Subtraction Dress

For the subtraction cutting I had created a fabric from the under the microscope brief which has been digitally printed onto three meters of fabric.

I then bought another three meters of fabric which complimented my hand designed one in terms of colours and shades. I chose a natural metallic champagne shade.

I then created a tube like piece of the two fabrics leaving one end open. 

(sewn right side to right side &turned inside out)

Next I overlocked each seam and pressed it towards the back.

I then took a front and back bodice piece and placed it on the fabric. As I wanted the printed fabric to be most visible I l placed the bodice pieces on the print, this meaning the print will be at the top of the garment rather than the plain fabric.

I placed the bodice pieces slightly diagonally then join the waist's with tailors chalk. I then cut the extra fabric out carefully ensuring to only cut through the one layer of fabric, (this being the printed one).

Fabric piece that I have subtracted.

I then sewed the side seams together and overlocked them. Subtraction dress before any holes removed.

Back of dress before any holes removed. Before subtracting holes, I used the additional printed fabric to create bias binding to bind my neckline and arm holes, this is to allow a high quality finish to the subtraction dress.

Once the neckline and arm holes were bound I could begin to subtract holes from the dress. I began with a 100cm circle and placed this on the plain fabric.

I then flipped this circle and used tailors chalk to draw round it. Leaving me with a pair of circles.

I then cut out the pair of circles, cutting through one layer only (plain fabric) I then stitched the circles together and overlocked the seam. Overall I used three pairs of circles in this subtraction dress. Two low for length and one high around the busy area. Six circles in total.

Overall I'm extremely happy with the final dress, I think the fabric's work well together and I love the final outcome of where the circles were placed. I plan to make more subtraction dresses in the future.