The Joy Dress | attaching the straps and facing

Are you ready for some sewing Joy?! The Joy Dress, our latest pattern, will be live at 6pm tonight!

The one place that needs a little attention when making the Joy Dress is the front straps – a little attention to detail here can help to make your garment look really professional and avoid a lumpy step either side of that strap.

It’s the same method used for our Simone Set Camisole but who doesn’t love an extra photo tutorial?

Ready for some lovely straps? Jolly good! Read on…

So at this point in the construction process you will have followed the instructions in your Maker Instruction booklet and your dress body and facing will be made up but still separate.
You will have made and turned through your straps.
Do make sure you give everything a gentle press before continuing!

ATTACH THE FRONT STRAPS

The dress has a 1cm SA on the neckline and armhole and back edge and 1cm SA on the camisole ‘peak’ to attach the front strap. I’ve drawn in the SA stitchlines with black pen for illustrative purposes. (I’m recycling photos for this tutorial from the Simone Set tutorial so if the seam allowance looks slightly smaller than I’m stating, it’s because in these photos they are 😉 but don’t worry because the construction is exactly the same.)

STRAPS – attach at front |

Place the strap to front camisole with RST (right sides together).
Align the top of the strap with the top edge of the camisole.
Staystitch in SA to hold strap in place.
Repeat for the other front strap.
Attach the back straps following the in the instruction booklet.

ATTACH THE FACING

Turn body so RIGHT SIDE is facing out and turn the facing so WRONG SIDE is facing out.
With RST slide the camisole inside the facing.

Align the neckline, armhole and back edges, matching notches and side seams and pin.
Make sure that straps are hanging straight down and not caught in the facing edge. The straps will be sitting between the body and the facing.
Anchor straps firmly in place by stitching straight across at the ‘peak’ at the notches and through all layers.

On this stitchline, mark the outside edges of the straps with chalk or fabric marker pen, it should be something that won’t leave a permanent mark.

Attach the facing to the body at the neckline, armhole and back with a 1cm SA. It’s important that you stitch through the intersect point you marked earlier (at the edge of the strap) to avoid a step on your finished camisole.
If necessary, adjust your line of stitching by taking more or less SA. I’ve drawn the original SA in black pen but I’ve adjusted my stitchline to make sure I stitch through the intersect point.
Press the stitchline to set the stitches and trim SA at the strap to reduce bulk. Trim the SA at neckline and armhole down to 6mm SA on the curved edges. I prefer to the trim SA, rather than clipping or notching, as it gives a smoother curve. (Also, I rarely grade a SA and only ever bother if it is necessary to reduce bulk for a thicker fabric.)
Turn through to RS and check you are happy with the straps!

So why am I being so pedantic about stitching to those intersect points?

Because I want to show you how to make a garment that you can wear and be proud of. The straps are one area where a little bit of knowledge and extra care will make all the difference to the finished result. Does this mean that it has to be perfect. No. This isn’t couture. The aim is just for you to be happy with it. So let me show you what we are trying to avoid…

Stitching too wide and missing the intersect point = “steps” either side of the strap

Stitching to the inside of the intersect points = the strap doesn’t turn through to the right side properly and will reduce in the length slightly because it’s caught at the point where you have stitched over it.

| UNDERSTITCH |

To make the facing seam roll to the inside of the camisole the next step is to understitch.

Turn camisole to RS and pull the facing out so it is extended away from body.
RSU understitch through the facing and SA layers. (You may find it easier to press the SA towards the facing before understitching, but it can be done without).
Stitch as far as you can up to the front strap peak area, you will only be able to go so far because of your sewing machine foot.
Turn facing to the inside of the camisole.
Carefully press along the edge with the seam rolled very slightly to the inside of the camisole so it is not visible on the RS .
You can find our UNDERSTITCHING TUTORIAL HERE
And finally STITCH IN THE DITCH of the side seam to attach the facing and body together.