Felix Sew-Along: Neckband & Bodice Assembly

Okay, are you all ready to finally start sewing? Today we'll be assembling the neckband of the dress as well as the self and lining bodices. Let's dive in!

Begin by aligning the neckband pieces as shown above. Place the longer right neckbands down face up, then the shorter left neckbands on top of them face down, aligning the center back seam. Stitch across the center back seam line.

Press the center back seam allowances open. Lay your neckband pieces out as shown above. The neckband in the top of this photo will become the inside neckband and the lower will become the outer neckband. Grade the seam allowance of the inside neckband in half.

Align the inner edge of the two neckbands. Match the end of the left side, the center back seam lines, and the notch at the right side. Stitch from the left side, up through the center back, and over to the notch at the right side, ending here with a backtack.

The edge of the right side will look like this.

Clip into the seam allowance at the notch to, but not through, the stitching line. Trim the entire seam allowance down to 1/4", then trim the top layer (inside neckband) down to 1/8".

Here you can see a better view of the clip to the seam allowance at the notch.

Open the neckband flat and press the seam allowance towards the inside neckband from the notch/clip all the way over to the end of the left side.

Understitch along the seam line through the inside neckband and both layers of seam allowance. You'll stitch from the left end, up around through the center back, ending a stitch or two before the split at the right end.

Here you can better see the right end of the neckband. You can see how I stopped about a stitch before the notch/clip.

Fold the raw edges of the neckband together so that the right sides are facing out. Pin from the left edge, up through the center back, ending at the shoulder notch on the right side of the neckband.

Anchor the two neckband layers together by stitching within the seam allowance along the pinned edge.

The left end of your neckband will look like this at this step.

Here you can see that we stopped anchoring the two layers together at the shoulder notch on the right side of the neckband. Set neckband aside.

Now take your self front bodice pieces and staystitch along the neckline edge within the seam allowance. We stitched ours here at 1/4".

Align the shoulder seams of the bodice fronts and back with right sides facing. Stitch along the seam allowance.

Press your seam allowances open.

You now have your front bodice ready to attach the neckband.

Now we'll assemble the bodice lining. Most lining fabrics don't have a clear right or wrong side which means it's very very easy to sew your bodice lining together backwards. To prevent this from happening, lay your self bodice out with the right side facing up. Then lay the right front bodice lining on top of the right front side. You'll need the side of the lining that's facing up now to be the right side of your fabric while you're sewing. Mark RS on a piece of painter's or artist's tape and stick that to the right side of the bodice lining.

Repeat this for the left front. It will now be impossible to sew your bodice lining together backwards!

Align the bodice lining fronts and backs at the shoulders with the right sides of the fabric facing each other. You can see the outlines of our tape marks above facing inwards. Stitch across the shoulder seam.

Press the seam allowances open and set aside. That's it for today! Wednesday we'll be back here attaching the neckband so stay tuned for that!