and some steps of the straps construction (say that five times fast), and then we'll finish up with part three maybe Saturday? Part one of this tutorial is here (EDIT: part three is here).
For the top strip (very technical term, mind you), you get your high bust measurement (mine is 37") and use the snip and rip technique from step one. Snip in 2" intervals on your muslin, and snip two strips that are your high bust measurement + 1". My top strip pieces are 38" long. ::Not shown - also cut a piece of trim this long.::
Fold over 1/2" on one side of each of the strips. Press. You only do this to one side, not both.
Now take those strips and sew the ends together to make two separate circles. Open out the fold you just created and line up the crease caused by the fold. See how my pin lines up the creases from the front and back?
Sew them together. You can chain piece them as I did here to save time. :)
Now take your dress that you made in step one and baste stitch along the top so that we can gather it a little bit.
Gather it until it's the same width as your top strip.
Spread your gathering evenly.
Lining up the back seam on your dress and the seam on the top strips, sandwich your dress between the two strips making sure the pressed edges of the strips are facing down.
Sew all the way around.
When you're done it will look like this.
Then you just press the strips open. See how now you have an edge that's "finished"? The folded edges will make it easier to sew and enclose the raw edges when it's time for us to finish the dress.
Now for the straps. It's the same thing as the top strip, except you cut four 2" strips instead of two 2" strips. I suggest cutting these 15" long. ::Not shown - also cut two pieces of trim this length.::
Now sandwich your trim between two strap pieces. (I hope these pictures aren't as blown out on your computer as they are on mine. They didn't look this bad when I was editing them, and now I look at them today and it looks like one big white strip and that's all.)
Sew at 1/2" seam allowance.
Press.
Sew the folded edge, stopping 3" from the end of the strap.
And that's all for today. :) We will finish up in our next step.
xoxo,
