How to Make a Prom Dress
Purchase or make a pattern in your height and size., Purchase material for your dress., Purchase all necessary notions such as hooks, eyes, zippers, buttons, lace, hemming lace, Interfacing, etc., Launder your materials according to their care...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Purchase or make a pattern in your height and size.
These can be bought at fabric stores.
Every Butterick, Kwik Sew, McCall's, Simplicity and Vogue pattern comes with sewing instructions that most seamstresses can follow.
Not all patterns or sewing instructions are created equal.
Butterick, Kwik Sew, McCall's and Simplicity tend to have the best step-by step instructions in their packages, while Vogue instructions tend to be geared for the experienced seamstress/tailor. -
Step 2: Purchase material for your dress.
Generally, the sewing itself is not the difficult part of doing a prom dress.
The hard part is dealing with the unique characteristics of the special fabrics you are using..
Pay close attention to the fabric recommendations on the pattern envelope.
Some fabrics will work much better than others for a particular project and the pattern envelope will state this for you.
Take care with your material.
Most prom dress materials (satin, lace, silk, velvet) are dry-clean only and have other special care instructions (cool iron only, etc).
Some also have the annoying characteristic of being slippery to handle (need a lot of pins), fibers "catch" and pull when sewing (your machine may need a new, sharp, needle), or they fray easily (tape or iron interfacing along all raw edges before assembling the garment).
These difficult to manage characteristics are why we like the look and feel of the material, as well as why dresses made from these materials are so expensive and difficult to make! Purchase the recommended yardage plus half a yard.
Patterns usually allow plenty of yardage, but it's always nice to have a little extra "just in case" you cut a piece wrong the first time.
If you do everything correctly, you can always use the extra fabric to make a matching purse, scarf, or similar item. , in advance.
Check the pattern for a list of needed items.
The last thing you need in the middle of a major project is yet another trip to the store. , If using a dry-clean only fabric, you may omit this step (unless it smells odd, in which case, take it to the dry cleaners before you start to cut it). ,, These come in large sheets of tan tissue, with several pieces printed per sheet.
You will need to cut out the ones you will use and put the others away. , Pay close attention to the cutting recommendations given in the pattern.
Some recommended layouts will specify that the material is to be folded in half lengthwise or perhaps laid out in a single layer.
Pay attention or you could end up with less of a dress than you expected! If you do not have a large table, you can also use your floor (cleaned first!) or a cutting board.
Folded cardboard sheet with inch markings on it are available at most sewing centers for around $10-$15 USD. ,,,,, The pattern companies generally have excellent sewing instructions with illustrations for that specific pattern in the envelope and all you need to do is follow the instructions carefully and to the letter to get a decent result. , These things will probably need to be hand sewn on using thread that is the same color as the dress. -
Step 3: Purchase all necessary notions such as hooks
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Step 4: zippers
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Step 5: buttons
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Step 6: hemming lace
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Step 7: Interfacing
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Step 8: Launder your materials according to their care instructions.
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Step 9: Read through your instructions.
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Step 10: Cut out the pattern pieces that you will need.
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Step 11: Lay out your cloth on a smooth clean surface.
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Step 12: Lay out your fabric according to the pattern recommendation.
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Step 13: Pin your pattern piece(s) carefully in place.
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Step 14: Double check your pattern positioning
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Step 15: the number of cloth layers
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Step 16: the number of pattern pieces you are cutting
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Step 17: Carefully cut out the pieces
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Step 18: following all pattern marks
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Step 19: such as darts
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Step 20: Sew according to instructions given in the pattern.
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Step 21: An optional step is to add your own design with beads
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Step 22: feathers and other fun extras.
Detailed Guide
These can be bought at fabric stores.
Every Butterick, Kwik Sew, McCall's, Simplicity and Vogue pattern comes with sewing instructions that most seamstresses can follow.
Not all patterns or sewing instructions are created equal.
Butterick, Kwik Sew, McCall's and Simplicity tend to have the best step-by step instructions in their packages, while Vogue instructions tend to be geared for the experienced seamstress/tailor.
Generally, the sewing itself is not the difficult part of doing a prom dress.
The hard part is dealing with the unique characteristics of the special fabrics you are using..
Pay close attention to the fabric recommendations on the pattern envelope.
Some fabrics will work much better than others for a particular project and the pattern envelope will state this for you.
Take care with your material.
Most prom dress materials (satin, lace, silk, velvet) are dry-clean only and have other special care instructions (cool iron only, etc).
Some also have the annoying characteristic of being slippery to handle (need a lot of pins), fibers "catch" and pull when sewing (your machine may need a new, sharp, needle), or they fray easily (tape or iron interfacing along all raw edges before assembling the garment).
These difficult to manage characteristics are why we like the look and feel of the material, as well as why dresses made from these materials are so expensive and difficult to make! Purchase the recommended yardage plus half a yard.
Patterns usually allow plenty of yardage, but it's always nice to have a little extra "just in case" you cut a piece wrong the first time.
If you do everything correctly, you can always use the extra fabric to make a matching purse, scarf, or similar item. , in advance.
Check the pattern for a list of needed items.
The last thing you need in the middle of a major project is yet another trip to the store. , If using a dry-clean only fabric, you may omit this step (unless it smells odd, in which case, take it to the dry cleaners before you start to cut it). ,, These come in large sheets of tan tissue, with several pieces printed per sheet.
You will need to cut out the ones you will use and put the others away. , Pay close attention to the cutting recommendations given in the pattern.
Some recommended layouts will specify that the material is to be folded in half lengthwise or perhaps laid out in a single layer.
Pay attention or you could end up with less of a dress than you expected! If you do not have a large table, you can also use your floor (cleaned first!) or a cutting board.
Folded cardboard sheet with inch markings on it are available at most sewing centers for around $10-$15 USD. ,,,,, The pattern companies generally have excellent sewing instructions with illustrations for that specific pattern in the envelope and all you need to do is follow the instructions carefully and to the letter to get a decent result. , These things will probably need to be hand sewn on using thread that is the same color as the dress.
About the Author
Sophia Ruiz
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow cooking tutorials.
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