Advanced Beginner Dressmaking - Clara Dress

The holidays are just around the corner! Why not make your own dress for the festivities. In this advanced beginner class, you'll be making the beautiful Clara Dress by Silversaga Patterns. It's a romantic, vintage-inspired dress with dramatic puff sleeves, a gathered waist, and a flowy A-line skirt. Dress it up with a festive fabric or keep it simple for a beautiful everyday dress you'll want to wear year-round. The Clara Dress features 3/4-length puff sleeves with elastic cuffs, two rows of elastic at the waist and underbust, and optional side seam pockets. It even has two neckline options in one — the dress is reversible, so you can wear the higher or lower neckline in front. Best of all, there's no zipper! It's a pull-on style that's comfortable and fun to sew. Skills You'll Learn How to sew puff sleeves with elastic cuffs How to create elastic casings at the waist and underbust How to finish a neckline with bias binding How to sew optional side seam pockets How to hem and finish a dress Who It’s For Advanced beginner sewists who already know how to use a sewing machine, have made a few simple garments and are ready to make a dress. You should feel comfortable threading and using a sewing machine independently, sewing basic seams, following pattern instructions, and pressing as you sew. You will not be taught how to sew from scratch in this class, so please be sure you have basic sewing experience and have sewn a few simple projects before this class. Materials Provided: Sewing pattern, sewing machines, sergers, coordinating thread, fabric shears, pins/clips, marking tools, measuring tape, irons, and instructor guidance throughout the series. Needed: Your own fabric, 1/4" wide firm elastic, and 3/8" single-fold bias tape (or fabric to make your own). Please refer to the fabric yardage chart included in this listing to determine how much fabric you'll need for your size. Be sure to check the fabric width when calculating yardage. Bring your fabric pre-washed to the first class. Suggested fabrics: Cotton, linen, cotton/linen blends, cotton/viscose blends, or other medium-weight woven fabrics with some structure. For a more flowing dress, choose a softer fabric with drape. Class Details Level: Advanced Beginner Max Class Size: 6 Duration: 3 sessions, 3 hours each Class Breakdown Week 1: Measurements + Pattern Prep Students will receive the Clara Dress pattern, take measurements, choose a size, review the pattern and you'll begin cutting and preparing pattern pieces and fabric. Week 2: Dress Construction + Sleeves We'll begin assembling the dress, including the bodice, skirt, side seams, and optional pockets. We'll also work on constructing the puff sleeves and elastic cuffs. Week 3: Elastic Casings + Finishing We'll work on the elastic casings at the waist and underbust, finish the neckline with bias binding, hem the dress, and complete the final details. By the end of the three-part series, you'll have a beautiful handmade dress ready for holiday celebrations, festive dinners, or wherever the season takes you plus more confidence sewing garments from a pattern. Images via Silversaga Patterns image gallery Have questions about your class? Click below for details.