Alice Sew Along- Day 3

We are now on Day Three of the Alice sew-along. Be sure to check out the posts for Day One and Day Two if you haven't already. Today is the day we really get into it. Here's where it gets a little messy. But the most beautiful things emerge from the messy sometimes, and I swear it seems harder than it actually is. Today's task is to end up with a complete bodice (sans the zipper, for now. That's another day). Now, I can't go through every single step with you, but I WILL give you some tips that should help make the process a little easier. The end result? A beautiful bodice for your beautiful soon-to-be dress.

Alice Sew Along Day 3

Creating a Collar

First off, the collar. The best advice I can give you is to clip those curves WELL! It will help the collar to lay flat and also to smooth out the curve once it is right side out. Position your collar carefully on your neckline to ensure it is centered and that the collar will meet without gapping or overlapping at the seam line. These little details will ensure a perfect collar on your finished dress.

Understitching

Also of note and mentioned several times in today's steps... Understitching! It is a crucial step in the process and one that should not be skipped. If you do not know how to understitch, I will explain it now. It's really pretty simple. Press your seam allowance toward the lining. Then, with your lining and seam allowance separate from your outer shell, stitch close to the seam on the lining side, catching the seam allowance as you go. This will allow your lining to lay flat under the main fabric without topstitching on your outer pieces. It is a very effective and clean look that helps make it a little more professional. It is also one of the finishes BSD often employs that helps the patterns stand out from so many others. You can check out this photo tutorial on understitching if you need a better visual. Also, I took a picture while I was understitching my bodice to give you an idea what it looks like in progress. The other stitching you see in this picture is the understitching of the sleeve.



Be careful when stitching main to lining that you do not catch the collar or sleeves in your stitching. It can get tricky, especially with the smaller sizes, but I promise it is worth the extra time it takes to be careful. With attention to detail and taking your time to make sure it's right, you should come out of today with a gorgeous little bodice, waiting anxiously to join the rest of the dress!



Be sure to join us tomorrow for the construction of the skirt! And don't forget to hop over to the Bella Sunshine Designs Facebook group and share your finished bodice with us in the sew along albums! I look forward to seeing you all again tomorrow! Check out the schedule below to see what's on the agenda:

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