Pattern Hack: Paradise Patterns Solig Dress Full Lining

I promise I don't only sew Paradise Patterns, but I do find them super fun for summer so here we are. Recently, I received an amazing blouse weight viscose linen from LA Finch Fabrics. Josie, the owner, is sponsoring Solig Dress week with a giveaway, so I decided to use the fabric for that dress.

Holding it up to the light, I could see that the viscose linen was going to be too sheer to be a dress without a lining. Solig is a simple dress with either an elastic back view, or a tie/channel view. I opted for the elastic back to keep the hack easy. 

The front and back are drafted to be finished with facings. The facings have elastic sewn to the bottom to create a built-in shelf bra. Initially, I was going to lengthen the facing pieces, but looking over the pattern I realized I didn't have to do that. Instead, I used the front pattern piece and cut two, and the back pattern piece and cut two. I had to piece the back lining with a center back seam to conserve fabric.

Assembly of the dress is the same. Sew the lining pieces together at the side seams just like you would the facing pieces. Then attach to the front and back of the dress along the necklines. Understitch, then flip inside. Sew the back channel and insert elastic on the top edge just as you would with the facing.

I hemmed the lining to be a bit shorter than the outer dress. If you're having any issues with your lining peeking or rolling, you could stitch in the ditch of the side seams to secure the lining to the outer dress, or you could create a thread tail to anchor them together (tutorial from Angela Wolf).

This was such an easy change to the pattern and I'm happy I could use a semi-sheer fabric this way! This viscose linen is soft, easy to sew, and drapes beautifully. It does require a press cloth when sewing to prevent shine due to the viscose. I would happily use this fabric again for blouses with soft gathers, or even a simple summer tank top.

Prefer to see some movement? Watch a Reel of this dress on my Instagram.