Christian Dior Silk Dress Recreate

 

**Still in DRAFT form**

Front bodice draping tape.

Back bodice draping tape.  This is where the portrait collar will be sewn.

Pleated skirt muslin.  Knife pleats and box pleats combined.

Draping the bodice front, with waist dart and double pleats above the bust.

Draping the bodice back, with neckline dart and waist dart.

Front bodice draping, with the shoulder piece.

Finished bodice back draping and trueing the seams.  There was a neck dart in the original Dior dress.

Adding the skirt to the bodice to check the look and the fit.

Draping the portrait collar.  It has been cut on the bias grain for a pleasing drape.

Draping the portrait collar.  It has been cut on the bias grain for a pleasing drape.

The original dress had an attached bodice shell under the outside bodice.  Here is the finished drape for the bodice front shell.

The original dress had an attached bodice shell under the outside bodice.  Here is the finished drape for the bodice front shell.

Cutting out the pieces in a light blue silk shantung fabric.

The bodice has also been cut out of muslin for the underlining.  Bias strip boning casings have been added.

Cutting the proper length of boning pieces for the boning channels.

Pinning the side seams to check the fit on the dress form.  When working with many layers, seam allowances need to be adjusted to accommodate the many layers.

Checking the fit of the bodice shell.

Checking the fit of the outside bodice with the underlining, boning, and the shell.  Seam allowances will be adjusted for a good fit.

After sewing the shoulder pieces to the bodice front and back.

Adding the muslin portrait collar to check the size.  

I have cut two layers of stiff netting and am basting it to the wrong side of the silk skirt at the waist.

I have cut two layers of stiff netting and am basting it to the wrong side of the silk skirt at the waist.

Checking the basted skirt with the bodice.

Checking the basted skirt with the bodice.

Draping the silk portrait collar to the bodice neckline to determine the length of the collar.

Collar is sewn but not pressed on the fold to leave a soft appearance.

Pinning the collar to the bodice neckline.

Sewing the collar to the bodice neckline.

Pinning the bodice lining to the neckline.  The collar is sandwiched in the middle.

Sewing the neckline so that the collar is enclosed between the outside bodice and the bodice lining.

Understitching the bodice fronts and the neckline.

This is probably not the construction sequence of the Dior dress, but I chose to sew the armholes next so that I could then turn the bodice right side out.  I have pinned the outside bodice armhole to the bodice lining armhole.

This is probably not the construction of the original Dior dress, but I chose to sew the armholes next so that I could then turn the bodice right side out.  I have pinned the outside bodice armhole to the bodice lining armhole.

Clipping the curves of the armholes to release tension.  Then pull the front bodice through the shoulder opening to turn bodice to right side out.

Clipping the curves of the armholes to release tension.  Then pull the front bodice through the shoulder opening to turn bodice to right side out.

Sewing the bodice side seams.  The outside bodice will have a smaller seam allowance for the “turn of cloth.”

Press side seams open and press armholes.

Pin the pleated skirt to the bodice.  This will be very bulky because of all the layers.

Sew the bodice to the pleated skirt.  This was a little tricky because of the surplice bodice.  Stop stitching when arriving at the surplice seam and break stitches.  Then continue stitching on the other side of the surplice seam.  All the waist seam allowances will be enclosed inside the bodice lining.

The zipper in the Dior dress was very interesting.  There was a crease at the center back opening, but no topstitching or hand stitching.  The zipper was sewn on the dress’ wrong side, with stitching the zipper tape to the seam allowance.

Stitching the zipper to the CB seam allowances.

Finishing off the bodice shell with bias tape.  Added fabric strips to CB for the hook & eye closure.

Because I wanted the waist seam allowances to be enclosed, I added the wrong side of the bodice shell to the wrong side of the waist seam allowance.

Sewing the bodice shell to the waist seam allowance, tracing over the previous stitching.

To finish off the raw edges on the inside of the bodice, the bodice lining has been turned under at the waist seam allowance and slipstitched closed.  The CB lining was also slipstitched to the wrong side of the zipper tape.

Adding straps to the bodice shell.