As there's a round part at the lower edge of the dress, it's hard to fold the edge just like that. I set a loose straight stitch and gathered it. I ironed the gathered pieces as well as the rest and then it was easy. This can also be used when you fold the lower edge of a skirt or dress.
The hardest step - hood. I was lucky to already have a pattern from the past. I altered the liripipe and the curve under the chin. I was very afraid about how I would join the hood and the body of the robe.
I made up the curve at the bottom and measured the length of half the neckline's circumference. Then I altered the curve to have the same length. Or I tried to at least :)
By the way, a hood takes very small amount of fabric when made from two halves. I had to do this at two hoods. For the seam in the middle not to be visible, I sewed it and flattened with two lines of stitches. I call this machine ironing:-)
Curves are hard to sew. That's why I basted the hood to the neckline first. I started from the chind to the shoulder. Then placed the end right to the spine and secured with a pin. I approximately put the two layers one on another and moved them until they lay flat. I added pins and could go on basting. This was necessary, because my guess of the lenght of the curve was not very exact..
When I had one half, I started the other one from the chin again. I sewed the hood to the body on machine and cut off the excess. I pinned the rest of the seams and sewed them with sew-and-serge stitch. I serged the neck and the face.
I folded the facial edge back and sewed. That's all. If you don't count my making tags with names of the owners and hiding them deep in the hoods. You know, having four almost the same robes and comparing the length and width every time... :)
This is how the monk's robe looks like with a hood down. In fact it's not ment to be for a monk. Our knights just must have a sort of covering clothes to come to the stage before they can reveal their true character.
