I interlined the bodice with a light weight cotton. All of the seams were finished with rayon seam binding so it's all pretty inside!
Before starting construction, each piece of silk was basted to the interlining in the seam allowance and down the center of the darts using silk thread (that yellow stuff) to hold the pieces together during construction. After a seam was sewn, the basting could be removed. Apparently, I missed some.....
The skirt was interlined in cotton flannel. I don't have a lot of experience picking interlinings for stuff but I used "The Dressmaker's Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques" to help. The interlining affects the drape so I picked the type of interlining that draped the way I wanted my dress to. There were lots of pictures to help!
I did self covered buttons and bound buttonholes. The bound button holes are not my best job as I tried a new way that I thought would work better on this silk. Note to self: practice new things before trying on actual garments! They're not horrible but not up to par either.
The cuffs and collar I made from some leftover wool suiting.
The construction of the top was super easy. The ties are cut on the bias and hand sewn onto the top of the bodice instead of inserted in a seam in the bodice. One less place to match up plaid!
I did end up spending a lot more time on this dress than I usually do on dresses because of the silk and the plaid but the plaid actually behaved rather well! I think the interlining helped since I only had one slippery side to deal with.
