I’m so excited to bring you the next post in our 101 series! We love sharing tips and tricks with you, to help you grow as a sewist! Today’s post is about lining just about any bodice!

Are you working with a fabric that’s just a little too sheer for your preference? Tired of neckbands and want to try something different? Have 57 of nearly identical Adeline dresses and want to pretend you’re wearing a different pattern? Ok, maybe that last one is just my daughter and her closet! Whatever the reason is, you can use this tutorial for lining nearly any bodice.

First, you will print and cut out your paper pattern pieces! For my bodice, I used the sleeveless Adeline. You do not have to do this next step, but especially for little ones, it will ensure that you get the same coverage intended in the original pattern.

After you’ve cut your paper pieces out, place your pattern pieces on your fabric. Add 1/2″ to both the neckline and the armscye. If you skip this step, your neckline and armscye will finish 1/2″ thinner/lower than intended. 

Cut a front main bodice, a front bodice lining, a back main bodice, and a back bodice lining.

Once you have your fabric pieces cut, you will sew up your shoulder seams! With right sides together, stitch your main front and main back together at each shoulder seam with 1/2″ seam allowance. Repeat for the lining.

After sewing your shoulder seams, open both bodice pieces so they are laying flat. With right sides together, place your main bodice on top of your bodice lining.

Match up your shoulder seams as well as your neckline. Pin or clip around the neckline, then stitch together using 1/2″ seam allowance. Note: you can use knit interfacing to help stabilize your neckline, if desired. Turn right side out. Press.

Now, we will tackle the “burrito roll” method! Before beginning, I sometimes find it helpful to place a clip in the armscye of the two sides I am trying to connect. This helps to ensure that you sew the correct pieces together.

NOTE: If you are adding sleeves to your bodice, you can just baste your armscye together with both bodices pieces turned right side out, with wrong sides together, and then proceed to the side seams. 

With your bodice opened up, and main fabric facing up, begin to roll your bodice toward the opposite side. In the photo below, we are rolling the right-hand side of the bodice toward the left.

Once you have rolled your bodice to the left side, take the lining from the left side, and pull it to the opposite side. Repeat for both front and back of the  lining.

Tuck the rolled portion of the bodice in between the main and the lining from the left side. Match up the shoulder seams of main and lining from the left side of the bodice, with right sides together. Be sure to push the rolled portion of the bodice back, so that it is not caught up in the seam allowance.

Clip/pin the remainder of the armscye. Remember, you are clipping the main and the lining from the left side of your bodice, with right sides together. Stitch the armscye with 1/2″ seam allowance. Turn right side out.

At this point, the left side of the bodice has a finished armscye. The right-hand side is unfinished.

Begin to roll the left side of your bodice toward the right-hand side of your bodice. Once you have rolled your bodice to the right-hand side, take the lining from the right side, and pull it to the opposite side. Repeat for both front and back of the lining.

Tuck the rolled portion of the bodice in between the main and the lining from the right-hand side. Match up the shoulder seams of main and lining from the right-hand side of the bodice, with right sides together. Be sure to push the rolled portion of the bodice back, so that it is not caught up in the seam allowance.

Clip/pin the remainder of the armscye. Remember, you are clipping the main and the lining from the right side of your bodice, with right sides together. Stitch the armscye with 1/2″ seam allowance. Turn right side out.

Turn the bodice right side out. Our next step will be to enclose the side seams. Take the back bodice, and open up so that the main and lining are placed with wrong sides facing down. Lay your front bodice on top, so that your main bodices are right sides together, and your lining bodices are right sides together. The straps/neckline will be sandwiched in the middle.

Match up the seam at the bottom edge of the armscye. Pin or clip along the side seams, being sure to clip lining to lining, and main bodice to main bodice. Sew together with 1/2″ seam allowance. Repeat for the opposite side of the bodice.

Turn entire bodice right side out. That’s it for the lined bodice! You may wish to baste your bodice together, to make it easier to treat as one layer going forward. For my lined Adeline bodice, I attached the Adeline skirt using the directions from the Adeline tutorial.

My daughter was so excited to add one more Adeline to her closet, and I love mixing up the look just a little bit by adding a lined bodice option! You can use this simple hack for many of our bodices; which pattern will you try it on first?

Have a topic you’d love to see featured in a future 101 series post? Let us know in our Facebook group! Don’t forget to share photos of your new lined bodices. We can’t wait to see what you come up with. Happy sewing!