[tonyadel]

I just cut out my pieces for View A (sizes 12-18 mos and size 4) of the Ice Cream Dress. It seems like the yoke and the bottom pieces are lined, but not the top (center piece) of the dress. I would like to line that portion as well. Any suggestions on when to attach the lining? Thanks.

[Emily]

Tonya, I just tried this out with some scrap fabric and came up with the following method:

1. Make the yoke normally.

2. Sew together the center front piece and center back piece at the side seams. Repeat with the lining pieces.

3. Leave the lining inside out (right sides together) and turn the dress fabric right side out (wrong sides together.

4. Place the dress center inside the lining center and match up the sleeve ends. You should see the seams on both the lining and the dress on the outside, with the right sides of the dress touching the right side of the lining on the inside.

5. Sew the sleeve ends with a 1/2 inch seam.

6. Turn everything right side out, nesting the lining fabric inside the outer dress fabric.

7. Treat this as a single-thickness piece from now on – both layers will be gathered and inserted into the yoke, both layers will be attached to the bottom dress and lining pieces.

Let me know if you have any questions – it’s hard to describe without pictures!!

[Loralee]

Has anyone tried this? I’m getting ready to line 2 ice cream dresses and curious how this worked.

Emily, what happens to the hemmed sleeve ends? Would they be hidden inside the 2 layers so that all you see is a smooth seam? Trying to visualize it. Thanks!

[Emily]

The sleeve-end seam is indeed hidden inside the two layers so that all you see is the smooth seam between them. I’ve done it on a smaller scale with scrap fabric, but not full-size.

[Loralee]

Thanks Emily! I’m going to try it ‘full-size’ today. 🙂 I think the smooth seams will look nice. Do you think it needs to be edge stitch? Maybe not since the yoke is similar at this edge and not edgestitched along the sleeve.

[Emily]

It might look really nice to edge-stitch all the way around the sleeve after it’s put together – I hadn’t thought of doing that, but because there isn’t an exposed line of stitching for the sleeve hem, it wouldn’t be out of place.

[Loralee]

Well, this worked out fabulously! I especially liked the finished seams. I’m still on the fence regarding the edge stitch on the sleeve but I’m making a second one so I might make one each way. 🙂 Thanks again.

[mjw8274]

Thanks, everyone, for your input. I just tried to line the ice cream dress in View B, and after several mis-steps, figured it out! I am really, really pleased with how it worked and how it adds fullness to the dress. I did this for my daughter in silk dupioni for a family wedding this weekend, and it is really stunning. I’m so pleased, as it makes this pattern more suitable for dressier materials to have it lined. I’d love to try it in other weights – maybe a winter wool? I appreciate all your thoughts and advice – it helped me immensely!