I really wanted a dress in this style - a straight, comfortable dress with an interesting neckline, sleeveless in a pretty print. I think I achieved what I was trying to do:
Some stats:
Pattern:
Out of Print Vogue 3195 bias dress with cowl neckline that I cut on the straight grain
Fabric:
Ltwt. silk crepe from Sawyer Brook (that is currently on sale for $12.99 per yd)
Notions:
9" black invisible zipper
scraps of ltwt fusible interfacing from Farmhouse Fabrics
Construction:
The construction was pretty straightforward for the dress. Sew the invisible zipper in the back...here the pattern suggests a 20" zipper but I didn't like the way it fell in the wadder so I used a shorter one for this version. I also used very ltwt. fusible strips from an interfacing that I got from Farmhouse Fabrics (called baby interfacing) to stabilize the area where the zipper was inserted.
Then instead of using the back facing pieces that came with the pattern, I used self made bias binding to finish off the back neckline. To sew the back to the front at the shoulder seams, I stole the instructions from Vogue 1250 and sewed the shoulder seams that way, making sure to catch the edges of the cowl facing.
Sewed up the side seams and used more of the bias binding to finish off the armhole edges. I did have to stop and make a little more binding at this point...but it was worth it.
The dress is unlined. It's light and airy and I will wear it with a half slip making it a perfect summer dress. This is how I will wear it to work this week:
So there were a couple of questions from the last post about this dress:
ASewnWardrobe asked:
"If I did ALL of that last Sunday evening?"
*LOL* No, all of the prep work and the wadder was sewn weeks ago. I just got around to cutting out and sewing the base of the dress last Sunday evening. I'm NOT that fast!
Renee asked:
"Why was the bias cut so bad?"
It was the cling factor that made the dress unworthy of leaving the house. There was enough fabric in the dress, it's just the way the dress hung on my body...not pretty...not pretty at all!
As for the drapiness of the neckline, I'm sure if the piece had been cut on the bias it would have had more drape. However, I'm happy with the way the neckline falls now. It's an interesting look that I don't presently have in a dress made from a woven fabric.
Finally Elmo asked:
"Is there any Issey Miyake patterns in the new Vogue Patterns Magazine?"
No...there aren't any.
So I've finished another project...will share that one with you tomorrow, but I'm headed back to my sewing machine. I saw this dress on a PYT at Chipolte last week that I MUST copy!
...as always, more later!
I've fallen in love with the draped neck look...and after making four versions of Vogue 1250...I think it's time to move onto wovens. I was so inspired by this layout in the July 2011 People Style Watch magazine:
Thank goodness for a pattern collection. Because after digging around in it, I was able to find Butterick 3195.
The pattern description says: "Bias dress, above mid-knee, mid-knee or above ankle, has back zipper ad short, self-lined sleeves or long sleeves...and it's circa 2001. Wow ~ this pattern is ten years old!"
After finding the pattern, I happily rummaged through the fabric collection and found some sandwashed silks that I had purchased from Fabric Mart a couple of years ago. I thought that this fabric would make T-H-E perfect draped neck dress. It would be a distinctive color, as well as, having the draped neckline I wanted and it was bias cut. I wasn't so sure about the bias cut but I was willing to take a chance and work with it.
After pulling the pattern pieces from the envelope (sizes 20-22-24), I realized that there would once again be some extensive pattern alterations needed but turning to my trusty TNT dress pattern, I made the following changes to the pattern:
I sliced up the center front of the pattern and added space to the abdomen, hip and hem area. Then I added to the side seams so that they would match the side seams of my TNT dress.
The back was traced and altered by creating the pattern sandwich (TNT back piece, new pattern piece, tracing paper) to trace a new back piece that incorporated the design of this pattern (especially the back curve) with the space needed from my original TNT dress back piece.
When I went to cut out the dress, I laid the pattern on the silk crepe and thought, I should just cut this out on the straight grain...but noooooooo I went ahead and cut bias pieces and there begins the downfall of the first version of the dress...and let's just leave it at that okay. It was a wadder pure and simple...okay, okay I'll let you see a picture of it on the hanger...
It doesn't look bad on the hanger but it was a hot mess on my body! *LOL* What a waste of a beautiful piece of fabric, right?! Don't worry I have more! But I was still intrigued by this dress especially since I just knew this would work in a woven fabric cut on the straight grain. I found and purchased this lightweight silk crepe from Sawyer Brook:
This is how the website describes it...
"This lightweight printed silk crepe features ivory and black floral elements dancing over a crackled ground of black and ivory. Accents of soft tan appear on the white blossoms throughout. Great for camisoles, tanks, blouses or dresses. 44 in."
I started working on this dress late Sunday evening. I just wasn't that motivated to sew this weekend. Here is where it stands now:
....and a close-up of the neckline:
There's about an hour's worth of work left to do to finish this dress, so I will complete it this weekend. I'm loving it so far and may make another one from some of that leftover silk crepe but I'll make sure to cut it on the straight grain this time!!!!
I 've figured out what I want to do with the Simplicity Vintage Pattern 2154. Haven't pulled all of the fabrics yet...but I will have more on that later...
