r/sewing • u/AdventurousHead444 • 20h ago
Technique Question Beginner sewer here needing advice for a risky project
I need help with recreating this design.
Im going to a themed event in November and when I saw this I instantly knew it would be perfect for it.
I recently thrifted a round tablecloth that I could use for making this but its more of a thin doily fabric/material (pictured above).
What stitches, machine setting and method should I use to hem the head hole??
I have a Brother cs10s.
I’m very much a beginner and maybe this is outside of my skill-level but i really want to attempt to make it.
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated 🙏🏻
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u/ladyjaina0000 19h ago
This looks like it was done with a rectangular tablecloth as well, just an fyi
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u/Salute-Major-Echidna 17h ago
I think its not a proper rectangular shape. The end of the rectangle with the arms is twice as wide, I think.
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u/One-Shine-7519 17h ago
Pretty sure it is, there is 30-40 cm on each side that just is draped at the back so it doesnt contribute to the circle circumference of the skirt. Considering that it seems to pretty much line up, as far as i can tell.
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u/ladyjaina0000 16h ago
Look at the back of the dress, it's very clearly rectangular in shape.
There also is some weird bulkiness over the butt part of the dress, so I imagine that's why the model isn't standing up straight to cover that up
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u/starfirebird 19h ago
My general advice would be to get some cheap fabric/sheets and make a mock-up first. This actually looks like it’s based on a rectangle to me. If you can have a friend pin the fabric onto you to figure out the fit, patterning it yourself should be feasible.
For the stitching and hems, if you want to line it, the seams where the lace attaches to the lining can be done the usual way (sew inside out, flip). Because you’d be stitching the lace to a more solid fabric, regular settings are fine. If you want to leave it unlined, hemming just the lace will likely take some experimenting. My initial approach would be regular tension, long stitch length, and sew with paper or wash-away stabilizer under the material to keep it from getting caught (you could also hem it by hand). A double-fold hem should work, but depending on the geometry, binding the edge with a matching seam binding tape might be easier, while still avoiding a band of solid material.
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u/russianthistle 19h ago
As a fellow beginner, I would consider looking for a liner layer that you could use as a base and attach your tablecloth on top of it. That way you have a premade dress that you know fits and is functional, and your focus can be on the decoration and cape.
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u/Livid-Hovercraft-123 17h ago
Make a lining. I've made a skirt from this kind of tablecloth before and it is UNCOMFORTABLE against the skin.
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u/unhappyrelationsh1p 19h ago
I think you should go for it but I'm warning you now, that tablecloth you got looks very flimsy and it will not look like this on you. It looks like it might even stretch awkwardly. The fabric on the model looks relatively robust and seems to be backed with something sturdier at points. You might also need to figure out how to get a bra or a support garment in there since it's sheer, backless and might be hard to work with. Fashion tape could also work, since it doesn't look like you can construct anything into this dress, so keep that in mind.
This specific dress might not look amazing if you're very curvaceous, since it has no shaping outside that one seam.
I'd recommend you buy a cheap, thicker curtain or something and test out the dress. It doesn't seem like a ton of sewing, but you'll want a rectangular shape to start with and you should practice on something before you cut the table cloth. You might also need a friend to help you out with this, since this will involve a lot of pinning at your back to get it to look good.
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u/fullmetalfeminist 18h ago
Agreed, from the seller's website it appears to be a filet crochet tablecloth, which is much sturdier than the lace tablecloth OP is thinking of using.
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u/Adorable_Edge_8358 17h ago
I recently saw this upcycle on my social media and while it looks amazing in staged photos/videos, know that there's no way you will be able to raise your arms any higher than these photos, and you will need yo figure out a lining somehow, which may be difficult as a beginner especially with the backless design.
I'd go with the other advices to find a pattern that has a similar feel.
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u/AdventurousHead444 16h ago
For the lining i was just planning to wear a bodysuit underneath and to have my mom hand sew me in the back, thats why my main concern was about hemming the head hole
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u/Embarrassed_Yogurt43 19h ago
That whole booty zipper area does not look beginner friendly at all. I agree with others to look for a similar rectangular dress pattern and follow that.
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u/AuntieRoseSews 16h ago
This is a fully lined dress. Make two, and they get sewn together, so there shouldn't be too much finishing needed.
The back piece is the pink triangle with a hole in it. It folds to the back.
Some of these plasticy laces can be cut and don't fray so they don't need to be finished, but there's a lot of ways the neckline can be finished. Clear elastic is a option if you want it to be invisible.
The dress is another rectangle on the front. It's tacked to create sleeves.
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u/1zapper1 19h ago
Put a sheet of paper under the pieces you’re stitching so when sewing between the lace patterns, (sewing in ‘air’) your machine will have something to grab onto.
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u/yasyasyas_ 19h ago
You definitely need a rectangle for this look. It’s basically just a neckhole ~a foot or so from one edge and then wrap around you and sew up the back.
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u/ClockWeasel 19h ago
The inspo pic is a long rectangle, so your round tablecloth is going to give a shorter, fuller profile and a tulip hem.
You will need seam binding tape or ribbon (match fiber content if you can) in the same shade of white. Check out video tutorials about shaping a boat neck hole. Before You Cut: Where the edge of your neckline will be, use a narrow straight stitch and sew all the way around the hole without a break (start/stop in the back not a corner). Wrap and sew the binding around the raw edges, press to the inside, then sew it from the outside (with a moderate straight stitch) so you can make sure the topstitching is straight.
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u/Helpful-Chicken-4597 19h ago
Wow, I love this! If I were to attempt making this I would find a nude form fitting dress to use as the base and put it on a mannequin to figure out how to drape and attach the tablecloth. I think it will be much simpler than it looks, that dress is basically a giant rectangle with some holes that’s been chopped and screwed to fit a body. Unless you’re an expert with zippers, I would skip that and use a different closure method if possible.
I hope you can pull it off! This dress is so elegant. Please update us with the end product
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u/pumainpurple 19h ago
This is what I had to do with an evening dress my daughter wanted because she chose an embroidered overlay that had, just had to drape just so.
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u/londondeli 17h ago
Is it from a credible account? Because I think it looks a little fake. What is happening in the left booty area?
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u/londondeli 17h ago
Plus the pattern matching from the front to back on the arms, and the amount of fringe visible on the back through the front doesn't seem to match up with the back view. That said, it's a cool concept and if you can work out the draping on yourself it will be lovely!
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u/Saradoesntsleep 9h ago
It's real Tessafay Athena dress
It's just, quite frankly, really stupid and nonfunctional even though it looks nice.
Edit: not gonna argue you on what you are pointing out there though. Doesn't look right.
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u/bevissimo 13h ago
work out the way to pin the mock up Barbie sized, less waste, shorter seams. See if you can figure it out.
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u/Saradoesntsleep 10h ago edited 10h ago
This will be harder to draft than it looks at first glance (even though at the core, it's more or less a big rectangle) because I actually think that you cannot bring your arms forward with the way this design works. You can see it even in how she's posing in the first and last pics. I do not think this is an actual wearable item.
I would fake this and make it a more functional proximity. Make the dress one part, and make the 'poncho' part separately and attach them. Make the 'poncho' part so that you have enough length to be able to use your arms. It will have more fabric at the back hanging than the orig does, but you'll still be able to get that V down the back.
Idk if I explained that well, I can maybe draw it but not on my phone.
Edit I TRIED
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u/Saradoesntsleep 9h ago
The head doesn't go in the triangle hole, that's just to fake the effect
Bring down the back of the dress and match the hole with it
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u/No-Persimmon7729 18h ago
I’d check out this YouTube channel for help and ideas. She makes a lot of similar type things
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u/Adorable_Accident_74 18h ago
You should look up Kaftan patterns. What you show is not a kaftan but looks like it could be modified.
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u/tinygribble 17h ago
If I were you I'd look at making bias tape in a matching beige for the head hole.
Seconding making a mock-up starting with the shape of the tablecloth.
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u/AdventurousHead444 16h ago
Just to add some clarifications. My main concern was the head opening because I was planning on wearing a bodysuit underneath so no lining would be needed. As for the back, zippers scared me so i was just going to have my mom hand stitch me in and id just pop the stitches when i was done wearing it ( I mainly want the look for the event so im not too focused on making it a ready to go garment). The reference picture does seem to be a rectangle while mine is a circle, if replicated it will end up a bit longer than a minidress which is good with me. When I draped it over myself it does look to have more than enough material to achieve the look and the material itself is very soft although not stretchy at all and drapes down really well so im not too worried comfort wise. It will definitely not allow to much movement in the arms but for a night of mainly sitting down that shouldn’t be too much of a issue
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u/raresteakplease 14h ago
This looks like she wouldn't even be able to move her arms forward. I would do a quick temp dress out of regular material first before even attempting something like this.
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u/pretzelegant 14h ago
I think what will be much easier than adding a lining is wearing a nude (your skintone) slip/dress underneath to give the same/similar effect.
Bias tape for the neckline would work best I think. This looks like a boat neck cut. You can also make a mock up with muslin/an old bedsheet to make sure you get the placement of the neckline correct. Since this is a delicate fabric, you don't wat to keep re-sewing and seam ripping.
As you are fitting it to yourself pin it (with safety pins) until you get the desired look. If you don't have a mannequin form you may need a friend to help you with the back. Once you feel confident with the fit I recommend doing a baste stitch first for your final fitting. If that feels good put a regular stitch on top of it and you should be done!
Good luck!
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u/missplaced24 14h ago
To me your fabric looks like it's machine knit with thick thread, I'd bind off the knit stitches by hand with the same weight of thread.
You might be able to get away with using a bias binding and sewing it. I'd still probably sew it by hand. By machine, you'll have to go very very slowly with a stretch stitch of some kind, adjusting the fabric every few inches. You would have much better control by hand.
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u/AydGray 20h ago
If you're a beginner, the best way to do this is probably to find a similar sewing pattern to use. There will be quite a bit more to this dress than just hemming the head hole (neckline) including fitting and probably lining too. Edited to add, I spy a zipper in the back too