Vogue 8764 in photos

Yes, it's finished and I'm kinda liking it!  It will be great for work and it's comfortable...so lets go to the stats:


Pattern:
Vogue 8764 from Vogue's recent Winter/Holiday release.


Fabric:
Red ponte knit from Fabric Mart
Black doubleknit from Metro Textiles


Notions:
22" red invisible zipper
black/white striped ribbon


Construction:
One of the best things about this pattern is the A,B,C,D cup custom fit sizing.  I used the D cup bodice in a size 24 and had no problems with the fit...well I think my side dart can be a smidge higher...but that's probably my fault.  I'm sure it was higher but when I removed the basting, my markings disappeared too, so I think I sewed it a smidge lower.  Definitely won't happen next time!


To make the skirt portion fit my abdomen, I did a proper pivot and slide technique making another pattern piece instead of the quickie I usually do on the fabric.  But even with this I feel the dress is still a little too close-fitting in that area...so I've already altered my pattern piece to give me a little more room without changing the empire waistline seam...to use in the next version.  Believe me there will be a next one...I've already picked out the fabric...a tweedy wool crepe.


This dress is unlined.  The pattern tells you to line it.  I pretty much thought that I wouldn't line it right from the first fitting because the fabric doesn't need it.  I am, however, wearing a half slip in the pics and will in real life.  To finish off the neckline since I didn't line it, I just serge finished my pieces and turned under a 1/2" and stitched flat using a lot of steam and my clapper.


Only the neckline is top-stitched although the pattern tells you to topstitch all  the seams.  By not adding the lining, I did have some looseness in the back neckline, I solved this by adding two shallow darts.  I'm not sure if the looseness was caused by my handling of the fabric because it was more stretchy than the bottom piece, or if the back piece just was a little looser on me.  Whatever the darts solved the problem...

I'm still using Summerset's method (her November 2nd, 2009 blog post) to set in an invisible zipper when you have a band in the back and it works like a charm.  I got a really good match this time...even though I sewed the ribbon to the dress prior to adding the zipper. 

Adding the ribbon trim was a little challenging, but Steam A Seam 2 in the 1/2" size made the job so much easier.  By applying it to the back of the ribbon and then lightly pressing the ribbon to the fabric I got a great hold before I took the dress to the sewing machine and added two rows of stitching to the ribbon.  Then after I pressed the ribbon area, the Steam A Seam added some additional hold to insure the ribbon was firmly attached to the dress.


The sleeve hems and the hem of the dress both have a twin needle hem.

When I was putting the dress on the hanger, I knew that I wanted to wear the pearl brooch that was my Mom's.  She wore it in the 70s, I actually remember her wearing it when I was in high school.  I retrieved it from a garage sale basket she was putting together a couple of years ago and I've been wearing it ever since.  However, when I pinned it to the knit top, it made the dress front sag.  To solve this I was originally going to put a piece of the black/white ribbon on the back of the dress so the brooch would be stabilized. As I was cutting the fabric it hit me that the ribbon on the front of the dress with the brooch would look cute.  That's how that look came to be...

Finally a few more shots of me wearing the dress...

I've already pulled the fabric for my next dress...yes, I know another dress but  my dress wearing time is starting to get short...it's starting to get chilly here...I'm watching the wind blow outside my kitchen window as I type this.  And I know that I'm going to need to make a couple of pairs of pants this winter since I've recently retired several pairs.


....as always, more later!