A Stripey Linen Maxi Dress

I knew I was going to make a couple more versions of Simplicity 8888 when I made the first one.  However, I thought the next one would be a solid version but me being me I went with a stripe. Why? Because I wanted to manipulate the stripes on the bodice...

Fabric journeys enthrall me. I love how if you cut the fabric on the bias or the cross grain it gives the fabric and the final garment a totally different look. So I love taking those journeys...and that's what this dress is all about. I mean besides the comfort and ease of wearing factor the dress provides.

Supplies ~
o  3 yards of a striped linen purchased from Fabric Mart - from the collection purchased in the last five years

o  22" orange invisible zipper from the notions collection

o  Remnant of orange bias binding for the armholes

Construction Techniques ~
This dress is all about manipulating the stripes. I really wanted to make them meet at the center front and then chevron through the side front and back panels. Well it didn't exactly meet at the front seam but it does seem to work in a weird way.

I cut the center front, front and back sides on the bias.  The center back is cut on the straight grain. I didn't want to deal with putting a zipper into a wavy back.

However, in the pictures of the back of the dress, it seems as if those side back pieces are poufing out a bit as I move around. Honestly I don't care and no one but a sewist would probably notice but "truth in sewing" here, folks! *LOL* If I realized they hung that way I probably would have done something different during construction.

The other thing to note is because I used mostly bias pieces for the top and the waist seam is heavy (full of gathering) I added some twill tape to stabilize that seam. I didn't want it growing and causing the dress to hang funny.

The inseam pockets were omitted from this version, not enough fabric to cut them out. All of the fabric in the skirt seemed to make the side slits featured in the pattern unnecessary.

Otherwise the construction is the same as the original Simplicity dress.

A Few Pictures ~ 

This one seems fuller with the drapier fabric than the original one does. Even though I was contemplating a solid version, I'm packing this pattern away for now. Two journeys with this pattern seems enough. 

When I took these pictures this morning at 9:30am, it was already hot and humid outside. With the amount of fabric in this dress, as well as the weight of the fabric, this is NOT a hot & humid kinda day dress. But 100 degree days don't happen much in the spring or late summer so it will be perfect then. 

I made this dress back in late April/early May when I thought I would be going back to the office this summer. Because of that it hasn't been worn except for these pictures and it probably won't be until next spring. I'm wearing the throw on dresses, Katie tops, Myosotis dresses and wide legged pants that work with my stay at home style since I won't be going back to NYC until the fall.

I've been pulling fabric to match with maxi dress patterns. Although I'm falling back on a couple of TNT patterns for my next two maxi dresses. I finally broke down and bought a 6 yard piece of fabric and just like I thought, I'd moved on by the time it arrived. Since I'm home there hasn't been a lot of fabric purchasing going on BUT a lot of digging in the fabric collection.

My sewjo is back. I'm sewing so more garments soon!


...as always more later!

Starting with Simplicity 8888

We're going to have to start saying "Before Coronvirus" and "After Coronvirus" so BC2020 and AD2020 as abbreviations. BC2020 I bought several maxi dress patterns...actually probably some of the last Big4 patterns I purchased...and will purchase for awhile.  I've got issues with the pattern companies but we all know that so moving on...

I purchased this pattern last summer because I liked the bodice and it's front opening, the side gathers and the zipper in the back. It wasn't until I actually got the pattern home that I realized the center front and center back pieces are one long piece and the side front and back pieces are separate pieces. So the pattern sat while I wrapped my mind around the construction.

Then seasons changed and it got placed back in the uncut pattern piles which seem to litter my sewing cave. Another reason I'm not buying any new patterns. However, in the time of Corona, I seem to have an abundance of time to sew. I've also finally admitted to myself that it will be summer when I'm allowed back in public, so I'm sewing summer.

I pulled this pattern out of a pile after making 45+ buttonholes and sewing on the same number of buttons. I was so ready to sew another type of opening. However after choosing a fabric to go with this pattern, I found myself taking the "Pattern Hacking" on the envelope cover literally. Because my dress only uses the bodice and facing pieces...

Going my own way was necessary because of my fabric choice...

Supply List ~
4 yards of a medium weight border print cotton jacquard from Fabric Mart
22" white invisible zipper
Interfacing from Steinlauf & Stoeller

Pattern Alterations ~
-  This is where I deviated from the pattern instructions because I always saw the entire bodice as separate from the skirt.
-  So I cut the center front and back pieces off matching them to the side pieces.
-  Then instead of using the pattern pieces for the skirt, I cut two 45" wide pieces.
-  The back piece was cut in half so I could insert the zipper
-  The front piece was left the entire width which is different from the pattern instructions

Construction ~
This dress was all about using the border print to the best advantage. I made a couple of changes to the construction of the dress and I'm going to list them below.  However, please feel free to skip over this. I'm documenting it here so when I make this dress again, I can review what I did. 

1.  Shoulder Seams
I should have made this alteration first but of course I noticed it when I tried it on.  So I sewed the princess seams 1" wide until about 4" down the princess seams for both the front and back seams.

2.  Center Front Bodice
I made a change to the center front because the opening was way too low.  I made an mark on the pattern 7.5" from the top of the bodice, after measuring the front piece against my body.

3. Skirt
Since I cut the front skirt pattern as one piece instead of the three pieces the pattern suggests, I had to start the gathering in a different place.  I used the center front side seams as my guide to start the gathering. My end place was 1" before the side seam. I did the exact thing with the two back pieces.

4. Side Slits
I omitted both slits. I didn't want to interrupt the flow of the border print on the bottom of the dress. Though when I make this again I will use at least one side slit...two is a little too much for me now.

One more thing - I will need to remember to add the pockets before sewing the bodice to the skirt. I didn't this time and it was a challenge to add them back in later.

Now A Few Pictures ~

This version is a little looser in the bodice than I wanted. The fabric makes this dress and while its a little stiffer, it works. I will take in the side seams for the next one.  I also want to make it in a drapier fabric so it will have a better hang. So of course I've already picked out fabric to try this again...sooner or later.

Next up on the blog is a cardigan and shirt. While I'm sewing for summer, I'm realistic enough to know that there will be cool days when I will want to wear my white jeans. Plus after six maxi dresses...I'm ready for something else. That's whats next on the blog...


...as always more later!