04 - Preparation

These are the overall guidelines for the cutting out, assembly & contsruction of this specific dress:

CONSTRUCTION

To determine the next course of direction, I would continue with this bodice to a 2-stage 'initial toile' possibly followed by the making of a 'demi-toile' – both of these 'fitting tools' being 'multi-functional'.

An initial bodice toile was made & within its fitting stage, comparisons were demonstrated regarding whether any corsetry shoud be attached or left separate (for me, the ideal scheduling preference!). However K had a preference for her dress to be “made as one garment”. Making an integral fitted corset-style garment would naturally adversely affect early preparation & assembly of ALL parts of the dress. If this was to be the option, more fittings would be necessary to ensure I remained up-to-date of any measurement changes which could drastically impact on the scheduling later. However, to counter this, I decided that if a 'multi-functional' part of the dress could be made, some scheduled fittings would in fact become unnecessary & others could 'double-up' as parts of the garment's construction &/or assembly.

First, I would make a bodice 'initial toile' followed by the making of a 'demi-toile'. The first bodice would provide an upper bodice garment to:

• define basic upper torso shapings & then make a definitive pattern for a torso/full length one (ie. demi-toile)
• by accurately fitting midriff & upper shoulder shapings, I could confirm that a stiffened corsetry framework was necessary & whether boning was needed
• demonstate to K how specific corsetry could be used effectively for this dress

Once the 'intial toile' had been completed & fitted, a further pattern was made from it together with altering/adapting the McCalls pattern to K's measurements. This was cut in polycotton as a full-length sample & would:

• confirm general torso fit & overall skirt silhouette/shape for the dress & its lining (this would in reality be less full)
• provide definitive shape for a corset-style garment where at a subsequent fitting (with the demi-toile), it would provide definitive measurements for the skirt & net layers (ie. their volume, circumference, shape)
• confirm lining layer placement & skirt shape
• finalise general shape for the main dress & minimum lengths for its asymetrical hemline

After the second stage fitting of the initial toile (discussing its shaping & subsequent fitting merits alongside other options), a decision was taken to make an integral fitted corset-style 'interlining' that would possibly have several layers of net stitched to it. After the second fitting of the demi-toile to see if K liked the constraints of a fixed bodice, it was agreed that a corset/boned bodice would be part of an interlining. On further discussion, I decided that both under garments (interlining & lining) would have net layers attached to them, leaving the outer dress layer until last to complete.

CUTTING OUT

The majority of cutting out was only completed after a specific fitting had taken place & next shapings clearly defined but only after the initial toile had been fitted & the demi-toile finalised. Once the canvas bodice had been shaped, main fabric & lining were cut together with identical generous seam allowances (notably at the centre back in the event of it being required later). Skirt shapings were marked but cut until after the demi-toile had been fitted as a dress sample. The nylon net was cut to approximate size at early stages & short lengths gathered as sample sections. The nets were finally cut to size when their lengths were known after the demi-toile/interlining had been marked-up. The tulle was left until after the lining & interlining had been fitted when definitive hemline shapings had been defined.

ASSEMBLY

No individual section of the dress was assembled until after the stiffened bodice was complete & the demi-toile had been marked with dress shapings & lengths. Each respective net layer would not be finally completed until the main dress layer was finished but would be fitted as separate ‘petticoats’ & final net colours used would be left until last too. These changes also ensured that individual 'net garment sections' would always be easy to transport for fitting whilst remaining somewhat flat to continue working with after.

The dress had 3 distinct layers:

1. main dress - asymetrical hemline & unlined
2. interlining - adapted from the demi-toile with a stiffenened torso corset & having the main tulle & net layers
3. lining - 'tacked' to the interlining at torso & having all foundation nets

Each of these layers would be left separate until last stages & before the final fitting, interlining & lining would be joined & tacked together & the corset section fastening method completed. By having these layers quite separate, made fittings much easier to manage, allowed all fabric 'to drop' over a period of weeks.

The decision to leave making the outer dress until last was for several reasons:

• K remained undecided on definitive final shape, length & hemline finishings
• this layer was somewhat reliant on the quantity & volume of its netting underlayers which in turn were also somewhat dependent on the colours finally used – all unknown at early stages
• only after the corset was assembled as an integral ‘lining’ part of the dress could the individual net layers be finally stitched together & then only when a final fitting had taken place.

Initially it was planned for the dress to have no facings with the lining used to “bag-out” neck & armholes. As the dress developed during the fitting stages & an interlining with stiffened bodice was also included as an additional layer, this was not an option. Instead, bias bindings were used around these edges both for ease of stitching & comfort during wear.