The Construction of the Gown

After I completed the smocking of my gown, I actually had to sew it together. I sewed French seams on the back and on the two sides. There was a lot more preparation involved than actual sewing. To make a French seam, I first had to pin and iron the batiste. Then I sewed down the batiste in a straight line. As I was sewing, I removed the pins. Once the first seam was sewed into the fabric, I had to turn the dress inside out and iron the fabric flat. I had to trim the excess raw edges from the batiste so the edges were even. I then sewed along the inside of the gown so there were no raw edges showing. After the seams on the back and sides were completed, my mentor showed me how to hem the sleeves. Then, my mentor demonstrated how to sew the elastic into the sleeves. Once the sleeves were completed, my mentor displayed how to properly attach the collar and the small back piece of the gown where the snaps were to be placed.