Balloon-Sleeve Midi Dress

 Sewing a Balloon-Sleeve Midi Dress

This guide will walk you through the process of creating a beautiful and stylish balloon-sleeve midi dress from scratch. We will cover recommended materials, essential body measurements, step-by-step instructions for drafting your own pattern, and a detailed assembly method.

Recommended Fabrics

Choosing the right fabric is key to achieving the desired look for a balloon-sleeve dress. The ideal fabric should have enough body to hold the shape of the sleeves, but also a nice drape for the skirt.

• Cotton Poplin: A classic choice. It's crisp and holds the balloon shape well while being easy to sew.
• Linen: Offers a natural, breathable texture. It has a slight stiffness that works for the sleeves and a beautiful drape for the skirt.
• Rayon Challis: A lightweight, fluid fabric that drapes beautifully. It will create a softer, more romantic balloon shape.
• Crepe: Has a lovely texture and drape. It's a bit more challenging to work with due to its slippery nature, but it creates an elegant result.
• Satin: Perfect for a more formal or evening look. Its sheen will highlight the volume of the sleeves.

Body Measurements

Before you begin drafting, you will need to take the following body measurements. It's best to have a friend help for accuracy.

• Bust: Measure around the fullest part of your bust, keeping the tape horizontal.
• Waist: Measure around the narrowest part of your torso.
• Hip: Measure around the fullest part of your hips.
• Bodice Length: Measure from the base of your neck (at the shoulder seam) down to your natural waist.
• Skirt Length: Measure from your natural waist down to where you want the hem of the dress to fall (mid-calf is common for a midi).
• Arm Length: Measure from the top of your shoulder down to your wrist.
• Arm Circumference: Measure the circumference of your upper arm.
• Wrist Circumference: Measure the circumference of your wrist.

Pattern Drafting: Step-by-Step

Front Bodice

1. Base Block: Start with a simple bodice block pattern that fits your bust, waist, and bodice length measurements. You can find many free tutorials online for creating a basic block.
2. Neckline: Draw your desired neckline shape. A round or boat neck is a good, classic choice.
3. Waist Dart: Mark a waist dart on the front bodice pattern to add shaping. This dart will start below the bust and end at the waistline.
4. Armhole: Make sure the armhole is the correct size for your measurements. You'll be attaching the balloon sleeve here, so a comfortable fit is essential.

Back Bodice

1. Base Block: Use the same bodice block principles for the back piece.
2. Waist Dart: Add a waist dart to the back piece for shaping.
3. Center Back Seam: Draw a straight line down the centre of the back piece. This will be the seam where you insert the zipper.
4. Neckline & Armhole: Match the neckline and armhole to the front bodice piece.

Front and Back Skirt

1. Base Block: Draw a rectangle that is half of your waist measurement for the top width and half of your hip measurement for the bottom width. The length will be your desired skirt length.
2. A-Line Shape: To create a gentle A-line, extend the bottom hemline out from the hip line by a few inches on both sides. Connect the new hem points to the hip line.
3. Waist Dart: Add a dart at the top of both the front and back skirt pieces to match the bodice darts and create a smooth transition at the waist.
4. Back Skirt: For the back skirt, split the pattern piece in half down the centre to create a centre-back seam for the zipper.

Balloon Sleeve

1. Base Sleeve Block: Start with a basic sleeve pattern that fits your armhole and arm length.
2. Cut and Spread: Draw vertical lines from the shoulder of the sleeve to the cuff, spaced about 2 inches apart.
3. Slash: Cut along each of these vertical lines from the cuff almost to the shoulder, leaving a small hinge of paper at the top.
4. Spread: Place the cut pattern on a new sheet of paper. Spread the slashed sections apart evenly to create a wider pattern. This added volume is what creates the "balloon" effect. The amount you spread the sections will determine how full the sleeve is.
5. New Outline: Draw a smooth, curved line to connect the tops of the spread sections and a new line for the cuff.
6. Cuff Piece: Draft a rectangle for the cuff, which will be the width of your wrist plus seam allowances and the desired height of the cuff.

Lining

1. The lining pieces for the bodice will be drafted exactly the same as the main bodice pieces.
2. You can choose to omit the darts on the lining or make them smaller, as the lining is mainly for a clean finish and comfort.

Seam Allowances

Before cutting your fabric, you must add seam allowances to all of your pattern pieces.

• Standard Seams (Bodice sides, skirt sides, sleeve seams, etc.): Add a 1.5 cm (1/2 inch) seam allowance.
• Hems (Skirt hem, sleeve cuffs): Add a 3-4 cm (1.25-1.5 inch) allowance to allow for a clean double-fold hem.
• Zipper Seam (Center back): Add a 2 cm (3/4 inch) seam allowance to give you enough room to work with the zipper.

Construction Method

1. Prepare Fabric: Pre-wash and press your fabric before cutting to prevent shrinkage after the garment is made.
2. Cut Pieces: Place your pattern pieces on the fabric and cut them out, being careful to use the correct grainline and transfer all markings (darts, notches).
3. Sew Darts: Pin and sew all the darts on the front and back bodice and skirt pieces. Press them flat.
4. Join Bodice and Skirt: With right sides together, pin the bodice waistline to the skirt waistline. Sew the seam and press it open.
5. Sleeves: Sew the seam on each balloon sleeve to form a tube. Gather the top of the sleeve head to fit the bodice armhole and gather the cuff edge to fit the cuff piece. Attach the cuffs and the sleeves to the bodice.
6. Side Seams: With right sides together, sew the side seams of the dress from the sleeve cuff all the way down to the skirt hem. Leave the centre-back seam open for the zipper.
7. Lining: Sew the lining pieces together in the same way you did the main dress.
8. Insert Zipper: Place the invisible zipper into the centre-back seam.
9. Attach Lining: Attach the lining to the dress, typically by sewing it to the neckline and armholes.
10. Hems: Finish the hem of the skirt and the sleeve cuffs. You can use a double-fold hem or a blind hem stitch for a professional finish.
11. Final Pressing: Give your finished dress a final press to set all the seams.

General Sewing Tips

• Always use a new, sharp needle that is appropriate for your fabric type.
• Test your stitches on a scrap of fabric before you begin sewing.
• Press as you go. This is one of the most important steps to a professional-looking garment. Pressing seams open and flat will make a huge difference.
• Use plenty of pins or clips. This will ensure your fabric layers don't shift while you are sewing.
• Stay-stitch curved seams, like the neckline and armholes, to prevent them from stretching out of shape.