Please send questions my way! I would be more than happy to help! No reason you shouldn't benefit from all the dresses I had to trash you can pm or email me if you want.

Thanks for that Jen

I'm still a new member so I can't PM yet. I'll scour the board for some more questions to answer (if I can) or comments to make so I can reach my 20 posts before I am no longer a new member!

I'm also still a new member so can you give me your e-mail so I can ask questions.... or some other way to send you a message?

THANKS!

jen dot blackerby at gmail dot com

Are there any sites with the newer patterns out there? And has anyone used the pre-embroidered pieces that you buy and sew together? Are they really worth the steep price?

awesome post! thank you

this is a great sticky. thought about making a dress, but i think i'll just leave it to the professionals

This is brilliant!

You should give à dress making business a go!!!!!

Thank you so much for this post! I am almost finished with my daughter's second solo dress and her teacher said it looked very professional. It would have looked TACKY without all your helpful info.

Thanks or all the wonderful information.
I am trying to make a dress. Where can I find more information on methods to line the skirt?

Lscthill, when you say line the skirt, what do you mean? Are you talking about stiffener? or just fabric? What type of skirt are you making? Here is a good picture of the underside of a soft skirt that has stiffener at the top to keep it from flopping around when dancing: www.dance.net . . .
It's the third picture

Thanks for the picture. It is a ruffle skirt I made quickly for an informal performance; my daughter liked it so much she convinced me to try adding a bodice. Now I need to try putting a lining on the skirt.. The skirt needs both linings I guess. Do I line the skirt and make the stiffner section separate and then attach it to the skirt? Just jumped in head first . . . .

I know how that feels, jump head first to irish dancing dress making. In my doughter's second dress i made a soft skirt, two ruffles and underneath i've put underskirt. the underskirt is stiffened in the top part(I just put ironed on stiffener in between two layers of satin) an bottom part is tutu type organza ruffle (I fold it in half so there was no edge to finish, king of a bubble ruffle). Then all three layers were pinned to the bodice, basted and carefully checked on my doughter if i have a right hang. Nailed it the second time ) Then all three layers were topstitched to the bodice.
Hope that helps and good luck
megann

Oh, wow. Thanks. That was sorta the direction I was going, but didn't consider folding over The organza type material I have.
Big smile. . . .i am really good at removing seams now . . . .

All dressmakers get very good at ripping out seams. I made my dress and then modified it a year later. I have ripped out a lot of seams!

hank you for taking the time to write all this out! I have a friend who is starting a dress making business and this will be so helpful to her!