Very gratifying to see the responses to last week’s puzzler, a continuation of a series I’d started six years ago. The challenge in question was how to design the facing for a clean finish.

AnaJan was first with a response that was aligned to my thinking, namely that a three piece front facing was needed. Victoria was next with the same idea. She also asked if extending the facing into the armhole would restrict movement. I don’t know if it would but I suspect not. I think the better alternative would be to use a separate lining that would join to the facing, to finish off the armholes.

Since I’m lousy at drawing and this pattern is tricky, I digitized it. Below is the pattern:

Amrita asked how this would be sewn to which I’d say “carefully”. Below are some suggestions.

First you need to gather the two sides to the flange. As per the illustration at right, gather bodice purple line to match purple flange line and join. Be careful to stop stitching at the notch which would (should) leave 1/4″ of the bodice side seam undone at the top. Repeat for the right side (green line).

Given that my sketching ability is very limited, you’ll have to pretend those flange to bodice seams are sewn. Or not; you can do as shown at right first and then join the bodice to flange seams.

Join the facings to the flange (as illustrated at right). Care must be taken to stop sewing right at the notch on the flange (the notches indicate the fold line). This would leave 1/4″ undone.

Once those listed seams above are taken, you have to flip, twist or contort the neckline seams of facing and bodice to match to join them. At which point it would become clear why you needed to leave the 1/4″ undone. Now I’ll bet that is as clear as mud but hopefully you can follow that.

Related entries:
Vintage pattern design contest
Vintage pattern design update
Re-inventing Vionnet & 24001 draft
Vintage pattern post #4
Vintage pattern post #5
Pattern Puzzle: Vintage pattern post #6