Panel after panel after yet another panel...

DRESS MANUFACTURE!!!

- To begin sew together the back panels, joining the notches as you pin to make sure it fits properly.

- Do the same to the front panels.

- Iron open all of the seams, making sure to pull a little as you iron.

- Overlock the seams closed.

My front panels all sewn up.

Half of my back panels, ready for the zip.

- I put a centre zip in the centre back of my dress.

My centre zip, all done up! Sorry for the bad photography.
It is the orange lines that you can slightly make out, they're the top stitches.

- I sewed my shoulders together, right sides to right sides, lining up my to seams from the panels.

- I ironed these open and overlocked them together just like my panels. 

- To sew my side seams I did the same as I did for my panels and shoulders, matching up the notches, ironing open the seams, only for the side seams I over locked the sides before I sewed them.

- To do the neck and armhole facings, I overlocked the wider edges of the facing. (As we had no interfacing we just did it with the fabric.)

- Sew the armhole facing right side to right side.

- To finish the armhole facing sew a retaining stitch which is a very close to the seam and sews the seam flaps down to the facing.

- Iron the facing inside the dress.

- For the neck facing it is a little more complicated. Match up the notches and pin in place.

- As I put my zip in slightly wrong I had the fold over my facing over my zip and sew to the zip tape.

- Sew the facing right side to right side as close to the zip as possible, I sewed mine 1cm seam allowance as I made a mistake the first time I tried it.

- Do the retaining stitch like on the armhole facing and iron inside the neck.

Neck facing, folded over my zip.

My facing pinned to the zip tape.

My finished neck facing.

My completed armhole facing.

- The hem is easy. As the bottom of the dress is straight it can be as wide or thin as you like. Overlock the raw edge so it is even all the way around.

- Fold the overlock under and under again like on all the other garments I have shown you.

- Iron and sew.

My hem pinned from the front.

My pinned hem from the back.

My sewn hem. 

My sewn hem from the inside of the garment.

- Iron the completed garment and we're ready to go!!

THE FINAL DRESS!!!

Right side view. 

Back view with open zip.

Back view with closed zip.

Left side view, sorry about the slight blur.

Front view, looking a little frumpy. Ha!

What do you think?

Do you like?

I like the shape and idea of panels but think it would look a whole lot better in a nicer fabric, this one is 'not me'. Ha! Ha!

Hope you like and enjoy.

XOXO