I've finished a sewing project, and I LOVE this dress. The pattern is Vogue V8552, with a few mods. I avoid sewing a lot of dresses because they usually require a big fitting effort, and to do it right requires sewing up a muslin version for at least the bodice portion, and I'm too lazy to do muslins. This pattern is an easy fitting one, so I figured I could adjust it as I go, and I wouldn't need to do what The Other Half would call "fire a test shot".
For the mods, I added waistline tucks to the front to give it a little more shape. I narrowed the pockets a bit and also widened the placement. I really liked those gaping pockets in the photo, but in person, they stuck out way too much. The dress is unlined, but I decided to line both the pockets and the cap sleeves with a contrasting green cotton. The pattern called for sewing down the pocket flaps, but I decided to just tack the corners down by hand, and I sewed a button on each corner of the flaps.
My fabric is a heavy weight linen that I purchased at a local fabric shop in San Francisco. (Is there such an acronym as "LFS" in the sewing world"?). I subsequently looked for it online and found it sold here as drapery fabric. I should keep drapery fabric in mind in the future if I want heavy weight linen.
I'm thinking of making this pattern again with a much softer fabric and sewing the side pockets. I might also just sew the tucks as inside pleats, and wear it with a thin belt.
If I saw this dress hanging on a rack in a shop, I would probably never try it on because I would dismiss it as shapeless and unflattering. This reminds me that I should be a little more willing to try on garments because sometimes, they just look quite different when worn.
5 comments:
It's very cute on you! I wouldn't have looked at it in the store or the pattern envelope, but you are working it! (I know what you mean on the fitting, especially after this muslin-ing experience. Usually I sew with knit fabrics for the same reason - less fitting issues. I did redo the muslin again from scratch with a smaller size in the upper body per your suggestion and it is much better.
Betty, you are multi-talented. That dress looks fantastic on you. Someday I'd like to learn to sew and I would make a dress just like that if I could! Enjoy :)
Great looking dress on you and good example for me of how to do a flattering cap sleeve which is usually not my best look. Back when I sewed, I loved Vogue patterns. They built so many helpful techniques into their instructions. You make me want to sew again (don't know how long that impulse will last though.) I love seeing all your work.
Chloe
I didn't know that you knew how to sew, but your dress looks great. I agree that you have to try things on, because there are some things that look terrible on a hanger that come into their own on a human being.
I smiled when I read that you were too lazy to do a muslin -- I appreciate your honesty. I usually do gauge swatches for knitting but for my next project, it might be easier to just knit the sweater and see what happens.
Fantastic!! How interesting that you would normally not have given a dress like this a second look, yet it turned out to be so flattering. Perhaps we could all learn from this lesson :) Great job!
knittymuggins
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