New Year's Resolution Party Dress

Congratulations! You made it through another year. Whether it's been 12 months of crazy or quiet, you deserve a little something. Give yourself this gorgeous New Year's Resolution Party Dress as a reward for making it through all the ups and downs that the year has thrown at you. Follow this dress sewing tutorial to make an absolutely stunning outfit to wear to whatever New Year's celebration you're going to. You'll look amazing in the flattering yoke top and comfortable pleated skirt. Go on, girl. It's been a long year. You deserve it.

Materials:

• Yoke Dress pattern by Salme Patterns
• Fabric and notions (according to pattern requirements)
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Pins

Instructions:

1. Cut each pattern piece in the corresponding fabric and clearly label them for future reference. The bodice front and back have darts for shaping. To create neat, smooth darts, run your stitches from the outer seam edge to the center point, but do not finish your stitching by running back and forth with the machine. Instead, remove the bodice from the machine once you have reached the end point, and tie the threads to secure.
   
   
    
2. Following the pattern’s directions, I completed the bodice and yoke by sewing the organza to the wool. Sewing with organza can be tricky and I recommend using a brand new needle in your machine to help avoid snagging and pulled threads.
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4. As recommended in the directions, I used French seams to finish the shoulder seams. This is particularly useful when sewing with a sheer fabric, as all raw edges are hidden from sight.
   
   
    
5. It took a little time to get the positioning of the skirt pleats in the right place, but I was determined to make them as perfectly aligned as possible, so it was worth a bit of extra effort and perseverance. Once the pleats are aligned, you can sew the skirt to the bodice.
   
   
    
6. This dress has an invisible zipper the runs through the skirt and into the bodice.
   
   
    
7. To finish the yoke, bias tape is sewn at the armholes and neckline. I used a store-bought bias tape in a similar color to my organza, though you could make your own.
   
   
    
8. I chose a sweet little metal button for the back of the neck closure.
   
   
    
9. After hemming, my dress was complete! I am delighted with how this dress turned out - I especially love the little details - but it also looks good and it feels great to wear. It’s the perfect dress to wear on New Year’s Eve.