How To Draft An All In One Facing

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  Step 1

  I used a princess seam bodice (the pattern is Simplicity 1610), but it's exactly the same for a darted bodice. I'm just showing the bodice front in these photos, but it's the same process for the bodice back. If your bodice has back neck darts or neckline pleats etc, tape or pin them closed before you start. If you're using a princess seam bodice, pin/stick the two bodice pieces together at the stitching line as in the photo.

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  Step 2

  Trace the armhole, shoulder and neck edges, then rule about 7cm down the side seam edge, and the centre front/back edge. I'm saying about 7cm, because you can suit yourself here. The top 1.5cm will be the seam allowance, then the rest will be the facing - include extra if you want to hem the bottom edge.

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  Step 3

  Now to make the bottom edge. Measure 7cm (or whatever length you've used) down from the armhole and neckline. Do this every few cms along, marking the distance with a dot, for about half way along each edge. Join all the dots up with a French Curve (or just free-hand it). When you get to the bit below the shoulder, free-hand a curve. Do the same for the back, and that's your facings. Don't forget to mark in the grainlines.

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  Step 4

  Sew the shoulder seams together on the bodice and also the facings. The facings will look something like this. The front facing is at the bottom, the back facings are at the top.

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  Step 5

  Place the facings onto the bodice, right sides together. Line up the necklines, and armholes. Pin together, and sew around the neckline and armholes along the edges that I have "skillfully" marked in the photo below. Don't sew down the side seams or centre back seams, they will be sewn together later.

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  Step 6

  Grade and clip the seam allowances.

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  Step 7

  Now to pull the back bodice through to the front. This is harder to explain than to do. Stick your hand in under the facing from the bodice front, and grab a bit of the shoulder from the bodice back. Pull this through the shoulder seam to the front. The below photo shows the back shoulder starting to come through.

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  Step 8

  Pull the back right though, and it will look like this:

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  Step 9

  Then do the same to the other side, and give it a good press.

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  Step 10

  It's not possible to understitch the whole way around the facing, but I understitched as far as I could. I have approximately marked my understitching in the photo below.

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  Step 11

  Finally, pin the side seams together, as normal. Also include the edge of the facings as in the photo below. Sew a continuous line from the hem of the facing to the waist, and that's the facing finished!

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