Tuesday, April 13, 2010

A Little Bit of Nude ~ SWAP Dress No. 3

Swap Dress #3 is all about my new obsession with the color nude.   So tonight I came home and finished hemming it during "Dancing with the Stars!" so that it would be wearable before the weather warms up any more.


Some stats:

Fabric:
2 yards of beige wool crepe
2 yards of beige bemberg lining

Notions:
22" invisible zipper
3 yards 1/2" polyester lace
3 yards striped bias binding

Pattern:
TNT Dress Pattern ~ princess seam version

This nude sleeveless version was based upon the original navy blue dress.  I loved how the original one wore...close fitting without being too tight.  The fabric had a little stretch in it so it was perfect for work and the fabric kept its shape during a long day of work...no sagging...no bagging.  

Since I used the wool crepe for this version, I cut it a little bigger thinking that I needed to make an allowance for the stretch in the navy fabric.  Wrong!  I ended up removing almost all of the extra that I added.  Somewhere in my mind, I forgot that wool crepe grows when you add body warmth to it and that the dress didn't need any extra...duh!

Otherwise this is the same construction except this version is sleeveless and lined.  I used some more of the striped bias binding that I made last fall to finish off the armholes.


I also added lace to the hem of the lining.  I just like this look and part of the reason the dress hung so long waiting to be hemmed was because I didn't have any lace on hand.  A trip to Pacific Trimmings last week after work solved that problem.  Then an evening in a tea bath gave me the hue I wanted for the lace.


Now I'm sure you are wondering why I would use the same pattern again...well it works! And it is a good dress to wear under the jackets/tops that are a part of my SWAP plan.  I used a fashion color on a traditional piece to make it trendy yet classic at the same time, thereby insuring that this dress will work in my wardrobe for years to come.

One final pic of me wearing the dress with the sweater that I purchased to add another color to the SWAP plan.


Hopefully I will get an opportunity to work on finishing up the shirt jacket before the weekend because I really want to get started on my next dress which will be made from a tropical wool blue & beige pinstripe fabric!

...as always, more later!

29 comments:

  1. Such a nice look, and the binding detailing is great.

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  2. You look fantastic. I'm growing fond of the nude look this year, too. I'm just knitting a similar cardigan in the same colour, but I have only ventured as far as nude shoes at the moment. You can create so many looks with this dress. The possibilities (and colour combinations) are endless. I've started hemming my linings with lace after seeing a few of yours. It's a really nice touch.

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  3. This is a very flattering colour on you. I might try it this year too, it's very in at the moment isn't it?

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  4. Carolyn, Your dress looks so lovely on you and I love it with the green cardigan!

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  5. I like the dress. And I think it looks wonderful on you, especially with that green cardigan. What a lovely combination!

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  6. Nice job! Good colour that will match with your new shoes ;)

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  7. Oooh that dress looks wonderful on you - I love the nude look and it suits you very well indeed. Great pairing with that pretty green cardigan.

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  8. I love the color nude and it looks great on you. The green gives it a pop-in a good way!

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  9. Your nude dress is very flattering and so slimming on you. I always assumed that dark colours would work best, but obviously a good fit is the real key. The green cardigan is brilliant colour pairing too.

    Does the lace around the bottom of the lining catch on your pantyhose/stockings?

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  10. That's one thing that I like about sewing my own clothes: I can make the basic pieces exactly the way I want them,and then build my wardrobe around them. Your dress is exactly what I'm talkin' about!

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  11. The lines and drape of that dress really flatter you! Nice job! The color is fantastic too and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it with that green cardigan! It's a great piece, I'll bet you'll find it becomes your go-to dress because it takes so well to any and all accesories. Imagine the dress with pink...navy...brown...aubergine...

    it seriously will work with any color, and any jewelry will stand out as well.

    Kristy, I agree-great fit trumps color every time.

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  12. The dress looks great and the color nude is classic. The green cardigan makes the outfit so pretty and femine. Job well done!

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  13. It's a lovely dress but.... Nude? Is it really nude if it doesn't match your skin tone? Not saying yours doesn't, but on me that dress would never be considered nude. It would be beige. So then does that mean dark brown is 'nude' on me? 'Nude' is one of my pet peeves. Sorry......

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  14. That's a great basic dress. So much you can do to it to dress it up or down. I would love it with bright teal.

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  15. You've got me thinking that maybe I should be sewing dresses. Your dress is beautiful...as always.

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  16. You look great. Love the color.

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  17. As someone who is totally addicted to nude shoes (and just try finding them!) I understand your fascination. This dress looks fantastic on you and I'm sure you are going to get a lot of wear out of it. Love it with the green cardy!

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  18. Fantastic. As the Isley Brothers would say...Who's that sexy lady!

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  19. You look so nice and that color is great on you. It's soft and the cardigan adds a pop of color.

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  20. Theresa in TucsonApril 13, 2010 11:21 AM

    Um, Carolyn, beige? Even with the flower pin, by itself, that dress is blah. Now with the green cardigan it's super. Guess that's why they are called neutrals, 'cause they play so well with others. Looking forward to seeing your combinations.

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  21. I love how prolific you are in your sewing! Congrats on another lovely addition to your closet.

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  22. I have a whole lotta "nude" stuff in my stash from the 80s/90s whenever. I'm now inspired.

    I'm with Gigi, finding shoes would be hard. But then I have a hard time in all colors. Da%$ you narrow feet!!! :-)

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  23. You look great in the nude! (Ha, couldn't resist!) Seriously, though, that dress will pair up with so many things in your wardrobe - what a workhorse!

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  24. Lovely lady, lovely dress. Thanks always for your interesting blogs.

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  25. Very nice!! I'm seeing nude colors everywhere this spring!

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  26. Looking for a neutral or nude shoe? Check out Talbots.com and click on the catalogue link. As Carolyn stated in an earlier post, Talbot's is featuring a lot of beige items in it's spring collections. NAYY.

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  27. What a basic!!! Keep going and let us see more combinations!

    Lydia

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  28. That is a great dress. You look lovely in that shade and I agree that it makes an excellent base piece. I LOVE it with the green cardigan. Adorable!!

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