Progress~2010 Easter Dress Yoke

It seems nearly impossible to get a nice flat scan of anything dimensional. This yoke not all rippley.

Progress is slow on this dress and I am really getting worried about finishing the grandchildren’s outfits before Easter weekend.  I have made every mistake possible and spent more time picking out stitches than putting them in. 

This ultra sheer batiste absolutely requires stabilizer behind all hemstitching.  And yet if I remember to put the stabilizer in place, I have forgotten to insert the wing or #120 needle.

In my humble opinion, the inclusion of hemstitching wherever possible always elevates the heirloom status of a garment.  On a whim, I decided to use yellow Madeira Cotona for the entredeux at the shoulders and pinstitch on either side of the insertion.    I hope I don’t regret it when the garment is all assembled.  Will it disappear or conflict with the yellow slip? 

This yoke includes one slightly out of the ordinary technique that I like to use.  As per Elizabeth Travis  Johnson’s admonition that the back of a garment deserves some special attention, I like to include some decorative component there.  I’ve always had trouble matching up pintucks or lace insertion at the shoulder seam.  So I’ve taken to sewing the shoulder seam and then inserting the lace or making the tucks or whatever from back to front, right over the shoulder seam.  It requires a little pivoting,  but overall it is much easier for me to do that than to match at the seam line. 

After struggling with the neckline lace attachment at the back opening–trying to line up the holes of the folded over entredeux with the on-top entredeux holes– I finally decided to just whip the lace on by hand.  That was very satisfying and made me regret that I had not joined the fagoted lace to the footing lace in that manner.  It looks heavy to me. 

The butterfly sleeves are cut out of Swiss organdy.  This sheer batiste has no body whatsoever and this style of  sleeve  needs to pouf out.  I’ve been thinking about joining the lace by hand but…….tick-tock-tick-tock. 

 I hope I can  make more significant progress on the dress now that I have the yoke basically constructed.  Tomorrow, as soon as homeschool is over, the sleeves will have all my attention.