Making a dress from scratch

So after playing around with a variety of increasing better quality sewing machines (started with the Sewing Genie, worked up to a $99 Walmart Omega, to my awesome Singer) and just randomly sewing stuff without any pattern, i decided it was time to actually learn to sew using a pattern.

I am not a newbie to sewing. i've done pillows, cosplay costumes, slip covers, repairs and other odds and ends. But i've never used a pattern.

So with an accommodating hubbie in tow we head off to Fabricland to get material and a pattern (and some advice).

i ended up with a New Look pattern by Simplicity 6557, hey it was marked easy.


the plan was to make two dresses, the red and white one the model is wearing and another one, the blue one in the middle. the manager was quite nice and walked me through the whole thing; i had brought my own tape measure but after reading the back of the pattern i needed help. so after working out sizing, how much material i would need, and finding out that what and how to use interfacing (interfacing is an ironed-on semi-sheer material used to stiffen up the material your dress is made of), getting zippers and thread i headed home.