Hello, my dears
Today I would like to sew the dress “Julia” with you. A pretty summer dress with a button placket and tie strap. So if you’re still looking for a feminine dress for the summer, you’ve come to the right place.
Since the dress is easy to sew and wonderfully comfortable to wear, especially on warm days, I would like to sew the dress together with you.
I sewed the dress mainly with the BERNINA 475 QE Kaffe Edition. The machine offers you all the necessary functions, such as the automatic buttonhole.
I trimmed the seams on the inside with the BERNINA L 860.
Sew the “Julia” dress — let’s get started
The pattern
As with most sewing projects, the first thing you need is the pattern. The dress “Julia” is a pattern by the German shop Bara Studio, which you can find here: Dress “Julia”
You can then print the pattern yourself at home, or you can have it printed on A0 in the copy shop.
The material
Now you can start choosing the fabric. It is particularly suitable for light, airy woven fabrics with a beautiful drape. I chose a viscose fabric with a floral print.
Tip: It is best to take your printed pattern that you have cut out to the right size with you when you buy fabric, because depending on the pattern, you may need more or less fabric than indicated on the pattern. Due to my size and the unidirectional pattern, I needed a little less fabric than stated.
This is a good way to make buying fabric easier, especially for patterns that require a lot of fabric.
In addition to the fabric, you will also need:
- 8-11 buttons (depending on length and button size)
- matching sewing thread
- Fleece line for the receipts, eg G710
Step 1: Cut and Prepare
Decide on one of the variants – I chose the midi length for the “Julia” dress. Cut out all parts of the Julia dress as described in the instructions. On average, the seam allowance of 1 cm (unless otherwise stated) is already included. Also transfer the markings from the pattern.
Then iron the receipts with fleece line.
Step 2: Sew on the side parts
In this step, the side panels are sewn to the front and back panels. Place the front side pieces right sides together on the front pieces and the back side pieces right sides together on the back piece. Sew everything with a straight stitch and then neaten it with the overlocker.
Step 3: Close shoulder seams
Then you can close the shoulder seams of the dress. Overlock the shoulder seams before sewing with the serger. Then put the front and back pieces together right sides together and sew the two shoulder seams with a straight stitch.
Step 4: Sew the sleeves of the “Julia” dress
Now the sleeves are prepared and sewn on. The sleeves are gathered in the marked area. To do this, first sew two seams in the marked area with the longest stitch length, a slightly reduced thread tension and without back-tacking. The two seams should be within the seam allowance.
Now you can pull the lower threads and gather the fabric with them.
Then pin the sleeves right sides together using the notches/markings and adjust the gathering again if necessary so that all the notches meet properly before sewing.
Now the sleeves can be sewn on. Afterwards, these edges are trimmed again with the overlocker.
Step 5: Close side seams
After the sleeves are sewn on, the side seams can now be closed.
To do this, place the front and back pieces right sides together and sew the side seams and the bottom seam of the sleeves together in one go.
Step 6: Sew on the facings
First sew the prepared slips together right sides together and neaten the outer edge with the overlocker.
Then, right sides together, pin the slip all the way around the front edge, over the back neckline and the front neckline. Then sew along the pinned edge with a 1 cm seam allowance. But first start parallel to the hem of the dress on the slip, but here with a 1.5 cm seam allowance. Leave the needle in the fabric, turn the dress and then sew 1 cm of the facing to the other side. Here you end again with 1.5 cm parallel to the hem.
Then turn the facing and iron the seam allowance into the facing. Then sew the seam allowance on the slip with 2-3mm seam allowance. I like to use patchwork foot #37 for this.
Step 7: Sew the hem of the “Julia” dress
Using a pointed object, shape the bottom edges at the front of the robe, then fold the entire hem twice 1/4 inch. So that everything is even later, I like to first iron the entire hem by 1.5 cm and then fold it in half in half. But you can also first fold in 0.75 cm and then in the second step fold in the folded edge again by another 0.75 cm.
Pin everything in place and then sew the hem along the bottom edge with 0.5cm. Alternatively, like me in this example, you can sew the hem on from the left just below the turned-in edge.
Sew the sleeve hem in the same way.
Step 8: Sew the binding tape
Now sew the tie for the Julia dress. To do this, fold the long ribbon right sides together along the long edge and start at one of the short edges. Sew them together with a 1m seam allowance, leave the needle in the fabric and turn the ribbon so that you sew along the long edge with a 1cm seam allowance. Then stop just before the middle and bar tack the seam there. Leave a few inches of space before you pick up the seam again. Now continue sewing with a 1 cm seam allowance and finish again with the short edge.
Now turn the binding tape so that the right sides are on the outside and iron it. Close the turning opening by hand with a mattress stitch or sew a short seam close to the edge. That’s how I did it, because it’s hardly noticeable with the heavily patterned fabric.
Step 9: Sew belt loops
For the belt loops, the corresponding pattern piece is folded right sides together along the long edge and sewn with a 1 cm seam allowance, but the short edges remain open here.
Then turn the ribbon and divide it in the middle into two equal parts.
Fold the ends over 1 cm each and place the loops on the marked spot on the dress.
Sew the loops there.
Step 10: Sew buttonholes
You’re almost there. Only the buttonholes and buttons are missing.
Using the template, transfer the position of the buttonholes from the pattern to the front edge of the dress.
If necessary, try a fitting to check whether you like the division and whether it fits your button size.
Then attach the buttonhole foot with slide #3A to your machine and set the automatic buttonhole to the size of the button. To do this, you simply hold the button against the screen and rotate the size of the yellow circle to the size of your button.
First sew a test buttonhole on a leftover piece and check your settings. If you are satisfied, you can start with the buttonholes on the dress.
Then carefully cut open the buttonholes with the seam ripper.
Step 11: Sew the buttons onto the “Julia” dress
In the last step, the buttons are sewn onto the dress. To do this, lay both front edges on top of each other and mark the position of the buttons through the finished buttonholes on the front edge below.
Then use button sewing foot #18 and the appropriate stitch to sew the buttons in the appropriate positions.
Now your Julia dress is finished and ready to wear.
I wish you a lot of fun sewing.
