part of your hips.
D: The length from where you measured A to where you measured C. If you want to be very proper, you can measure from A to B, then from B to C, and then you'll be able to make a more precise pattern.
E: The length from where you measured C down to the floor. If you're going to be wearing special shoes with this dress, put them on before measuring.
F: Start the measuring tape where you want your straps to start in the back, and lay it across your shoulder to where you want your strap to button in the front.
Schematic 2 - Making the pattern: (For ease of calculations, I use a .5" seam allowance.)
Bodice (cut 4 of fabric, 4 of lining):
G: Measurement A / 4 + 1" (seam allowance for each side)
H: Measurement B / 4 + 1"
I: Measurement C / 4 + 1"
Make this pattern piece the length of Measurement D + 1" tall.
Skirt (cut 4 of fabric):
J: (2 * C) /4 + 1" (If you want it to be very full, you can go up to (3 * C) /4 + 1")
K: (3 * C) /4 + 1" (If you want it to be very full, you can go up to (4 * C) /4 + 1")
E: Measurement E + 1" (I forgot about the seam allowance in the schematic)
Straps (cut 2 of fabric):
F: Measurement F + 1" (That darned seam allowance again)
Ok, let's make the bodice piece. Get a piece of paper that is Measurement D + 1" tall, and at least the largest of Measurements G, H, or I wide. Fold it in half the long way (So that it is still D + 1" tall). At the top, mark G/2 inches away from the fold. At the bottom, mark I/2 inches away from the fold. In the middle (or the measurement from A to B down from the top, if you took that measurement), mark H/2 inches away from the fold. Connect the dots (G to H to I) curving as your waist does. You should get something that looks like the pattern piece to the left once you unfold it. Use that piece to cut out 4 pieces of fabric, and 4 pieces of lining. Cut one of the fabric and one of the lining pieces in half. That's where your corset lacing will go.
Cut out 2 straps - F + 1" by 4". Cut out 4 skirt pieces - I don't have a picture, but it's a trapezoid with Measurement J at the top, centered over Measurement at the bottom and a height of Measurement E + 1.
Fold your straps in half the long way, right sides together and sew them up (seam allowance of .5"). Leave one short side raw, and round the other short side, if you're feeling cocky. If you're not, just sew it square :) Trim the seam allowance, and turn the straps right side out. Press them flat. You can stitch around the outside, if you would like them to stay flatter.
Pin all of your bodice fabric pieces together, right sides facing, with the two half pieces on the outer side. Make sure you pin top edges to top edges (Measurement G) and bottom edges to bottom edges (Measurement I). Sew all the edges together. Press the seams out.
Repeat for the lining pieces.
Now, if you're smart, You'll figure out where you want your straps to start in the back of your dress and sew them in as you sew the fabric to the lining. Or, you can do what I did, and sew the fabric to the lining, then have to rip out a bit of the seam to sew them in later.
Either way, pin your lining and fabric right sides together, and leaving .5" open at the bottom of each side, sew up the side, across the top, and down the other side. Trim the seam allowances, turn right side out, and press flat.
Turn the bottom hem of the bodice in .5".
Next, sew up your skirt. I don't have any pictures, but, again, sew right sides together, all the way around. Trim and press out seam allowances, then hem up the bottom .5". Now you're ready to calculate your pleats. You'll have four box pleats, set equally around the skirt. Take the total circumference of the top of the skirt (Measurement J) and subtract the circumference of the bottom of the bodice (Measurement I). This is how much you'll have to take up in pleats. Divide this by four, and use up that amount in each pleat. 1/2 the amount in the back, and 1/4 on each side. You can hide your seams in these pleats, too. Pin the pleats in place and make sure the skirt is about 1" wider than the bodice (remember, when we cut the grommet part out, we took .5" off of the width of each piece, leaving a 1" gap for the lacing.). If it doesn't, adjust your pleats accordingly then baste across the top of the skirt to hold the pleats in place.
Decide where the back of your skirt will be, and make a small hem, where the gap for the lacing will be.
Now, pin the skirt in between the bodice fabric & lining (about .5" in), lining your bit of hem with where the gap is. There shouldn't be any exposed edges. Stitch around, fastening the skirt to the bodice, making sure you catch both layers of the bodice in your stitching, but keeping as close to the edge as possible.
Now, try on the dress. Pull the straps across your back and down your front, and pin both where you want your buttons to be, and where you want your buttonholes to be. If you have a buttonholer on your sewing machine, here is an awesome time to use it. If you haven't used it before, they are amazing! It's like magic! If you don't have a buttonholer and don't want to hand-sew your buttonholes, you have other options. You can just sew the button and strap to your bodice if you can still get in and out of your dress with them fastened. Or, you can sew the button to the top of the strap, and a snap to the bottom of the strap and the bodice. Whatever works for you.
Then, install your grommets up each side of the back of your bodice. I used little grommets (because that's what I had on hand) and put four on each side, but if you had large ones, you could do three, and then use a big fancy ribbon or scarf to tie it. Pretty!
If you don't want to deal with grommets, here's an alternative. Sew loops of matching fabric in when you're sewing up the sides of your bodice. No hammer required!
Aaand... Is that it? I think that's it! Let me know if this is too confusing. I tend to ramble.