Doll Fashion Studio Part 3

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On our last post, we created the lace side of our dress bodice, and I realized that since the bodice pieces are lined, we will need small piece of organza or netting so that we can line the lace side of the dress without changing the look of the lace. So I cut out the left bodice lining piece from organza; we’ll get back to that after we embroider and construct our right yoke.

I mirror imaged mp07091 Tiny Floral Spray 2 from Martha’s Mini Collection for my embroidery design. I happened to have two jelly roll squares in the perfect pink that were plenty large enough to accommodate my little bodice piece, so I embroidered one and used the other for lining A jelly roll square is too small to hoop so I first hooped Sticky stabilizer and secured the square in place and traced off the bodice to help in my embroidery placement. 

I also marked where the left side would overlap the right to make sure I wouldn’t cover up my embroidery when the dress was constructed. I picked thread colors that would coordinate with my print, Sulky 1212 and 1082 for the vines, 1077 for the bow, 1020 for the flowers and 1082 for the flower centers. The entire process took less than 15 minutes because the design was so tiny.

After completing the embroidery, I cut out the left front and the left front lining pieces. I also cut out the back pieces, but instead of cutting four, I cut out two on the fold, positioning the pattern piece on the stitch line. This just eliminates the step of stitching up a back seam, but the back bodice can be made either way. I followed the book instructions, creating the straps, and then stitched the right side right front and front lining to the back bodice piece, right sides together. 

I pinned the strap to the bodice front and back, 

...placed the bodice layer to the lining layer sandwiching the strap inside and then stitched around the top edge, armscye and front as directed in the book. I clipped the curves, and corners, turned right side out and pressed. 

To line the lace side of the bodice, I first stitched down the curved side of the organza lining piece along the ¼” stitching line.

I clipped to the stitch line around the curve and pressed the edge under. I then stitched the organza bodice lining to the back lining piece and the lace bodice to the back bodice.

Just like the front bodice I place the lining to the bodice wrong sides together but this time I only pinned the strap between the back bodice and lining and stitched across the back top and around the armscye.

I clipped the curves and corners and turned right side out and pressed. I then pinned the strap between the front bodice and the organdy lining around the curved edge of the lace bodice.

I stitched around the curve from the organza side, attaching the lining to the lace and securing the strap using white thread in the machine and sea foam thread in the bobbin to match the lace color.

Finally, after pressing each side, I overlapped the front bodices along the lower edge 1/1-2” as instructed in the book, and stay-stitched along the lower edge.

Next week, we’ll add our skirt and a lace flourish to finish our little dress. 

~Amelia