In our homeschool group, we have an active co-op. It’s been going strong since 2000, with varied classes and all ages participating. I usually teach 2-3 classes each semester, and last Spring I taught a sewing class for high school girls.
There were eight girls in this class, and as you can see, they were having a lot of fun. They are all such sweet girls! One of them is my daughter, and I’m so happy that she has friends like these.
These students had already spent one semester making pajamas from a simple sewing pattern, so my goal was to move them to something slightly more difficult. This dress from New Look (by Simplicity) was perfect:
It had several length options and three sleeve options, as well as a lining and a zipper. It was perfect for testing their skills!
This class met once a week for 10 weeks, for an hour at a time. Here’s how we broke down the classes:
- Week 1: Cut out pattern pieces
- Week 2: Begin cutting out fabric (homework: finish cutting out fabric at home)
- Week 3: Bring sewing machines to class and begin sewing bodice and lining (homework: finish bodice at home if comfortable with assignment)
- Week 4: Finish sewing bodice and lining (more sewing at home if needed)
- Week 5: Sleeves (if pattern required – some girls chose the sleeveless desgin)
- Week 6: Begin sewing skirt
- Week 7: Continue skirt and attach to bodice/lining
- Week 8: Finish attaching skirt to bodice/lining and begin adding zippers
- Week 9: Finish inserting zipper and finish hem
- Week 10: Finish, prepare for “fashion show” at end-of-semester program
Each girl was required to bring a sewing machine to class every week, and to purchase all fabric and notions for their chosen style.
The trickiest part of this pattern was custom-fitting the bodice. For each girl, we pinned the bodice fabric pieces to them and measured for the fit they wanted. Then they marked the bodice lining to match the fit.
A couple of the girls also lengthened their skirts to meet the dress code for our local Cotillion. We used this method.
By the last week of the semester, they were mostly all finished. For our end-of-semester program, they did a fashion show. Tadaaaa!
You might enjoy this very short clip of their fashion show:
Be sure to follow my Pinterest Board for this class, which includes other finished New Look 6341 dresses, plus sewing tips and ideas.
My daughter, Chloe, made her dress with this cute arrow fabric and a crochet knit for the sleeves.
Next semester: a beginner sewing class with skirts! Be sure to subscribe to my email list so you won’t miss the new posts! You may also enjoy my quilting projects.
Hi! I’m Nicki! Welcome to my blog! I live in Texas with my husband and five children, and a wild assortment of dog, cats, chickens, and ducks. I’m a second-generation homeschooler, a book lover, and history enthusiast. I gush about all of these things on this blog, and I hope to share the love with you! Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Join my subscriber list for access to my FREE Download Library:
Looks like they did a great job on the dresses! How fun to have a co-op like that. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this post on New Look 6341. Everyone did such a fantastic job making the dresses! I love seeing all the different options. My daughter is currently sewing a dress from this same pattern for a 4-H project and I have limited abilities to help her. I have a question about the lining. It looks like the instructions want her to turn the lining up and press, rather than sewing both the bodice and lining to the skirt at the waist. I’m wondering if it is okay to sew the bodice and lining to the skirt or will that cause a problem? Thank you for any recommendations you might share!