Surplice Bodice Completion

I finally completed the surplice bodice I started here. The bodice and skirt are attached to a waist band, which is piped at the bottom of the waistband.

I used the seam allowance of the piping to create a facing to the bottom back of the waist.

This next photo shows how the bodice fastens.

The sleeves took a little while. I cut them on the bodice and then lined up the stripes to meet at the seams. I decided coat sleeves would be a good fit for this bodice as I didn’t want bishop sleeves.

I decided to use self-fabric ruching on the bodice and on the cuff of the sleeves. The ruching is cut on the bias, finished with a rolled hem and gathered down the center.

The ruching is applied down the front of the bodice, around the neck and only reaches part way down the under side of the bodice.

I constructed the skirt out of 36 inch panels. The fabric actually ran the stripes horizontal but I wanted them vertical. I included a pocket and a poorly executed watch pocket.