Sewing a Regency (Day) Dress [Chapter 5: Cutting the Pieces & Assembling the Dress]

All right, now that you've got the pattern and that you've printed only the small "bits", here's the battle plan:

* you'll need one piece for:

- the front

- the back

- the belt

- the skirt

* you'll need two for:

- the sides

- the sleeves

The pattern doesn't take into account the seam allowance, so you'll have to keep in mind to not cut the material right against the pattern (about 1 cm/0.5" should be enough - check how your material reacts).

I'm 5'2", and the skirt could fit someone who's 5'6" (if you're taller, you'll need more material).

The dress is size 12 (UK variety). I guess that a size 10 would have to be cut right on the pattern, and add about 2.5 cm/1" for each extra size.

Here's how I proceeded with my 3mx1.5m (9'9"x5'1") remnant.
I folded the length in two, and I pinned the pattern for the sleeve on a corner (1cm/0.5" from the end of the material); then, I cut both sleeves at the same time:

Since my material is striped, it was quite easy to cut off the whole length of material where there was what I needed for the sleeves, and incidentally, I ended up with a nice square of material that can be used for something else (small scarf, reticule,... That's up to you).

Next, I folded the pattern of the front part in two (that's piece #1 in the drawing below). I folded the width of the remnant just enough to cover the folded pattern, and I pinned it. However, I cut the whole length: the huge rectangle that this forms is the skirt, and you can put it away for the moment (and by cutting off the rectangle for the sleeves and the one for the top and the belt, you don't have to actually measure the skirt).
You should be able to pin the sides' pattern (#2 below) on the same piece as the folded front. If your material isn't plain, mind the stripes or pattern when you pin that part.

The stripes don't align perfectly with the front part, but one has to inspect the dress closely to see it.

You're left with one big-ish, rectangle length of material.
Pin the back, and cut it:

In what's left of that length, cut the belt: 10cm/3.9"x1 m/39.4" (that'll work for the front belt and you'll have material for the four loops in the back.

I'll refer to the different pieces according to the numbers on this drawing:

Once you've sewn two parts together, always iron the seam open.

1- Sew the two sides (#2) to the back (#3):

2- Sew the front (#1) to the sides.

3- Sew the shoulders, joining the front and the back parts.

4- Place a pin in the top and bottom part of the front right in the middle (they'll be your guides until the very end; you could even use safety pins).

5- Hem the top part by hand, starting with the front; sew the extremity of the nylon cord thread where the shoulder parts meet and make sure that the thread will stay in place. As you go, make sure that you haven't caught the thread in the hem.
That hem can be pretty small (I had just a couple of millimetres of seam allowance).
When you reach the centre top pin, leave a small opening through which you can pull the thread (that you'll hide inside) to gather the top.

Then, hem the back to match the length of the hem in the front.

6- Sew the skirt (#5) into a tube, and place the seam in the middle of the back.
Just like for the top, use pins to help locate the two sides and the middle of the front.
Measure your ribcage right under your breasts and add 3 to 4 centimetres (1.2" to 1.6"); divide by 2 to know how much you've got to reduce the front and the back of the skirt where it connects with the top.
You'll have to pin the front in regular pleats:

You'll gather the back:

7- Pin the bottom of the front of the top part in pleats to match the top of the front of the skirt. The final diameter should match the diameter of the top of the skirt - of course.
There are no pleats in the back of the top. My ribcage is 78 cm (30.7"), and I pinned/hemmed everything at 82 cm (32.3") [because that's not much, and I need to be able to manoeuvre into the dress since there is no buttoned opening]; the pleats in the front part of the top just reached the side pieces (#2).

8- The sleeves (#6)... (that was the "entertaining" part of this dress).
First, a confession: the shoulder had a tad too much material, and the next time I make this dress, I'll cut the top right on the pattern.
Sew the length of the sleeve.
Try the top on and locate the middle of your shoulder; you know the drill: place a pin.
Fold a first sleeve along the seam, and pin the middle of the top of the sleeve to the shoulder. You should need to make 3 or 4 pleats between the top of the shoulder and the underarm on the front.
When everything is pinned (I'd recommend one careful try on the inside to make sure that everything will fit), you can sew the top and the first sleeve.
Repeat the operation on the second sleeve.

9- Iron the belt (#4). Measure the top of the skirt so that the belt will cover the front of the dress and reaches just a few centimetres beyond the middle of the side. Hem both sides of the belt. With the rest of the belt piece, make 2 or 4 loops for the back.
Pin the ribbon at the bottom of the belt so it doesn't move when you're going to sew the skirt to the top.
Pin the loops to the back (and be very careful to pin them straight!).

10- Pin the top to the skirt+belt and loops (this is when the "middle" pins will help you place everything where it should be; the pins in the front are particularly useful). Sew the pieces together.
You're going to have to take care of many threads.

11- Hem the bottom of the skirt.

12- Hem the sleeves.

13- Eventually add buttons to the sleeves, near the wrists.

14- Have fun in your pretty dress!