Silk cocktail dress with gold embroidery by Mathias Ackermann to celebrate BERNINA's 125th anniversary

Difficulty level Advanced
Time to Complete A week or more
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The golden embroidery designs on the sleeves and the back are embroidered onto tulle. To ensure the stability of the delicate material, two layers of water-soluble stabilizer are required. When working with metallic thread, it is recommended that you use the BERNINA Thread Lubrication Unit. This makes the thread smoother so there are fewer thread breaks. We hope you enjoy making it!


 

Materials

Fabrics and notions
  • 2.0 m dupioni silk, 140 cm wide
  • 0.8 m dupioni silk in a contrasting color for part 6, 140 cm wide
  • 1.6 m tulle fabric in a skin tone color, 140 cm wide
  • 0.6 m invisible zipper
  • 1 small snap
  • 0.8 m woven interlining (Vlieseline G785)
  • 4 m water-soluble embroidery stabilizer (such as Soluvlies)
Needles and thread
  • 12 - 15 reels of metallic thread "Gold 7 No. 40” (Madeira)
  • "PolySheen” embroidery thread, gold, as the bobbin thread for embroidering
  • Sewing thread "Seralon" (Mettler)
  • Overlocker thread (Mettler)
BERNINA accessories
  • BERNINA 880 PLUS
  • BERNINA Embroidery Software V8 (unless you are using the B 880 PLUS)
  • BERNINA Thread Lubrication Unit
Downloading the embroidery design​

Download the paisley embroidery designs here:  Download paisley embroidery design

Downloading the cocktail dress pattern​

Download the pattern for the cocktail dress here: Download pattern
 

Cutting out the silk​

  • 1 x upper front piece on the fold
  • 1 x lower front piece on the fold
  • 1 x front facing on the fold
  • 1 x upper back piece, right side
  • 1 x back facing, right side
  • 2 x drapé back piece, right side (shell fabric and contrasting color)
  • 1 x hip yoke, left side
  • 2 x lower back piece
  • 1 x sleeve, right side
  • Zipper panel 60 x 3 cm
  • Bias binding for the left neckline 20 x 3 cm.

Seam allowance:  We recommend allowing 1.5 cm for all seams and 4 cm at the hems.
 

Cutting the tulle ​

Cut a piece approximately 35 cm tall x 45 cm wide for the left sleeve, and cut a rectangle for the left back piece measuring 60 x 35 cm.

Instructions

Tips for working with metallic thread​

  • Reduce the upper thread tension
  • Use the Thread Lubrication Unit and a spool net
  • Insert the straight stitch plate
  • Reduce the speed
  • Because of the metal thread, turn off the automatic thread cutter in the setup program
  • Use at least two layers of water-soluble embroidery stabilizer. Do not use old stabilizer under any circumstances - it will have hardened and will quickly tear your thread. If necessary, put an additional layer of thinner water-soluble stabilizer on top.
  • Use a SUK 80 needle

Arranging the embroidery design

The individual embroidery patterns can be assembled as you want them directly on the BERNINA 880 PLUS. If you are working with a different machine, we recommend that you arrange the design using BERNINA Embroidery Software 8. This will allow you to individually review the whole design for the back piece and the sleeve. Then place the whole pattern in individual hoopings.

Bild: Goldenes Cocktail-Kleid

How to create the lace

In addition, you can embroider individual designs on the leftover tulle and place them freely on the front and back of the hip yoke of the dress.

Rinse out the stabilizer and allow to dry. Embroidering the arranged embroidery designs on the tulle creates the lace effect.

 

From the lace created, cut out the left sleeve 7 cm longer than the right (using piece 9); make sure to leave a seam allowance. Cut out the left back piece using piece 4, cutting without a seam allowance in the back center.

Front

Close the dart on the front piece. Iron the seam allowances toward the center and topstitch using metallic thread.
Sew the upper front piece to the lower front piece with the right sides together. Iron the seam allowances upwards and topstitch along the seam.

 

Bild: Goldenes Cocktail-Kleid

Back

Close the dart on the upper right back piece. Instead of sewing the dart into the lace on the left back piece, the width of the dart is deducted, evenly distributed between the back center and the side seam.

Sew the hip yoke underneath the lace according to the notches.

Sew the zipper panel onto the left back piece (lace) with the right sides together.

 

Picture: Golden cocktail dress

Zipper

Sew in the zipper, top stitch the panel. Sew the other side of the zipper onto the right upper back piece.

Bild: Goldenes Cocktail-Kleid

Back pieces and neckline

Bind the neckline of the left back piece with bias tape.

Sew together the drapé pieces, right side to right side, along both longitudinal seams and the neckline seam. Turn the right way and iron. Topstitch along the longitudinal seams and the neckline with metallic thread. Pin the drapè piece onto the shoulder and underneath onto the back piece according to the notches.

Picture: Golden cocktail dress

On the lower back pieces, close the back center seam up to the start of the slit. Sew on the upper back pieces.
 
Close the shoulder and side seams.

Bild: Goldenes Cocktail-Kleid

Sleeves

Pin the bottom sleeve seam of the lace sleeve wrong side to right side and sew by hand, working around the embroidery design.  Trim the overlap on the back.

Close the bottom sleeve seam of the silk sleeve.

Hem and sew in both sleeves.
 

Bild: Goldenes Cocktail-Kleid

Finishing

Close the right shoulder seam on the facing. Turn over the neckline and topstitch the edges of the front and back separately.

Bild: Goldenes Cocktail-Kleid

Attach the upper drapé piece corner to the left upper piece with a snap.

Picture: Golden cocktail dress

Sew the hems of the dress. Fold over the edges of the slit and topstitch the bottom edge. Topstitch the top end of the slit through all the layers on a slant.

Bild: Goldenes Cocktail-Kleid

Final touches

Cut out the leftover elements from the tulle embroidery and arrange them as you like on the front, the side seam, and the hip yoke, and sew them on by hand.

Congratulations! You've just completed your work of art! We hope you have fun making this project and rake in a lot of compliments! :)

It gets chilly in the evening...so you can find the instructions for a matching jacket for this dress, here.