Project Prom Dress

Today I'd like to show you the last Big Project I worked on. Actually, it was such a big project it comes close to the amount of work I put into my wedding dress! This was made in 2019, and somehow I'm only just getting round to putting this post together. I felt this dress deserved a proper post, a detailed account of it's making and lots of pictures of the process. Here is the dress (I'm pretty proud of it):

When my niece first asked me whether I would make her prom dress, I told her I needed to think about it. Sewing time was few and far between for me at that time, and I knew how important this dress would be to her. Still, wouldn’t it be a special thing to do for her. So I said yes!

THE DESIGN 

I advised Layni to go and try some dresses on. Having done this with my wedding dress, I knew how useful it would be. Sure enough she ended up hating the style she thought she wanted and feeling amazing in something completely different! After her trying on sessions Layni decided she wanted a fitted bodice and a fishtail skirt with a chiffon overlay. She had tried a few in this style but liked different things from each. 

The design brief included:

• boned bodice. I decided to make a corselet for this
• comfortable to move around in (eg sleeves that don't slip down, able to sit down etc)
• sweetheart neckline but not too low
• refelecting Layni’s age (nothing too “old”)
• V shape where fishtail skirt joins the main dress. Mirrors the neckline and adds interest

I hunted for patterns and decided to go with a combination of McCalls 7320 and Simplicity 1418. I took Layni’s measurements very thoroughly - she lives 200 miles away! - set my dressmakers dummy to her size and got to work. 

First I traced the pattern pieces from McCalls 7320 down to hip level for the corselet, and also traced it to mid thigh level as I wanted the lovely, seamless fit of a princess seamed pencil dress for the main bodice, without it being interrupted with a waist seam. I then traced the top part of Simplicity 1418 as it had similar sleeves to what Layni wanted, and merged the two patterns making sure I lined up the bust points etc. Despite being from different fit styles the two patterns went together well. I smoothed out the lines and got ready to toile!

Because I am silly and find it hard to choose the quicker way sometimes, I decided to go all couture and thread trace the seamlines on everything. Yes, on the toile. Then on the real dress which meant 5 layers of fabric. I swear I spent a solid week thread tracing. I hated myself a little bit for choosing to do it the “right” way, but I do feel that it has led to a super fit. 

THE TOILE

I was so grateful for my dressmakers dummy here. I had set it to Layni’s exact measurements, although she is slightly smaller in the upper back than my dummy would go, but really it was so so useful to have a fitting aid before fitting it to the real person! 

I fit the corselet first. It needed quite a bit of tweaking and taking in from waist to hip level, but the bust was pretty good. I sewed in a zip so that I could see it properly done up. This helped when I got to trying it on Layni too, as it’s so tight I wouldn’t have been able to pin it closed! 

Pleased with the fit, next was the main bodice. This was pretty straightforward and didn’t need very much altering, just a little more fitting from hips downwards. I also had to draw on the desired neckline, which was obviously a guess! 

For the fishtail part of the skirt, which I took to calling the “flounce”, I thought I would do a circle skirt for the satin layer and lining, with a long straight piece of gathered chiffon on top, and petticoat netting sewed to the lining. This all worked out fine, but it did take a bit of head scratching to figure out how to make the pattern for the flounce where it curved up in that front V. I would love to explain how I did it but I don’t quite understand the notes I made! I do know I made a centre front seam at that V. I must have done that bit later as on this toile the flounce joins in a straight seam.

Please excuse the strange fabrics here, I had run out of calico for toiling, and the peacock chiffon was all I had on hand of an appropriate weight. 

FITTING

I had one toile fitting. We were visiting our families so I took the toile and my sewing machine, so I could make some proper toile alterations after the fitting and double check by trying on again.

The corselet needed some excess removing from the upper bust and across the back, and the main bodice needed similar alterations, plus more excess taking out of the skirt at thigh level. We redrew the neckline as I had gone a bit high.

The biggest relief was that IT FIT and SHE LIKED IT. I cannot tell you how happy that made me. I am still in awe at how chilled Layni was about the whole thing. She was very trusting.

THE FABRICS AND NOTIONS

Layni was open to colour options but suits strong colours best. We knew we wanted to have lace on the bodice part so I ordered lots of lace samples, although the choice of strong colours in corded lace is not huge. 

We were so excited though when we discovered this combination, red lace over magenta satin, making a raspberry colour. Just that little bit unusual and special. 

The corselet was two layers of mid weight red cotton, pinned wrong sides together to sew boning channels over each seam. Lace was added at the hem and a grosgrain waist stay. I already had the raspberry hook and eye tape, harvested years ago from a dance costume I think. I knew it would come in handy one day! Spiral steel boning is from Vena Cava. They are great, I highly recommend them. 

The magenta satin and the red corded lace are from White Tree Fabrics (which has since closed I believe). I had quite a few problems with using their website and getting my order processed, but the team were very very helpful on the phone and got it all put through for me. The quality of the fabrics from them was excellent.

Of course I could not tolerate seeing seams in my lace, even where the sleeves join at the shoulders, so I did appliqué seams. A lot of work but very satisfying. I was also worried about there being too much bulk in the corded lace to sew an invisible zip through, so I decided instead to hand appliqué the lace pieces to the satin bodice. I think this was definitely the correct decision. I also cut off the scalloped edge of the fabric to use along the neckline and the flounce seam. It makes all the difference, just finishes it off.

hand appliqueing the lace to the back, along the zip

scalloped edge appliqued to neckline

It took a lot of trial and error to find the correct colour for the chiffon. This one is from Minerva and is really lovely for this kind of project. I ordered samples of about 12 different red chiffons and they are all completely different colours! The screen really cannot give an accurate representation. This one in real life is on the raspberry side of red, so looked great with the other two fabrics.

I lined the dress in anti static lining from Minerva. I sewed the lining to the satin bodice before adding the lace, but then wished I had done it the other way round for the neckline and sleeve pieces. Oh well, you live and learn! 

I gathered up a lot of stiff dress net for the petticoat parts (also from Minerva) and it did definitely need the extra poof! 

FINAL FITTING AND FINISHING TOUCHES

My niece and her family came to stay with us the weekend before the prom, for a final fitting and finishing touches. I was a bit of a sewing hermit and just stayed in the sewing room till it was done! 

When Layni tried it on my heart leapt. It looked incredible and suited her so well! Such a relief and a joy! We then measured hems and I did the following:

• serged hem for the lining
• zig zag hem for the duchess satin layer. I am embarrassed by this but I had somehow ended up with no extra length to play with on this layer!
• horsehair braid and double fold hem in  the chiffon layer. This was in the hope we could achieve a kind of wavy effect at the hem. It didn’t wave as much as hoped but it did add volume and made a nicer overall shape to the dress.

Oh my word are you still reading?? That is kind of you!!!

Then all that was left was to attach the corselet to the dress, which I did at the centre front and the underarms, and add Swarovski crystals at random all over the lace part. They don’t really show up in the pictures very well but in real life they just catch the light and glint very subtly. 

the corselet attached to the main dress

Layni was overjoyed with her dress, as was I. I am so pleased I could create something special for her, and it was so lovely to see her so happy with it.

A huge project, which I enjoyed much more than I expected to. It also showed me how much time I could find for sewing if I really wanted to (although my house was an absolute tip and I hardly saw my husband for 2 weeks while I was at the height of Project Prom Dress).

Thank you for reading! I'll leave you with just a few more pictures of Layni looking beautiful on her prom day.