The Alderdress Tips and tricks to make this woven top
Meet The Alder Dress. It’s our fourth sewing pattern and has been designed for annual subscribers of The Pattern Pages. This versatile A-line calf-skimming dress is reversible so the back can be the front and vice versa. With a stylish high round neck and keyhole detail and tie, this sleeveless style is easy to make and will become a go-to staple in your wardrobe this summer.
Adding dimension with darts Darts come in pairs, and this dress has four darts – two on the front and two on the back. Inserting the darts helps change this flat front and back into shaped pieces that will fit the contours of your body.
5 tips to stitching the darts
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Mark the dart lines with chalk, and press the dart before sewing to help it keep its shape while stitching. Start to sew the dart from the top of the dart at the widest end. Use the marked line to position the fabric so you sew in a straight line.
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The vital part of a good dart is the tapering off at the bottom point of the dart. Never backstitch at the dart bottom. Instead tie a knot in the thread and secure in place.
Always sew your darts one after the other. You have more chance of getting these to match.
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As a mother & daughter team, we want to create patterns that are versatile and that both of us would like to wear.
