[April Henry]

As my daughter gets older the need for a slip or lining is becoming more apparent. After playing with this pattern and lining it awhile back, I figured out the other day how I could actually make this pattern reversible – two dresses in one!

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Using two different prints, cut two (on fold) of the large dress piece for each print (total of four pieces).

Sewing the inner and outer dresses separately at this point, stitch the side seams for each one and press seams open.

RIGHT SIDES together, insert one dress inside the other.

Stitch the bottom hem, trim seam allowance to 1/4 inch and turn right side out. Top stitch hem or embellish with rick rack or ribbon.

Continue sewing Popover dress as instructed in the pattern with the yoke and ties making sure that the inner and outer dress fabrics are perfectly lined up at the top.

You now have the workings for a reversible dress.

Here’s a link to my blog post showing the reversible dresses I made:

http://stitcheryfriend.blogspot.com/2009/06/picnic.html

[Vanessa]

Brilliant, April! I might have to do that on my next one as sometimes I’d like my wovens to have a little more body.

[Liesl Gibson]

That makes perfect sense, April. If you have two light-weight fabrics you might want to keep the hems separate for better draping, but stitching them together is a clever idea. Yours turned out really well!

[Carey]

I’ve also given some thought to how it could be lined and came up with the same simple solution using muslin. The only reasonably pretty fabric I could find is rather sheer. What a great idea to make it reversible! I may try that instead.

[April Henry]

Liesl – so stitching them separately (for better drape) like you illustrate in your Swingset Skirt Pattern?

[arlyna]

Thanks for this tip… just made one last night: http://www.arlyna.com/blogs/index.htm

[April Henry]

OH! I love how you used the Far, Far Away Heather Ross fabric – perfect reversibility!

[April Henry]

Hi, Liesl… I’m constructing a Popover Dress but adding a lining. Unfortunately, I’m having sewists block on how to let the lining hang free. Do I stitch the lining and the outer sections separately but then stitch them “together” just at the top section? (I’m assuming I would press the side seams open on both.)

[Liesl Gibson]

Yes, I would suggest sewing the side seams, and then stitching the two layers together just at the top edges: the yoke and the bias binding. That way you can hem them individually. You might also want to trim 1/2″-1″ from the hem of the lining so it’s shorter than the outside dress fabric.

[MyBellaGirl]

Would anyone be interested in doing a quick tutorial for lining the popover? I “think” I can figure it out, but any help is always appreciated!!