One of my issues is that my view of this dress keeps changing in my head...first I see it with topstitching...then I see it with the print as a featured player...so I'm confused. Then I do stupid things like cut the back dress pieces too short. I'm rambling and you don't know what the heck I'm talking about so let's start at the beginning and work from there.
I never planned on making an all white or ivory dress. I already have an ivory silk twill and a beige wool crepe dress so I don't need a third one. The Beyonce dress just touched a nerve and made me want another version of the Burda dress. Early in the inspiration process, I realized that I wanted to make a black and white dress with long sleeves. So I had to figure out what portion of the dress would be white and what part would be black...or if I would use the print as one of the sections of the dress.
Once I worked out which portions would be white and which black, of course after ditching the front printed piece, I couldn't get topstitching out of my head...black topstitching on the white pieces and white topstitching on the black pieces. That went by the wayside when I decided that the dress would look best with a black & white back instead of an all black back. I just couldn't figure out how to carry the topstitching to the back...so I discarded that idea.
Here is the front now:
And here is the back - after recutting the black bottom pieces because originally they were 3" too short when I pinned the fronts to the back:
I added a curved seam to the back seams to emulate the curves in the front of the dress...but this entire process has been like pulling teeth. I think the only thing that was easy was the sleeves...*sigh* The dress isn't finished. I just needed to take a break from it, to regroup...
Now I'm wondering if I should have just picked a couple of the easier pieces from The Pinstripe Follies to sew and knocked them out...but I was trying to save them for later in the process, y'know when I started to get sick of the wardrobe sewing...
Earlier this afternoon during a particularly trying stretch, I went back and checked my blog and realized that even though I made plans to sew the last two Thanksgivings, I didn't really turn out anything. I'm sure this has something to do with how tired I am by the end of the year...because besides pretreating fabric and cutting out this dress, I really did nuthin' else sewingwise yesterday.
Two last quick things and then I'm going back to the dress ~
If you are a reader from overseas and yes this does include Canadians, please don't forget to enter the drawing for the Fabric Mart fabric by leaving a comment on this post. I've also decided to throw in a piece of bamboo knit, so there are two pieces that can be won but you must enter by Sunday, November 28, 2010 by 6pm EST. I will pick a winner shortly after that!
Finally, Claire from OKC left this comment on my Simplicity 2958 - Done, post:
"I LOVE what a rolled-cuff can do sometimes. It makes all the different in the world. What's the deal with your armhole linings? Really - I really want to know."
The short answer is that I messed up and instead of hiding that fact, I put it on front street! *LOL* The more detailed answer would be that I didn't think the lining portion out before I started to construct the jacket, because if I had, I would have bagged the lining. Instead I pieced it together during the construction process and I ended up with well you saw what I ended up with! *smile*
...okay, I'm calmer now...so I'm heading back in...more later!
I think you need a drink!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite song these days is "Don't Stop Believing" I know it's from Glee, but I love it...so don't stop believing in your dress.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing to consider (and this goes with my dictum that all sewists are designers and artist), is that as artists, we are problem-solvers which means we are met with several challenges along the way toward our end creation and that the act of problem-solving is what causes the act of creating. It may sound like a bunch of nonsense, until you're in the middle of a challenge and you realize just how problem-solving you really are!
And thanks for answering my question...I just couldn't imagine you not knowing how to do this - with all that you know and how well you create.
I can totally relate to the lack-of-sewing-over-Thanksgiving-weekend.
ReplyDeleteI have managed some, but I am just so much more tired than I expect. But heck, who wouldn't be tired after all the festivities & drama & hard work?
I'm with ClaireOKC; you are deep in the creative process :)
I like what you've done so far! And I agree about the tired thing as well... I do not want to turn the machine on as I am a mistake waiting to happen :)
ReplyDeleteBlack and white is so classic. The dress is coming together nicely, style wise at least. Hope you get the energy to finish it. It is looking very promising.
ReplyDelete