Add a personal touch

My classes will be over soon, so hopefully I can get quite a few more posts in before they start up again at the end of January.
Today we'll be talking about how to add a little personal touch to a pattern. I have a pattern for a dress with just a plain back, and I'll be showing you how to add a keyhole to the top of the back seam. (A keyhole is an oval shaped cut out, usually at the top of the neckline or back of a garment.)

So first, go ahead and put your dress/top together until you get to the back seam. My dress has a lining for the bodice, you can't do this if you don't have that option.

 With a piece of chalk or wax, go ahead and mark off where your seam would be on the inside of your fabric. This will help you measure out the exact same amount for each side.Make sure you're measuring for everything. Don't free hand the whole thing or it'll end up uneven. You can even trace something like a piece of paper or edge of a plate to get the shape. Also, make sure you don't start right at the top, so you'll have some space to put your hook and eye. Leave part of your inside seam undone at the waist, that way you can turn the rest of the bodice right-side out when you've sewn it. 

 Now sew right along where you've marked. (Note- you're not sewing the outside fabric together, you're sewing each side to it's lining. Then we'll connect the right and left sides with your zipper and hook and eye.) Do a back-stitch at the end of your design, where your zipper is going to start. As you can see in the picture to the right, I've marked both sides 2 inches from the waist seam, where my zipper will go. That way I know exactly where my two pieces will connect.

Now that you have your seams sewn, go ahead and trim the extra seam allowance and turn it, pressing along the seam. Now you can put the waist seam back together. Add in your zipper, sewing the lining down after you're done. Now all you have to do is put your hook and eye up at the top of the bodice and another one at the top of your zipper, so it doesn't travel down when you sit.

And ta-da, you've just made a fancy new dress! Just in time for the holidays.