a little birdie told me, pt 2: flat piping on a sweetheart neckline

since i already had my bodice pieces cut from muslin, i used these to cut my fabric. i wanted to see exactly what each piece of the bodice would look like before cutting so i placed and cut each piece individually instead of just folding the fabric and hoping for the best.

funny how huge a bodice looks when all laid out this way...

now there is nothing terribly unusual about the construction of this dress but i would like to show you a few details. i have been working at adding embellishments here and there as well as improving my construction techniques (instead of being lazy and cutting corners... having an audience helps to keep me from sliding). i'll simply be adding flat piping at the neckline, a little topstitching and a waist stay. well, a not really waist stay... but i'll get to that later. i'll even hand stitch the bodice lining and blind stitch the hem by hand! i'm the kind of sewist who does does everything possible to avoid hand stitching, but i figure the dress shouldn't have to suffer just cuz i'm a little lazy.

underlined and ready for construction

first thing i did was underline the bodice with my muslin pieces. after adding the underlining i sewed the bodice pieces together. since there are princess seams in this i needed to clip my curves. now, i could have trimmed these interior seam allowances (and almost always the pattern directions instruct you to do so) but i left them as is. why? well, i try to clip and trim only when i really need to. also, you are usually told to press both seam allowances on princess seams to the middle. a quick perusal through any couture sewing book and you'll see that these seams are almost always balanced, that is they are pressed open, even with darts! i suppose this is more important when you have multiple layers with underlinings and such. on a lighter fabric i might press to the center. then again, a princess seamed bodice is usually very structured where a lightweight material wouldn't work... just thinking out loud here... anyway, do notch the seam allowance (cutting narrow v shapes) on the inside of the curve, to ensure it lays flat and press the curved seam over a tailor's ham.

i changed the pattern design from a straight neckline to a sweetheart. there is nothing difficult about the sweetheart neckline it just takes some extra prep. i will hand stitch a lining in later, so i will just turn the neckline seam to the inside with the flat piping then topstitch it all in place. to make sure the "v" turns out neatly i reinforced it with very short stitches right at, or just inside the seam line. i sewed at the "v" about an inch in each direction, then i clipped right up to the point and now it will turn perfectly!

here is the reinforcing stitches and the little snip so it all turns nicely

then to add the flat piping i very carefully measured and pinned bias tape in place and hand basted then machine sewed it in place. i left it hanging an inch or so at the center (i used two separate strips of bias so i could overlap them neatly at the center) because i wanted to make sure the piping was positioned just right!

now, before topstitching the piping and the neckline seam in place i needed to check the fit. to do this, i simply pinned the zip in place and tried it on.

back to the neckline... i turned the neckline to the inside and pinned it in place. i made sure the piping was even all the way around and not peeking out higher in random places (measure if you're as particular about these things as i am). with everything positioned the way i wanted i was ready for topstitching! if you want your topstitching to stand out and be a detail on the garment, make sure to use actual topstitching thread because it is thicker than regular sewing thread.

i am so very happy with how well the piping turned out. it really does pay to take your time and do something right! next up, attaching the skirt and adding a not really waist stay!

a little bias tape

next up on my sewing table is an outfit for my 7 yr old. i was ordering some inexpensive clearance fabrics for a few summer dresses and i picked up this cute little cotton print.

it's one of those fancy organic cotton fabrics. i was kinda hoping to be terribly unimpressed by it because it's more expensive per yard than what i usually buy... but it was just so gosh darned cute. as luck would have it, the fabric is adorable and super soft. grrr... i hate it when i like expensive things... i only bought a yard because i was planning to make a skirt but i've managed to eeek out a little shift dress instead. i'm calling it the "go-go pick a daisy" dress. aren't i clever?


i was too cheap to go buy a pattern, so i frankensteined (yes, it's a word... maybe) together a few pattern pieces in my stash, graded them to be the right size, traced, re-traced, tissue-fitted... i think i pulled this one off. it's supposed to look something like this.

aside from the super cute print, what will really pull this dress together is the finishing. now, usually i'm too lazy or just too caught up in the sewing to think about trims and bias tape and lace and whatnot. but, i'm working on my embellishment skills and i thought this dress would be adorable with a few bias tape details. i am adding flat piping at the waistband seams and bias trim around the pockets, armholes and neckline.


first up, flat piping... i started out by making several yards of bias tape. if you've never worked with bias tape before i suggest taking the easy way out and buying it pre-made. my own tape isn't perfectly even so to make sure it turns out as even as possible  pin single folded bias tape (if you have double folded bias tape just press it flat so it is only folded once) to the waistband and measure up to the folded edge to keep it straight. then, machine baste it in place.

make sure the raw edge of the bias tape is toward the raw edge of the waistband

once the tape is in place continue as usual, sewing the waistband to the bodice then to the skirt. once sewn press the seams in toward the waistband and let the piping turn up toward the bodice and down toward the skirt. that's it! if you measure first (and can sew reasonably straight...) this is a super easy embellishment to do.

to make sure the piping stays flat and going the right
direction, top stitch close to the edge of the waistband

the bias-bound edges are slightly trickier. now, i hear there are fabulous presser feet that fold and bind the tape as you sew. i don't have this fancy little contraption so i have to attach it in steps.

first, make sure the seam allowances are removed from the edge being bound. then i find it easiest to attach the bias tape first by hand. with the edges lined up, use a running stitch to baste the bias tape along the edge, stitching slightly in from the crease of the tape. if you are working with a fairly straight edge you can do this with the sewing machine, but around small armholes i feel doing it by hand gives me greater control.

once you have gone all the way around, fold the bias tape (i told you i was using double folded tape, right?) around the edge and pin it in place. then, simply machine stitch close to the inner edge of the tape (on the outside of the garment). this should catch the tape you just folded to the inside of the garment. if for some reason your stitching falls off this inside edge, just hand stitch it in place later. it happens, no biggie.

stitching right along the inner edge on the bias tape

i also did this earlier on the skirt pockets before attaching the waistband to the skirt, by the way.

i think the edges finished this way are just adorable plus it emphasizes all the seam lines that would have gotten lost in the fabric print. i want to insert the zipper before i bind the neckline edge, then all i have left to do is the hem! now, don't save the bias tape for the kidswear only, that's just what i happened to be working on at the moment. it's great for a pencil skirt or really any time you want to add a little definition to your work.