Purple Dancesport Gown: Making the Floats

I wish that I could give exact instructions for making the dress floats, but unfortunately it's really a matter of draping until you get what you like.

For the purple gown, I made matching large float for each shoulder-to-wrist, and then added an extra handkerchief float at each wrist because it hung better that way:



Because I forgot to take pix while I was working on the purple dress flats, I'll show ones for the peach gown instead

1) With the dress on the form, drape and pin the chiffon where you like it

2) Adjust the folds and pins until you like the look

3) Carefully trim the fabric along the lower drape lines and across the bottom where it hangs to the floor.

4) Remove the floats from the dress, and lay out on a large table or the floor. Retrim the edges to make them even. If you have 2 floats, make sure to trim them so they match.

5) For the peach dress, I pleated the folds across the right arm. Once the float was off the dress, I adjusted the pins on the folds to even them up, and them loosely machine stitched along the pleat line. This seam will be tacked to the top of the arm whenn it is finished.

6) I don't have a roller foot for my machine, but I do have a zig-zag foot with a slot in it. 

7) Using clear nylon thread and a narrow zig-zag stitch, I insert the edge of the chiffon into the slot so that the edge stands up a bit, then stitch along the raw edge. By having the edge in the slot, it causes it to be rolled over as you stitch.

8) I then repeat the process a second time (as shown in this picture), which rolls the edge once again & hides any raw edge threads that may show

9) Pin the floats back onto the dress, and tack down where needed.  This photo shows the completed float.

NOTE: Be sure to bring safety pins or a needle & thread with you to the competition. When I wore the purple gown for the first time I managed to catch the float on the door to the ladies room & broke the threads where it was tacked! Thank goodness they had enough safety pins for the leader's numbers so I could fix it!

ANOTHER NOTE: Because of my floats on the purple gown being tacked at the shoulders it caused 2 problems - 1) My partner had to be careful to get his hand *under* the float on my back when we got into hold position, 2) I nearly got choked on it when he spun me out at the end of the first dance & somehow it got wrapped around his arm and my neck!