STAY COOL - STITCH UP A DRESS (2011 Summer Dress Challenge)

Summer Dress Challenge 2011 - Finale Part V - New Look 6824

2011-07-25T15:27:00.001-07:00

CFinally, I finished my Summer Dress Challenge. I started making this dress early June and six weeks later it's finished. I've made at least two other dresses, several tops and bottoms in the course of making this dress. Why did it take so long? After accepting Faye's invitation to the Summer Dress Challenge, I decided I wanted to do something a little different and "challenging". So I pulled out ole' faithful (NL6824) and some beautiful silk dupioni from Fishman's, and decided to follow Susan Khalji's underlining technique.

If you follow my blog, you'll know that NL6824 is one of my TNT patterns. This is the forth time I've used it and it has helped me produce four nice dresses. Can't say which one I like the best, all of them fit well and suit my taste and figure.

Following Susan Khalji's technique was a learning experience and was a bit of a challenge when it came to all the hand stitching and transferring of ALL the markings onto the underlining. It was certainly worth all the effort though. This approach is not for the faint at heart, it takes a lot of patience and time. The hours I invested were equalient to the amount of time that I spend making a prom dress, wrap and purse. And as I hand stitched the underlining to the dress, I decided I wouldn't do this type of work for pay unless someone had a lot of money to spend and to pay me. Lol. It's an undertaking to say the least.

Some might say, now where would you wear this type of dress? My daughter's friend, Joanna, married on Saturday. So I thought this would be a good occasion to wear it. And of course, I'll wear it to the captain's ball while on vacation.

Since this is the forth time around, do I really need to give the description and size? I guess so for new followers.

Pattern Description: Misses dress with various neckline, sleeve and skirt options. You can design your look with mixing and matching pattern pieces.

Pattern Sizing: 8 - 18; I used 14 with modifications.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes. Similar to the coral view on the pattern envelope.

Were the instructions easy to follow? This time around I didn't look at the instructions. I chose this pattern because I was familiar with the instructions and I had already worked out the fitting issue. It was the perfect pattern to use for this projects. My focus was on getting the technique down pat.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love this pattern. You have so many options for designing your dress. I could easily use it four more times and get four more looks that work for me.

Fabric Used: Silk Dupioni (Fishman's); silk organza and china silk (New Rainbow). Originally I thought I would use silk charmeuse for the lining, but the china silk worked best for the weight of the dupioni.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Oh boy, many changes and alterations. Above all else, I did my usual FBA, sway back, prominent should blade, a few inches to the length of the skirt adjustments. All are illustrated in previous reviews and on Flickr. The other changes are related to follow Susan Khalji's technique. That information can be found here PT 1, here PT 2, here PT 3, and here PT IV.

Lining attached to the hem.

Lining skirt and bodice lining sewn to waist. Lining hand stitched to invisible zipper.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Like I said, "This is one of my TNT. I will probably make another version within six months. And Yes, of course, I do recommend it to others.

Conclusion:

Follow Susan Khalji's underlining technique was a great experience. I learned how the color of the underlining affects the color of the fashion fabric; the underlining can also affect the drape of the garment; how to baste the underlining to the garment pieces, and how to ultimately create a better dress. Note on the pattern: this is one of my go to patterns. It has good bones and I've worked out the fitting issues so that make the whole process fifty percent easier. Try both the pattern and the technique. Both are worth your while.

Jewelry; bold and simple.

Shoes from shoesonline.com, J. Renee.

Parting shots: Here are a few photos from the wedding. The bride and groom were graciously beautiful.

Happy Sewing!

Finally finished my seersucker dress!

2011-07-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the real summer heat, here is my dress. I wore it on Saturday to a friend's bridal shower - it was a champagne tasting garden party. The seersucker lined in batiste kept me cool on such a warm day.

Thanks again for organizing the sew along, Faye!

Butterick 5491....

2011-07-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a beautiful dress I made for one of my clients.

Please check my blog for details...

Have a great weekend!!!!

Aminat

Better Late than Never

2011-07-01T03:47:00.000-07:00

So I finally made a dress for this challenge. Earlier, I had put up a post about the Vogue dress I was going to make, which ended up in a catastrophe. I foolishly cut out my fabric and forgot to cut out the bodice front, and then I ran out of fabric. I went searching for the fabric, but it was sold out in the shop I bought it from. Then I had some health issues, and could not sew for some time. But thankfully I made this dress on Tuesday, and so I am going to use it as my summer dress for this challenge.

It is one of the new Lisette Patterns

I added a lace trim at the front to make it more interesting.

Take care everyone.

Vogue 1250

2011-06-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

I just have to add one in..lol. Lot's of beautiful dresses already stitched up by you wonderful ladies...I have been inspired.... Here is one from me

Please check my blog for details.

Have a great weekend

Aminat

CIAO BELLA!!!

2011-06-30T05:53:00.000-07:00

Ciao Bella! I just love that Italian phrase and think that everyone that participated in this challenge is certainly as beautiful as the the Ideal Summer Dresses you created. Let me say thanks again for making this little challenge such a success! So many new summer dresses were born this season because of you.

Just wanted you to know that even if you did not finish by the extended cut off date of June 19th, I'm still checking back here daily to see if any new dresses have been posted. I know that Cennetta and Clio are still working on their masterpieces - and I do mean masterpieces; and there may be others that I don't know about still waiting to be unveiled.

By the way, as careful as I tried to be about catching all the finished project pictures, I may have missed adding someone to the slide show. If I missed your dress, please find it in your heart to forgive me, and drop me a post to let me know about it. Every dress created for this challenge is important to me (as thought I were going to get to wear them - lol) and I wouldn't want to miss adding - no, not one.

Thanks again to my CIAO BELLAS!!!

Summer Dress Challenge 2011 - Sewing and Fitting PT IV

2011-06-28T08:17:00.001-07:00

This weekend I sewed and did a preliminary fitting of my Dress Sew Along project. I know I'm already seven days past the deadline, but that's all right. The dress looks good. And I wanted to share my progress.

I really like the way this dress is coming together. Sewing silk is a dream.

I must admit, sewing the underlining to the fashion fabric was not my favorite part of this process. My stitches are looonnng. Lol

As I was fitting the bodice, I kept forgetting that I made larger seam allowances to help with the fitting. The lower armholes crumble in my armpits. I will trim off the excess before I add the sleeve caps.

No zipper yet. I thought I had one. Yesterday I picked up a sage invisible zipper. May be I'll put it in tonight.

Here's a full front view of the underlining. It gives the dress a little more body. The silk is a lighter weight dupioni. Holding it to the light, I can see through it. So the underlining and lining will make the dress opaque.

Parting Shot: My friend, Patti Ferguson, gave me this beautiful 4-ply silk charmeuse. The Haute Couture Club has a "Sew Red" challenge this fall. I'll use it for that challenge. Thanks again Patti.

By next week I should have the zipper and the sleeves in. May be I'll have the lining sewn together as well. Until then, Happy Sewing!
C

Finally Finished!!

2011-06-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

I did it, I finished my Rebecca Taylor, V1152 dress. I love my dress.
Let me apologize up front. I had noone to take a decent picture of me in the dress, so I used my stand in, Bessie ( Bessie today, she might be someone else tomorrow), hee-hee.
I promise to post a picture of me wearing this cool dress!!
There's a lot of interesting details to this dress, inside and out. So, go to the photo album on my blog and read the captions for each picture.
View my photo album HERE to see the making of this dress.

Did I say already that I LOVE MY DRESS!!

It is a very easy dress to make, but I love that it is girly, flirty, and feminine.

Next time, I will be ready for the challenge at hand.

One final post

2011-06-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

I took some time this evening after work to take some shots of the completed Butterick 5638 floral print dress with neckline ruffle. I have to tell you I love this dress; I am not sure the photos does it justice but I will be wearing this to work soon and see another one in my future-soon.

Here is a close up view of the front neckline ruffle and tie belt.

Short but sweet: I did it! (Sort of)

2011-06-20T01:35:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to put up a quick post to show that I successfully completed the challenge! Sort of.

I finished my dress construction-wise on Thursday, but it's still awaiting a hem. (Well, two hems. One for the dress and one for the lining.) So it's both finished and not finished (Shroedinger's dress?). Lots of bloggers post their unhemmed dresses, right? This counts!

I posted some more detailed construction info and pictures on my blog.

Also, I don't have a good picture. Just an iPhone photo of it on a hanger, taken before I put in the zipper and sewed up the left side. But it gives you a good enough idea of the finished product.
I promise to get some good photos once it's hemmed. I will say, I really really like it! Hopefully the weather will warm up enough for me to wear it soon! I hate June Gloom. Stupid marine layer.

Just Didn't Make It, Humph!!

2011-06-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

Sad to say,but I am no further along than when last posted...I just didn't figure in Father's Day weekend, ugh! Anyway, I will still complete my dress this week and share pictures of my progress. In the meantime, here's where left off:

You can see how I got to this point by going checking my photo album out HERE. I'll update here as I go along.
Faye, thanks sooo much for the challenge. Maybe next time, I'll have more "me" time to finish what I start in a timely manner.

A Day Late and a Dollar Short...

2011-06-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

So many people made such beautiful dresses during this challenge! Unfortunately, this was just not my week(s) for sewing. However, I'm pleased to report that, although my dress is a long way from done, I have pretty much worked out all the fitting issues, a big accomplishment! So here is the muslin of the top.

The bust is now fitting (woo hoo hoo) and I've fixed the gaping at the back of the neck (narrow shoulders). These were the two biggest fitting issues. So, with a few last tweaks, I'm ready to sew this dress in it's final seersucker form.

Thanks to Faye for organizing the challenge and to all of you who offered advice along the way!
Happy Sewing!

Squeaked Under the Line

2011-06-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

I bought a new pattern that I really wanted to try for this challenge, but time has not been my friend for about 2 months now. Back in late April, I made a long sleeved dress from a beautiful lightweight blue, and I had enough left over for a summer dress. I even found the pattern for it, but that's as far as it went. So, when my second-to-youngest son finished school on Tuesday, I decided I could celebrate and cut out the long planned dress, and try to finish for Faye's challenge.

The pattern: Simplicity 4531; I've made it in 2 white florals before. I cut size 14 for the bodice, graded down to size 10 at the waist. I'm wearing it for Father's Day (I always try to make a special dress for celebrations for my dearly beloved). My biggest change to the pattern is that I use an 18" long zipper instead of the 12" one the pattern calls for. However, I do that for all of my dresses, because I prefer the ease of being able to step into my dresses. The fabric was called "window pane" blue, because it's a tone-on-tone weave that looks like window panes. It came from Fabric Mart during the darkest doldrums of winter, and it's made me happy that I bought 3 yards each in buttercup yellow and medium pink.

So, while I nearly didn't get to participate, I want to thank you, Faye, for these great challenges you've presented this spring!

Butterick 5638-It is complete!

2011-06-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

The dress is complete (except for the pesky hook and eye at the back neckline). This pattern (Butterick 5638) is a nice pattern, good instructions and with princess seams you have a few fitting options. I used a size 14-16. I raised the neckline about an inch and that worked well for me. I also made my usual swayback, upper high round back, forward shoulder adjustment and a one inch FBA. In the end, I did not need the full one inch adjsutment, could have gotten by with about 1/2 inch.
I pretty much followed the pattern instructions. I had a difficult time with the neckline facing pieces. It might have been due to the raised neckline I made. I ended up cutting off more than inch at the bottom edge to get this to work into the curved area. I also did not follow their method of attaching the neck and armhole bindings. I wrote more about this on my blog.

Here is a close up of the neckline. It is hard to see the ruffles because of the busy print.

I really like the fit of the dress. Sorry no photos of me wearing it yet.

Thanks, Faye for doing this sew along! It has been great to see what everyone made. Happy Father's Day to all.

Navy Milly Dress Finished!

2011-06-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

PATTERN: Simplicity Amazing Fit.

Yes it does fit well, two muslins, but I really recommend this pattern. I chose the v neck.

FABRIC: A true classic navy raffia from EOS. It feels like linen but has the sheen of silk.

The ties have 4 rows of stitching, just like the Milly dress ties.

CONSTRUCTION: I chose to line the bodice in a navy ambience. I chose a black silk organza for the skirt. I wanted more structure for the skirt, so it would not rumple like linen. It turned out to be a good choice.

Excuse the toes in the picture.

CONCLUSION:This might be my favorite sheath dress pattern so far.

Thank you Faye for hosting this sewalong.

Joanne M (MissMuslin)

Simplicity 2147

2011-06-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

I finished this dress more than a week ago and I've already worn it quite a few times. I wanted to get a photo taken of me wearing it before posting, but so far I haven't got one, so my photo shows the dress on a hanger. It's the second time I've made a dress with this pattern which is cool and comfortable to wear.

Here is my review of Simplicity 2147

Pattern Description: Ladies dress with individual pattern pieces fro A,B,C,D cup sizes and two different necklines and lengths

Pattern Sizing:Sizes 6-14 and 16-24. I cut a Size 16 with the C cup pattern pieces.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?Yes, it looked like the drawing for View C.

Were the instructions easy to follow?As with all Amazing Fit patterns, the instructions were very detailed and easy to follow. They really help you get that perfect fit. The only thing I can't understand is why with Amazing Fit dresses they tell you to sew the facings before the zipper. It's more difficult that way to finish the top of the zipper and facings neatly.
This is my second version of the dress and this time, I put in the zipper before the facings - it was much neater.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I particularly like the sweetheart neckline, the waistline and the pockets even though I wasn't sure that I wanted pockets before I started sewing it. There's nothing I dislike about this pattern.

Fabric Used: Cotton print.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:Fortunately, Simplicity Size 16 patterns fit me almost perfectly so I only had to make the waistline and hip area slightly bigger

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
would definitely recommend this pattern to others especially to those who are learning to get the right fit. This is the second time I've made this dress. ( You can't have too many cotton dresses during our hot summers) I'm also thinking about making it a third time in silk but then I would have to omit the pockets and that would probably involve making the side front pattern pieces again so that would be a new challenge for me.

Conclusion: I think the pattern envelope should include pictures of all versions of this dress and not just the drawings. It's difficult for beginners to imagine what the finished dress would be like just from the drawing.
I'm pleased with this dress too. I haven't had a chance to have a photo taken with me wearing it yet, so I'm just adding a photo of the finished dress on a hanger for now.

Second dress won't be ready for a while.

I had planned to make a second dress using Vogue 8020 -View F, but that will have to wait. I tried to cut it out yesterday using from fabric which is 45 inches (114 cms) wide, but I found the cutting layout rather confusing and just abandoned it. Maybe it's because the weather has also got very hot and I can't concentrate now. I will have another try but if that doesn't work out, I'll save it for next summer and make a few simple tops and blouses instead. Here's a photo the fabric -cotton with a batik design.

2011-06-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

My last and final dress for the Stay Cool Stitch Up A Dress Sew-a-long is Vogue 1250.

Now, there are many reviews on this dress and I figure, what's one more.

I love drape necks in blouses, dresses whatever. I think it's a flattering look on anyone. When I saw Carolyn make this dress, I ran to Joanns and picked up the pattern. Hey, the woman's made 4 of these dresses already and all I can say it, I right behind her. I have another one planned in a solid teal color. I have been dying to make this dress up for over a month but I was being very particular about my fabric choice and the print because I wanted something very summery looking. I purchased this fabric from Fabric Warehouse a couple of months ago and thought it fit the bill. Let's just say I'm Very happy with the outcome. If you don't have this pattern, please go out and get it. IT IS A MUST HAVE (Sheila, Karen are you listening?) The pattern consists of 2 major pieces and a facing for the back neckline and sews up in roughly 2 hours. The pattern drafting on this is genious. It gives the illusion of being tight fitted, but it really isn't. It just conforms and drapes around your body,

and it also helps that the dress is very, and I mean very comfortable.

Here's my review of the pattern:

Pattern Description:

MISSES' DRESS: Close-fitting dress.

Pattern Sizing:

6-20. I made a size 14.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Yes, the directions were very easy to follow.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

I LOVE the construction of this dress. It has two major pieces and a facing piece for the back neckline.

Fabric Used:

Cotton Lycra Knit which I purchased from Fabric Warehouse.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I added two inches to the length of the dress. I also finished the sleeves by hand as sometimes depending on the fabric you use when you hem sleeves in knit, they sometimes get a ripple look from serging them and then sewing them. Doing it by hand took care of that problem for me.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes, I"m going to make it in a teal blue. I think everyone should have one of these in their closet.

Linda, thank you so much for hosting this sew-a-long. As usual you did a fantastic job and helped me add three new dresses to my wardrobe. Kudos to you my dear.

Butterick 5147

2011-06-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!!!! Happy Father's Day!!! I hope you are all having a wonderful day. I made sure I got up bright and early and made my phone call to my Dad!

Thank you all for the lovely comments you left me about my ruffle dress. I wore it last Saturday night when I played for a golf outing dinner and it was a big hit. The guys loved it and said I reminded them of Tina Turner. Let's just say I was shaking my thang and having a good time.

Dress #2 for the Stay Cool Stitch Up A Dress is The Blue Hawiian Dress a.k.a. the dress that almost wasn't. Last year I started this dress and after I cut it out, I realized that it had a fade mark going down the full length of the front of the dress. I looked at it and pressed on thinking hopefully that I'd be able to fix it. The lining was attached and all I had to do was put the zipper in and sew the sides up.

Discouraged, I put the dress away and it became a UFO. Now, during this time I spoke to Sheila and she suggested possibly using a Sharpie marker might do the trick and I agreed but of course I would have to do a spot check to see if it would work first. Fast forward one year later and Faye (Linda) has a sew-a-long for summer dresses which I join. I had no intention of finishing this dress but hay, I was straightening up/organizing my sewing room a little(it's a work in progress) and I came across the dress.

I thought to myself, "I went this far, I might as well finish it and tryout the marker. Last weekend after I installed the zipper and sewed up the sides, I put the dress on and went to town with my blue sharpie. What do you know, it worked. I am one happy woman because I really like this Fabric.

Pattern Description:

MISSES/MISSES PETITE JACKET, TOP, DRESS AND SKIRT: Jacket A has front and back darts, collar and three-quarter length sleeves. Top B has front and back darts, side zipper. Slim fitting dress C has front and back darts, back zipper and back slit, length is 2" below mid-knee. A-line dress D has front and back darts, back zipper, length is mid-calf. Slim fitting skirt E has front and back darts, back zipper and back slit, length is 2" below mid-knee. A-line skirt F has front and back darts, back zipper, length is mid-calf. All garments are lined.

Pattern Sizing:

8-24. I made a 14.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?

Yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Yes, and I love the directions to install the lining.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?

The one thing that I would change for next time is the lining pieces. Unfortunately, the lining pieces are the same as the main garment pieces. When I make this again, and I will, I will make the lining pieces a little bigger so that the dress itself will not pull. With the pieces being the same size, the dress can not flow the way it wants to and it pulls in a few places.

Fabric Used:

Cotton Twill that I purchased from Karlin's in Philadelphia last year.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

None, but, for my next version, I plan on making the lining a little bigger. Also, I will not use this lining fabric again. It was horrible. I wore it to work and when I got home, one of the seams frayed. I have a funny feeling I might have to change the lining in the future.

Lesson learned.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

Yes, and yes.

Conclusion:

This is a fantastic wardrobe builder for anyone's closet. Sheath dresses can pretty much work for anything, work, special occasions, or just a quiet night out. I say it's all in your fabric choice. Up next is the final dress Vogue 1250.

New Look 6557

2011-06-19T00:54:00.000-07:00

Here is my version of New Look 6557

Please visit me at blog for the full scoop and story of this dress! Happy Sewing Divas!

IT'S BEEN A GREAT RUN!

2011-06-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

I DID IT...AS YOU CAN SEE, I GOT THE SLIDE SHOW TO WORK! I'll be adding others as dresses are completed so don't forget to post dresses here even if finished after Sunday!!!

Tomorrow, Sunday June 19th brings an end to the 2011 Ideal Dress Challenge. However; you are still welcomed to post your dresses even if it's past Sunday when you finish.

I'm working on a slide presentation to show case all the beautiful dresses. Hopefully I'll have it posted on the dress blog by Monday evening - SO PLEASE CHECK BACK THEN.

Again, a great bit THANK YOU to all who participated, followed or just looked in at the challenge.

M5847: Complete

2011-06-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

I wore the dress to my friend's daughter's graduation party today. I received many nice compliments!

Summer Dress No. 1 Sort of.....

2011-06-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

Well here is the first summer dress I'm reporting. I made a white seersucker dress, but it's a wadder. Total fail and not going to even be mentioned again. lol. Ahem.

I'm happy to have at least one dress completed thanks to Faye's time extension. Woo hoo!

This dress has a stretch charmeuse on top and faille on the bottom. I choice bright and cheery - perfect for my summer work dress. The pattern is New Look 6912.

More info can be found on this blogpost found here.

2011-06-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

I got to take my dress on a test run at last night's graduation ceremony, but not before going out in a monsoon-like rain storm to get there. Thank God for the rain, we hadn't had any since April. I managed to snap this picture in the dress after arriving back home - me and the dress were not in the best of conditions at this point.

The red belt did make the dress pop, but the dress with the belt on me was a disaster so it was a no go. The dress is a good fit, but didn't end up looking as I had envisioned, but it is wearable.

I've started my second dress and will be working hard at getting it finished today - hopefully. Here's pictures of my muslin for that dress.

I'll post my progress tomorrow...

Quick Post

2011-06-18T06:21:00.001-07:00

I sewed the last button on the dress yesterday. I hope to get some pictures today.

L

Starting Late, But Very Hopeful!

2011-06-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

First of all, I thank you, Faye, for extending the challenge to the 19th. I cut my fabric out on 6/10, but I had to stop there to complete the bridesmaid dresses I was finishing up for the wedding on the 6/11( a whole other story....).
Anyway, that took a lot out of me,plus I've been busy at work. So, this is whee I am thus far...

2011-06-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

This may be the longest I have ever taken to complete a dress. Most of the time, I work on one project at a time allowing me to complete a dress in a day or two. Currently, I am juggling about five or six projects. I'll start showing you those next week.

As a reminder, I found the perfect dress to wear to my brother's wedding in July at Mod Cloth. Unfortunately, the dress was more than I was willing to pay. I quickly found Simplicity 2886, fabric, buttons, and a zipper. You can follow the entire process, just scroll through my blog.

The bolero turned out really cute. Though if I ever make another one using this pattern, I'm going to make a couple changes to the process. I wish I had taken photos, but was concentrating super hard trying to decipher what I was meant to do. It started off simply enough with pleats: two on each front and front lining and one on the back and lining. Then sew shoulder seams on outside and lining. This is where it got interesting.

Then I pinned outside to lining; right sides together. I then sewed together the back bottom hem, armholes, and from the bottom of one front around the neckline and to the bottom of the other front. All that was left open were the side seams. In four circles that I used to turn the fabric right-side out. I then had to wrangle those seams together and not have any stitches showing. There must be an easier way!

In the end, I left the stitching around the bodice. I took another look today and decided it looks fine. I also decided on the little white buttons with two holes because they match the large button on the bolero.

Thanks to those of you who took the time to read the post rather than scrolling straight to the photos of the completed dress! The dress will be making its official appearance at my brother's wedding on July 2nd.

With the bolero:

A view of the back. I didn't have anyone to help make a good bow.

You can also check out the story on my blog here.

Progress with Butterick dress

2011-06-16T04:05:00.000-07:00

I keep taking 10 minutes here and there to work on my dress. I attached the ruffle to the neckline yesterday evening. Here is a shot of the dress on the cutting table with ruffle attached; next step is to attach the front facing.

phew, time flies !

2011-06-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

And that is an understatement ! Even though I did not get round to posting here, I did finish my 2 dresses. But... first of all, I think something is wrong with the amount of tulle needed for the Sybille dress... you have to ruffle about 9 yards of tulle for the underskirt ! No way they took that much tulle for this dress:

In my dress, I look like one of those Victorian puffy ladies...
Second, since I figured the dress would be too short to be decent, I lengthened it by about 2 inches. Which resulted in the underskirt - non tulle part being still at least 4 inches too short, the tulle part being at least 4 inches too long and the upper skirt being about right.

I was rather happy about the princess seams. They fitted immediately, so no problem here.

My husband really didn't like it, not the color, nor the model, so he ended up giving me money to go buy a dress haha

For my infinity dress, I am sooo happy I gave it a try ! It is so easy, fast and beautiful ! I feel like Marilyn when I wear it :)
Of course, there are a few hiccups. Although I measured my waist very carefully and calculated the measurements for an even smaller waist, the skirt is still a bit too large :/ but I managed to more or less cover that issue with a smaller waistband. Another tiny problem is that since you are not supposed to make any hems (fabric can be seen on both sides), you have to be careful to cut your fabric very smoothly, which of course I didn't do (you try cutting 3 yards of fabric in a straight line with 3 kids dancing around you). But I think I can make some adjustments to make it less visible. I will certainly make another one off these dresses. Actually, my mom already asked me to make her one :)

I did not get a chance to take pictures yet, I'll try to asap

thanks for the challenge, I needed this boost !

Cheetah, Cheetah.....Number Five

2011-06-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

Review and other information here and here.

Candy Run Knock Off Complete (almost)

2011-06-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

I think I have the beginning of summer blah's. It's that feeling you get when you realise that you have no more papers to write, tests to take, or lectures to listen to. The entire summer stretches in front of you. Then you start to think about all the things you have been pushing off to do over the summer and realise that 3 short months is nowhere near long enough to cram in everything. I get a blah feeling for a couple of days. Then I take a nap and read a book and all is well in my world. That said, I should have taken a nap today. Projects were just not going quite my way.

Enough of the whining and on to what you are here to see. The completed dress (almost). I say almost because it is very likely that I will redo the stitching that I did today to tack down the lining to the outer bodice. I didn't do a very good job. While it is only noticeable if you are looking; it still bothers me. I will probably hand stitch the lining. I also have to stitch on the buttons.

I am very happy with my decision about the hem. I shortened the length considerably. The skirt measures 20 inches from the bottom of the bodice to the end of the pink gingham. I then took the massively wide white band and folded it in half. Using my serger, I stitched the skirt and band together. To add a bit of detail, I then stitched one-fourth of an inch from the gingham around the white band. This serves to hold the seam down toward the band. I may still add top-stitching along the very bottom as well.

I'm pleased with how the dress turned out. I'm excited to wear it to my brother's wedding in a few short weeks. I'll have a photo of me wearing it when I complete the little jacket I am making tomorrow to wear in the event it gets chilly.

Also posted to my blog: 64 Color Box

Summer Dress Challenge 2011 - Marking, Aligning and Basting Part III

2011-06-14T11:36:00.001-07:00

I think the today is the last day for the Dress Challenge. I'm no where close to finish. Oh well..,

The next step in the process of underlining is marking it. The underlining is the canvas for marks to guide stitching. I cut the underlining first leaving the seam allowances wide to allow leeway in fitting and design. Pictured below is the front bodice, which is cut on the fold. I apologize for the lighting. The markings aren't clear, but I hope you'll get the general idea.

Mark all stitching lines. They can be referenced from a muslin that was used to fit the garment. Then copy every detail: notches, grain line, and circles.

The next step (not pictured) align the fabric and underlining. Match the grainlines. Be careful. Make sure nothing gets trapped between the layers. Next pin in the seam allowances. The pins should be perpendicular to the stitching line. Finally, smooth the layers. Check and repin as necessary.

Baste the layers together.

After the alignment process is finished carefully baste the layers together by hand. Do not machine stitch. Hand stitches gives you better control in keeping the layers from shifting.

Use rayon or silk thread. It goes in smoothly and pulls out easily when it's time to remove it. Use new thread for every line. You want one continuous line of thread for each seam. Go pass the points of intersection to give yourself a clear indication where the seams cross.

After all pieces have been carefully marked, aligned and basted, sew everything together for a fitting.

Other Considerations -

Let bias cut-layers hang before joining.
You can shift color with underlining. Off white organza is unobtrusive. But a pale pink matched with chocolate underlining changes the color to rum pink.

My fabric has a boarder print. I'm not using it in the dress, but I will use it for the sash. My next steps are to sew the dress together for fitting. Maybe I'll have it finished by the end of the month.

Happy Sewing!
C

Finally...

2011-06-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

You know when you overthink a project into almost making it a UFO?
Where did the time go? I had this cut out and ready to go very early on have been playing with it for the past 10 days.... but I'm happy with the results.

It was a little windy today as you can see.
This is a self drafted pattern.
It is 100% cotton, thoughtful details include ... partially lining from the waist down (which finishes up the side slits nicely), the back has a gathered detail which gives it a nice contour from the side.

I might have to make this again :)
Thanks Faye for putting this together!!

Grrr I still can't post comments to this blog, so Thank you everyone for your kind comments. I've worn it today and it's nice and cool.

Falling Behind

2011-06-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

I intended to post this on Friday after it was suggested. I'm sneaking it in now in hopes that i get a few responses before I sit down to finish this dress tomorrow.

I'm still debating about the hem of this dress. I have pinned up four options. I have my favorite, but am not going to tell you so I don't influence your suggestions.

Choice #1 Prairie Girl Style not trimming the length in any way. I think this pattern was designed for giants!

Choice #2 Half width of the white band; skirt shortened to above the knee. The skirt should fall to just about knee length.

Choice #3 Full width of the band; skirt shortened to just above the knee. With the wide band the skirt will fall just below the knee.

Choice #4 No white band; shortened to just above the knees. It will end up being a bit longer than I pinned.

Thanks for you comments.

S3503

2011-06-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

This pattern has gotten a lot of rave reviews. I did sew view A in a Fauxsoni knit two years ago. I still wear it. I needed, okay wanted, a dress for the girls luncheon yesterday. My neighbour brought this fabric back from Bulgaria last year. I promised her I would do it justice. I chose view E There was barely enough to work with. I cut the skirt back a bit smaller than the front and used JetSet for the contrast and the lining.

Poor Z! I need to recover her. It's been almost 30 years since we've been together.

Phewww 2 Dresses Done!

2011-06-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

If I didn't finish these dresses in time it would have all been because of the hems. I'm seriously considering hemming all pattern pieces before they are sewn together! lol

McCall's 6350 definitively looks more complicated than it is and I enjoyed it the entire time(except for the hem) and never scratched my head or had to read instruction out loud. :)

Butterick 4443 is a simple pattern that produces a nice dress that I think will showcase prints nicely.

I have more ramblings and pictures on the blog

Thanks Faye for hosting such a nice challenge! I'm enjoying reading the progress you all are making on your dresses and adding a few patterns to the list because of them. Since the deadline has been extended I may do another in time but no promises :) Good luck everyone!

Stinkin' Buttonholes...

2011-06-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

I am so close to completing the dress, except for the buttonholes. Of course since it's the last feature to do, it's giving me problems. I think the top buttonhole is too high and my machine is being selective about when it wants to work properly. To add another kick in the butt-onhole, I'm running out of thread. I have five more to make and enough thread for about one more. This means I have to go back to the store to buy a single spool of thread.

On a good note, I did find some buttons that I like.

Trifecta-S2580

2011-06-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

Following Eugenia's lead, here's two more. This is what summer sewing should be about. Easy, fast and flattering. See the first dress here.

Dress #2 - The Unethical Dress

2011-06-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

Click Here for my Rambling Details

Two Done!

2011-06-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

Dress #1 and #2 complete, and hopefully, soon to be joined by dress #3. Though it remains to be seen whether I'll successfully complete another dress prior to Wednesday's deadline.

Anyway, dress #1 --- the red dotted rayon faille sundress made with Simplicity 2638 turned out pretty well. However, since I'm not totally comfortable baring my arms in public, it's a good thing that it goes nicely with my lightweight tencel denim jacket.

Here's the dress sans jacket, albeit a bit creased (I confess that I plucked it out of the laundry basket for this photo op without giving it a touch up with the iron):

Not too crazy about this zipper plus keyhole opening with button closure. It seems unnecessarily fussy to me and I'd opt for a zipper alone next time I use this pattern. This dress turned out a bit large, in spite of a well-fitting muslin, so I ended up doing some post-construction alteration to improve the fit.

Dress #2 was a complete success and is super-duper comfy too. I used a cheery green and ivory ITY knit from fabric.com in combination with McCall's 9574. Per the instructions, I basted the back seam and tried it on to see if I could skip the zipper. Since the knit was nice and elastic, I was able to easily slip it on and off without adding the zip (yay!). This dress fits me really really well and the hubs is quite taken with it :D. My only dissatisfaction with this pattern is how the waistband insert is only on the front of the dress, the back is plain and seems a smidgen unfinished/unstructured as a result. When I make this pattern again, I may try continuing the waist inset completely around the dress --- seems as if that would be an easy tweak, though it would make the zipper non-optional.

Onward to dress #3!

All but the hem.

2011-06-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

I finished the bodice of Vogue 1027 last week, but then it sat around. Yesterday I decide it was time to get it done. I put it all together and just have to hem it. I did wear it to church unhemmed. It really isn't all that noticeable. I have yet to decide what length I will make it.

I really love this dress! Navy isn't my ideal summer color, but it is what I had in my stash. I skipped the elastic in the waist and folded the tie ends in half instead of turning the edges under. It was so quick and easy that I plan to make another one this summer.

DRESS CHALLENGE PLANS SOMETIMES GO AWRY...

2011-06-12T17:46:00.001-07:00

plans do sometimes go astray - especially sewing plans. That being said, although the IDEAL SUMMER DRESS CHALLENGE was scheduled to end Wednesday, June 15th, lets extend it through next weekend - say SUNDAY, JUNE 19TH.

This way life, and work, and other disruptions can come what may...and we'll still have time to finish our projects.

ALL IN FAVOR say yeah....

FINISHED #1 - STARTED #2...

2011-06-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

I got up kinda early to finish sewing the buttons on my Dress Challenge project.

So my first dress is now 100% finished. Pictures of me wearing the dress - forth coming.

With 5 more days left in the Dress Challenge of course I figure I can complete ONE MORE DRESS. I've loved this dress since first laying eyes on it, so I borrowed Trinilove's pictures to show here. Besides the dress I just finished, this is my second choice of the IDEAL SUMMER DRESS.

Here is the pattern...

BUTTERICK 5486

And here is my fabric.

It's a colorful peachskin from Joann's 1/2 price clearance table that I'm really in love with. I'm off to cut out a muslin y'all because you know how I am when there's fabric love involved...

Almost Done

2011-06-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

I have a few details left on M5847. I need to topstitch the collar, bind the armholes, work the buttonholes, and sew on the buttons. Once I get some buttons tomorrow, I should have this completed by...well..let's say the end of the challenge.

I already have ideas for a second version of this dress. I'm going to take the fabric with me when I go button shopping tomorrow. The details of the next version are on lock for now. I need to make sure I have all of the supplies and my plan will work.

L

Progress!!!!

2011-06-11T05:11:00.000-07:00

I found a burst of energy last night after another hectic work week. I washed and dried my fabric before laying out the pattern and cutting it out. I am so looking forward to sewing time this weekend. I am contemplating using a solid color fabric for the neckline ruffle on this dress. What do you think?

I am going to JoAnn's today to see if I can find the right fabric to match the color of the flowers. That will be a hit or miss but I am not going to orders something online as I want to get this dress made ASAP.

Finished M5659

2011-06-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

I finished my first summer dress, and I am loving it. I choose M5659 because here in Georgia where I live there are 2 seasons mostly Summer and Fall.

I chose view B with side pockets and contrast yoke in a lightweight denim material for the dress and a remnant piece I purchased a few years back for the yoke.

Sews easy and wears great. Ready to start the next Burda 2933.

HEY YA'LL, I'M STILL IN THE GAME...

2011-06-10T15:47:00.001-07:00

...This week I have been working on my dress for the "Ideal Summer Dress Challenge". I must admit - it's been slow going. The sewing week just has not gone as planned. I had plans to finished my dress last weekend, and planned start a second one this week. BUT to quote Robert Burns,

"the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray".

I'm so close to finishing, yet it seems so far away. The hand stitched hem seems to be taking forever, not to mention I didn't even get a chance to touch it last night. The hem, button holes and buttons and then it will be finished.

The red belt is a tad too big, need to make an adjustment in it so it will fit better.

Ebony, my youthful stylist, suggested that I pair it with red accessories, and I ~~usually~~ 99 times out of a 100 take her advice. She assists me in jazzing up my style a little bit, and is helping me embrace my age rather than slipping right on over into old ladyhood (lol). When I'm on the brink, she snatches me back again. I must admit that I probably wouldn't have thought of red, but it does make the dress pop; but it also means that I'll be forced to go out and find some red shoes.

The dress is a good fit, and I'm sure I'll enjoy wearing it. I plan on taking it on a test drive at next Friday's graduation, so I really need to finalize this project this weekend...

Selecting Underlining Part II

2011-06-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

I decided to underline my garment when I purchased the fabric. Underlining in some cases provides stability. But underlining also can play other roles in a garment depending on the effect you want to achieve. You have to consider what you want the underlining area to do: drape, stand up, or fold. For a fitted, boned bodice your may use flannel to camouflage and muslin for strength. Silk organza would be perfect to add lightweight support in a skirt or sheath dress.

For my Summer Dress, I decided to use silk organza because it's stable and easy to work with. It's a perfect match for silk dupioni. In any case, you want to cast the correct underlining. Here are some options to consider:

Lofty - single or double faced cotton flannel camouflages construction details.

Heavy - Cotton broadcloth, muslin, crinoline, and twill offer firm support.

Drapey: Silk crepe de chine and rayon maintain movement.

Light - Silk chiffon is gentle; silk organza, crisp. Cotton voile or cotton batiste add soft support.

Pretreat your fabrics. Steam the fashion fabric and wash any cotton underlining in hot water. Do not wash silk organza; it won't shrink.

Fabric and Underlining Combinations -

Silk Chiffon and Silk Chiffon Underlining

Linen-Silk Blend and Muslin Underlining

Four-Ply Silk Crepe and Silk Crepe De Chine Underlining

Silk Dupioni and Silk Organza Underlining

Wool Crepe and Silk Organza Underlining

That it for the installment. Next Marking the inner layer and Aligning the underlining and fabric.

Happy Sewing!

C

Major Speed bump

2011-06-10T04:02:00.000-07:00

I cut my fabric last week, but then forgot to cut part of the bodice front. So here I am today, with everything except my bodice. I have run out of fabric of course because the pattern calls for self lining. I really don't know what to do know. I am going to goldhawk road tomorrow to see if I can still find the fabric. Wish me luck please.

What is the deadline for our dresses? It is the 14th right? Please tell me it is the 14th. Hopefully I can find the fabric and sew the dress on sunday.

Self-Drafted Japanese Fabric Dress

2011-06-09T16:16:00.001-07:00

My friend Jonathan recently sent me some fabric from Tokyo for my birthday, and I decided to make my own pattern for it.

Instead of starting from my sloper, I decided to modify this dress pattern, which was my other self-drafted birthday dress.

My new dress fits pretty well, and for the most part I really like it. However, there are two things that I think aren't the most flattering. First of all, I think the piping detail I added around the neckline could be a little wider. I think the proportions are off. (Here is a closeup.)

Also, I added an inverted pleat to the center front skirt, and I don't think the changes that it made to the way the skirt hangs look that great.

But there is a lot of nice sewing on this garment. I handled the piping way better than last time. (I had a few issues.) I also added lingerie straps, inspired by Tanya, and my invisible zipper looks really great. Or rather it doesn't because it is invisible. There is one really botched area of this dress, but it is on the inside and no one can see it. So I am going to be in DENIAL!

I had wanted to make two dresses for this challenge, but I don't think I am going to make it. I'm going on a trip for a little while, so we will see.

Simplicity 2580

2011-06-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Here's dress number one. It's made from an ITY that I purchased from FabricMart a few years ago. The desire for a quick stitching project caused me to pull this out of my stash. The pattern went together so easily. But I haven't hemmed it yet. I want to use .25" SAS as I hate that rippling effect and I don't have a twin needle. The only design change I made was to cut four sleeves and stitch two of them together so the hem would be neat.

SOS: Seersucker Vogue Dress FBA issues!

2011-06-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

Apologies to those of you treated to a double-dose of my bust issues here and at my blog.

I'm hoping that you can point me in the right direction with the FBA on my seersucker dress. I've searched high and low for an FBA tutorial specifically dealing with bustier style tops or for bras. No luck. So, here's where things stand:

I made the sternum part smaller (so the cups are closer to center) and enlarged the space that the cups fit into by tracing where the underwire of my bra hits and using that as the new seam line. (Compare left cup to unaltered right space-for-the-cup to see how much larger I needed it to be). So, the bodice piece now fits well.

But the cups need to be larger. In the picture above, what I did was let out the center seam on the cup and use a smaller seam allowance attaching it to the bodice. But that has sort of flattened the cups out a bit. I'm not really sure how to make the cups larger - what part or parts of the pattern to add to - and keep them shaped right (ie: rounded, like the cups of a bra). Any thoughts on how to increase a cup size? Here's what the pattern pieces look like, lined up how they fit together.

The pattern pieces - upper and lower cup.

My traced pieces

My next attempt was going to be to see what happened if I cut the pattern pieces in a larger size. But if you have a better idea, any suggestions on this are most appreciated!

New Look 6968

2011-06-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

NL 6968: Misses dress with collar & bodice variations.

I used a black/white floral stretch charmeuse selected by my guy and the fabric was a charm to work with. I sewed Version B and omitted the pockets. I noticed on the pattern bodice piece a notation that there is 2-1/2" ease above body measurement and 3-1/2" ease above body measurement for the skirt. If I hadn't noticed that notation I would've went with the 18 for my 40 bust and 16 for my waist & hips. Taking that que I cut both pieces in a size 14, added 1" to the length of the front & back bodice pieces & basted stitched the dress without sewing in the darts to gauage fit.

With the dress on, wrong side out, I pinched out the front darts, which if my number is right, each dart (4) ended up being 1/4" at the widest part, smaller than the original dart. Took the dress apart and proceeded to put in the front & back darts and another try-on yielded a nice fit.

Also, I didn't use the facings and instead did a full lining and opted for a 2-way stretch knit for the lining.

Feeling secure about the mini modifications went ahead and inserted the zipper out-of-sync of the pattern instructions. I followed Colette Patterns' Tutorial for the zipper installation... I believe this is the best zipper installation by me to date... I mean the best.

To ensure the lining did not roll to the right side, I edge stitched the neckline. When I make this dress again I would like to lower the neckline on the bodice, its a lil higher than I like.

Conclusion, I really like the fit of the dress and glad that I chose NL6968 and looking forward to making another, hopefully before the June 15th deadline.

OmyGoodness my hair was so thick... I felt like one of the S.upremes...lol

Ahhh... much cooler

It was so hot outside....

So proud of my zipper... a rare pic of my back

This is how I will wear it for work

Off to make another dress before the deadline....

Enjoy the Rest of the Week.

Four More

2011-06-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

Here are four more dresses in the queue for my summer wardrobe. How many will I actually get done by Wednesday? I think three.

The Ruffle Dress

2011-06-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

Last summer I purchased a yard and a half of some ruffle fabric from Joanns clearance section in the hopes of making a tank top or something for work. The more I thought about it I wanted to make a tank dress but I wasn't sure I had enough fabric to accommodate that. It also doesn't help that I'm 5'9. I had the day off on Friday so I decided to see if I could work or at least start to work it out.

I started with the tank from Kwik Sew 3740.

I made the cowl so much this past winter I was comfortable with the fit of the bodice. I figured that the tank should probably fit the same way. I drafted out a skirt adding it to the bodice and angling out to make it a little more a-line than straight. I wanted a more tunic/shift look than a sheath dress.

It wasn't hard keeping the ruffles lined up as long as I took my time and sewed slowly. The hardest part were the armholes. Sewing around in a circle had the ruffles going in two different directions. There were a lot of stop and go moments. I really like how this dress/tunic turned out and I wore it to work on Monday with capris as I thought it was too short for work, but I can possibly see myself wearing it out on a date night or possibly to gig in. Oh, and yes my friends, the dress is fully lined (sorry no pics, I guess I was in a hurry). There was no way I was going anywhere in this dress as sheer as it is.

BWOF 06/2011 113

2011-06-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I was convinced that I wasn't going to be able to contribute anything to this blog. Apparently, I suprised myself!

I need summery dresses that I can wear to the grocery store or to take my two kids down the street to the pool. Seeing as how these are about the only two places we go, my wardrobe needs to be versatile.

I traced two dresses from the June 2011 issue of Burda Style. So far I have been able to get this one done. This is design 113. It's so easy to make. But it's a real pain to try and get the ties right.

If anyone is interested, I think this is a good design for people like myself who don't have the sexiest shoulders on the planet.

Race to the Finish

2011-06-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Despite numerous other projects that are vying for my attention, I am still making progress on my dress for the wedding. Let me show you what I have accomplished.

First, I've been fighting a bit with the bodice. It is lined and the pattern directions guided me to leave exposed seams at the sides and where the bodice and skirt attach. I thought that was just plain silly. If you are going to have a lining, then you should take advantage and hide as many seams as possible. The non-zipper side now has an enclosed seam.

I hadn't realised this pattern had pockets in the skirt until I went to cut out the pieces. I almost eliminated them. The I thought about all the stuff I could carry around in them. Such as extra wedding favors or a few of those delicious mints you only see at weddings. My boyfriend suggested extra batteries for the camera flash.

The pockets, pleats, and skirt went very quickly. As did sewing the skirt to the bodice. I don't believe I've ever had such good luck with sewing a skirt to the top of a dress.

Then came the dreaded zipper. I'm not certain when I started disliking zippers. I recall sewing in zippers with the greatest of ease when completing 4-H projects. Maybe because my mum was doing the hard parts! This zipper went in with relative ease. It went in just fine on the first go! I was relieved.

My final step for the day was to attach the straps. I had a bit of help from my boyfriend. He pinned the straps in place since I can't reach when wearing the dress. The first fitting went well.

I'm close to the finish. Tomorrow I will tack down the lining. I'm debating between hand-stitching or using the machine. I'm also adding the buttons. I think I'm going to use the plain white with the two holes since the match the large button that will be going on the jacket. I also have the hem to do. I'm debating what to do about that as well. The current length is just below my knees. I was thinking I would shorten it to just above my knees. However, as I was looking over the instructions, I was reminded that this view has a coordinating band that is to be sewn along the bottom. I'm in a quandary. What would you suggest?

As always, I have also posted to my blog 64colorbox. There are many more photos over there.

I Lied

2011-06-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

I didn't mean to.
I just can't cut into my Peter Som fabric.
So, Plan B is on.

So, my Amazing Fit pattern will be sewn out of 100% dark navy Italian raffia. It is lovely fabric and the color is a true dark navy. So far, the bodice is complete. I am planning on keeping the dress sheath-like as in the pattern but adding a 3 inch sash/tie at the waist. I need to research raffia. I thought I knew all my fabrics, apparently not......

Inspiration Picture
Left: Navy dress by Milly

Bodice lined with navy bemberg :

I will omit the cap sleeves, but the color and the essential shape of the dress should mimic the Milly dress.
I hope to be finished this weekend!

JoanneM

Red Rayon Sundress Progress

2011-06-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

I'm getting there!

I had to add a dart to a curve with no major hard angle weirdness. Despite the fact that I mixed wine with cutting into my fabric.

I got most of the dress done on Saturday. I decided against the built in bra because it looked like the dress is compatible with wearing a bra. I am definitely going to use another view from this pattern with yellow gingham, and that one will need help.

It's starting to shape up. Next up is zipper insertion and getting the straps just so.

I am really enjoying watching everyone's progress!

M5847 Progress

2011-06-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

I took a different approach to fitting this time around. I relied much more on flat pattern measurements and a set of body measurements that were taken in January. I focused on three main areas: bust fullness, front full bust area (from side seam to side seam), and back width (also from side seam to side seam).

Bust Fullness/Apex
The first thing I noticed about this pattern was that the bust curve was really high. There was a difference of 2 inches from the pattern's marked bust point and mine. So I lowered the bust curve this amount. A few more details about this alteration can be found here.

FBA
Many full-busted women carry most of the bust circumference in the front. If a pattern or a body measures 40" at the full bust, dividing the number in half does not necessarily give the correct or needed front and back measurements. The back width could by 15", while the front is 25". When I measured the pattern across the back, I found it to be close to what I needed. The front, however, was short by about 3" - even though the pattern's finished garment measurements suggested a shortage of 2". So, I made a 1.5" FBA.

Muslin

As you can see, the front still pulls. Part of this is because (a) I didn't make a large enough FBA and (b) I forgot to mark the CF on the muslin, so the pins may not be in the correct spot. I didn't adjust the pattern any further. My intent was to make this in a stretch denim. Since I have discovered that I don't have enough fabric, I will make it in a non-stretch and use 1-inch seam allowances. Hopefully this will be enough!

The fit across the back is fine; the wrinkles are there because I'm twisting to take a picture of the back. If I need extra room, I can take slightly smaller seam allowances.

Buttons & Topstitching
Now comes the time to decide the details.

Topstitching thread options: rust, light golden-yellow, ivory

Button options: brown, ivory, marble, light brown sunbursts

I really like the golden-yellow topstitching thread with the light brown buttons. But, the buttons are too big; I need 5/8" and these are 3/4". I recently read that the rim of the button should be no more than 1/2" from the center front. If I move the CF, then that changes the fit of the garment and I'm kinda banking on things staying just where they are. I'll make a trip to an independent craft store to search for buttons and (cough) JoAnn's, as a last resort.

Feel free to share your comments about the buttons and/or topstitching thread.

L

Simplicity 2896: summer sheath

2011-06-07T11:15:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make a cute little summer sheath, since like many of you I find I prefer wearing a skirt/dress in the summer than the usual shorts and a T-shirt. Simplicity 2896 has been in my pattern stash for a while now, so I thought I would give it a whirl!

Using a cotton/lycra pique, this was a quick and easy project. I especially liked the facing that neatened up the neckline and armholes, and the back darts were handy for any back adjustments. Since the front has a couple of small gathers into the yoke, there are no front darts. I found I didn't need my usual FBA, tho I did sew a size 16 at neck/armhole, and 18-20 from the armholes to hem. I plan to wear this on the weekend to my niece's grad party, along with some cute white/gold sandals. Blogged about here: http://sewmuchknitting.blogspot.com/2011/06/simplicity-2896.html

Decisions, decisions. Please help me choose one.

2011-06-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

I know I'm coming in late, but I am determined to finish this sew-along. I just completed a huge project for a client and need some personal gratification. I don't want to work on anything to complicated with a lot of pieces and where majour alterations/adjustments are needed. So here are choices. But which one to do first?

I've Moved on

2011-06-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

This past Friday, as I was headed home I was dreading the lumberjack dress and knew I did not want to continue with it. Then decided the easy way out was to just work up a dress pattern I'd done before. However, with all the inspiration running rampant over here and feeling the need for a different style of dress other than my customary wrap dress, I knew I had to chuck my hatred over the lumberjack dress and move on.

With that out of the way and a sip of wine (rather several sips) I felt all was new again and sifted through my pattern stash and opted for New Look 6968. My guy selected the fabric from several that I had shown him.

I am working up Version B, minus the pockets in black/white floral stretch charmeuse.

Saturday morning, I cut & pressed the pattern pieces, cut the fabric and basted stitched the dress to check out fit. The pattern instruction states there is 2-1/2" ease above body measurement and decided to cut a 14. I am so glad I did, if I had gone with my bust measurement... the dress would've been too big. The only modification I did was reduce the size of the darts.

I am so glad I decided to work up this dress, it allowed me to get a better handle on my invisible zipper application.

Here is a peek of what I've done so far...

zipper installed prior to re-assembling the dress

Zipper from the right side

zipper opened, the whole dress is lined

Edge stitched the neckline to keep the lining from rolling to the fashion side

M6073 - Bodice Muslin

2011-06-06T06:16:00.000-07:00

Okay. I decided to go with M6073. (Hope mine looks as good as Jackie's). Here's my weekend progress on the muslin. It isn't much, but at least I got started. I did learn that I want to use knit elastic for the shoulders.

Here's the back. I think I want to add 1/4" to each side seam. I'm not sure about the length; I think it could be longer.

Front: I did a 1/4" square shoulder adjustment. I think I'll try adding more. For the FBA, I used the size 12 and graded to a size 16 using the pivot and slide method. Not sure if I need more length under the bust too.

I still can't figure out why fabric makes horizontal darts above my bust. For some reason, basting along the center front wasn't as easy as I'd hoped.

And side: I think I need a forward shoulder adjustment too. I skipped the round back adjustment, but since I'm trying to get the pattern right, I guess I'll do it. Maybe I'll feel better about the length of the back.

What tweaks do you think I need?

Lynn's Update

2011-06-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've been working on the dress, I swear! I took flat pattern measurements, made an FBA, and sewed the muslin. I would love to share all of this with you except the brand new batteries in my camera decided to take a dirt nap. I've solicited advice from a friend about the fit and may be able to cut out the fabric tomorrow.

Pictured updates coming soon...hopefully.

L

M6073 Finished!

2011-06-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

McCalls 6073 This was a smooth process. I finished this up yesterday afternoon and wore to church today. I chose View B, the mid-calf length. My fabric is a stretch jersey from Fabric.com. The dress is a pullover with bodice & skirt gathers into front midriff with elasticized raised waist and topstitched hems.

The only notions needed are thread and elastic. There is elastic in the shoulders also. Wearing this was comfortable and it is everything I want in a summer dress. Cool, flowy and easy for a hot day. I most likely will make this one again. Now I'm going to figure out another dress for the challenge :)

Dress #1 Nearly Finished

2011-06-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

In spite of a perfect fit on the muslin, this dress is a bit big on me. Not sure why, but am guessing that it might be related to using a firm fabric for the muslin and then making the garment from a very floppy, drapey woven rayon faille. But I really like the dress --- the fabric feels cool and swishy (good summer dress attributes) and, as a bonus, my hubby gave it a very positive rating :D Rather than pick out all the topstitching in order to take in the bodice, I've decided that wearing a lacy camisole under it should make it look like the looser fit was intentional LOL! Tell me that's true ladies :D

Since the fabric was so slippery, I topstitched the waist inset as well as the arm and neck edges to keep everything where it belongs. Not too crazy about the recommended closure on this garment, which is a short'ish zipper topped by a keyhole opening and button at the neckline. When I make this pattern again (and I do feel sure that I will), I'll just use a longer zip and skip the keyhole and button.

Here are a couple topstitching detail pics, and a shot of the dress on a hanger. I'll post a photo of me wearing the dress as soon as it is hemmed. The hubs has promised to mark the hem for me later today :D

Wow, that's one crazy uneven bottom edge! Hence the need to press my hubs into service as a hem marker :D.

Vogue 1236

2011-06-05T10:35:00.001-07:00

This is a great simple summer dress.

With my white RTW denim jacket, because I will freeze at work without one.

I added a lining which was pretty easy I just attached it to the facings.

Front view of the pleats.

With the belt on my dressform, I was going to make a coordinating belt but tried this one and like it.

For the lingerie staps I used 1/4 inch elastic and tiny snaps, I was going to omit these but I'm glad I added them.

It really is in the details, I think that's what makes this dress a winner.

Decisions, decisions

2011-06-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

I just completed a New Look (NL6000) dress that I started on prior to signing up for this sew along.

Add caption

I have to find a button for the collar but otherwise I am ready to begin my sew along.

Like many others who have posted and were undecided what to sew, I too was having some difficulty in selecting what dress or dresses to make. I narrowed my selection down to three patterns and then to two based on easy sewing potential and because they are patterns that I moved up in my dress sewing plans before I decided to participate in the sew along.

My first choice, and one I started preparing to sew today, is Butterick 5368 a fairly new release and one that as soon as I saw it on the website, I knew I had to have it.

The fabric is a cotton stretch woven acquired earlier this year from Vogue Fabrics. I decided I wanted to use this fabric and this does deviate from the look of all the dresses on the pattern envelope which are all solid colors. I do want to make a solid color dress from this pattern but this print wins now.

My second choice was this pattern and fabric

I like the look of this dress, on the model, and hope it looks like that when sewn and worn by me. The fabric is a soft linen like fabric that I actually acquired from Walmart perhaps two summers ago. It has the drape that is called for on the pattern envelope; it can be made from a knit or woven. So off to do some housekeeping chores and then to pattern fit the Butterick dress. Updates later.

I am having some problems

2011-06-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

Maybe you guys can help?

I started making my muslin and it all seems to be going fine except that i got bored halfway through making the smocking for back and then gave up because I started to stress about the rayon fabric.

I havent sewn with rayon. Can I still line the bodice with cotton?

I realized I hadn't pre-washed the fabric and then worried that it was dry clean only. I did a patch test and I think it will be fine to hand wash it.

And, finally, I can't find any white elastic thread. I can use black.... but it wont be as cute. So I'm aggravated about that and am wondering if I should just pick another pattern.

man! I thought two weeks would be enough but now I'm not so sure!

Summer Dress - First Fitting

2011-06-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

After two evenings of working on my muslin, I must say that although not perfect, it is a pretty good fit. If you'll remember I added one inch down the center front to ensure I'd have plenty of room for buttoning up without gaping - this means I added a total of two inches to the center front of the dress. It worked, but I think I'd be more comfortable adding another 1/4" totaling a 1/2" increase.

It's just a wee bit large at the underarm seam, which will not be hard to alter at all.

I'll make these two small alterations to the pattern tonight and go ahead and cut my fashion fabric. I'm not sure, but I think I can see myself finishing this dress before the weekend is over...

Almost There

2011-06-03T16:57:00.000-07:00

I have to fix the zipper on one side because I got too close to the teeth:/
As expected I have to either make a small dart on the right side or take out the excess in the top bodice when I redo the zipper. After that all thats left is to attach the bodice lining to the rest of the dress and hem. The petticoat has shipped so hopefully we will get to see it in full swing by next week. I probably will take a break from working on this dress exclusively over the weekend and work on some shorts too.
Of course y'all have influenced me and I picked up S2886 and S3503 at Hancocks today since they were on sale :) I'm enjoying seeing everyones process and progress! Have a great weekend!

Seersucker Dress Plan

2011-06-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm coming a bit late to the picnic - so many of you have great dresses already in the works!

My version of the perfect summer dress is this: a breezy skirt, minimal sleeves, and an open neckline - after a long bundled-up winter I want a dress that shows off the collarbones and a bit of cleavage. It would have to be in a light fabric, and would pair well with espadrilles and a big hat. This is a dress for a garden party or nice brunch, not for the office. So here is my plan...

Vogue 1042, view C

I'm making it up in seersucker lined in batiste. I think that a somewhat sexy neckline in such a staid fabric is a fun contrast. I stitched up a muslin, and here's where things stand: The skirt portion fits perfectly (yay!). The top has some issues.

OK, I admit that it looks pretty good here. But what you can't see is that it is in desperate need of an FBA. The whole front is standing away from my body; there is an inch between the fabric at the sternum and my actual sternum. So, I need to make both cups larger, as well as the space they fit into. The fabric between the cups also needs to be narrower (does that make sense?).

The back also has a few issues. It needs to be narrower at the shoulder blades and looser at the lower back. Although, I am going to see how the FBA changes the fit across the back before I mess around with it.

Wish me luck and happy sewing, everyone!

NL 6824 and Silk Dupioni

2011-06-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Finally, I decided on the dress I will make for the challenge. The challenge is from June 1st through the 15th. I'm using silk dupioni (Fishman's), silk organza and cotton muslin (New Rainbow) to make the pink view with scoop neckline (NL6824). This will be the forth time around for this pattern.

As part of the goodie bag (PR Weekend in Chicago), I received the May issue of Threads magazine. It's loaded with techniques and tutorials that will help improve sewing skills. Susan Khalje's article on underlining gave me a whole new prospective on underlining garments. I'll incorporate some of her principles into this garment.

This, of course, will be one of many posts about my experience. I hope it's interesting and helpful to you. Thirteen days to go. Hmmm.., We will see how it goes. No doubt I will finish the dress. By the deadline, that's questionable. Lol

Happy Sewing,
C

Making a muslin....

2011-06-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

Still have pins in it and working out the kinks, and I think of changed my mind about the design. I think it wants to be something else.... so it's going to be a surprise.

Simplicity 3503 Complete

2011-06-03T05:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks Ginny and Sheila for telling me I wasn't cheating at the challenge :)

Here's Simplicity 3503 completed. This is going to be my park-visiting and Boston-walking summer dress. Maybe laid back date dress, too.

How about we see if this passed as *my* perfect summer dress. Here are the rules again:

* Colors! Check.
* Easy fabric. Check.
* Non-fussy pattern. Check.
* Put on and go! Check! This dress practically came out of the dryer begging to be worn.

I'm now currently working on a refashion of a dress into a better dress.

Good luck to everyone!

I'm in

2011-06-03T02:21:00.000-07:00

Decided to jump on the dress wagon. I am actually finishing up a dress-New Look 6000 that I started last week. But have so many dress ideas that I need to narrow it down for this sew along.

I have really enjoyed seeing what others are planning or in the process of making. Later.

I'm Ready To Sew

2011-06-02T17:51:00.001-07:00

I am finally ready to post my starting pattern for this challenge. McCalls 6073 View B. The fabric is a stretch rayon jersey from Fabric.com.

It is cut and ready to sew.

My idea of a summer dress is cool, flowy, and easy. I like sleeveless dresses for summer because I can always throw a wrap on in case the a/c is ice cold, LOL The flowy and easy is for breezy and quick options to get dressed and have a complete look in one piece. If that all makes sense.
Thanks Faye for hosting this challenge. I wanted more dresses for my wardrobe and hope to make a couple at least during the challenge period. This is the perfect motivation. I look forward to see everyone's creations.

The Lining Complete

2011-06-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

This is my first time constructing a dress that has more than just the bodice lined. I thought doing the lining first would give me a good idea of how the dress would fit. I've been anti-muslin for a little bit because A)my bolt of cotton muslin ran out and B) I often loose interest and don't make the garment after making the muslin. Here is the lining on Diana. Of course the zipper is not in but I think it maybe a little large at the upper part of the bodice. I'm not too sure how I will address that yet but the fabric isn't cut out yet so I have some lead way to figure it out.
It's a very full skirt, three panels for the front and three for the back. I have ordered a petticoat so hopefully it will be here by the time all the pictures have to be in.

The boning wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Just line your needle up with the stitch on the casing and it will go in fine.
Well back in the fray!!!

Marley's Momma Begins

2011-06-02T06:34:00.000-07:00

For this sewing challenge, I chose to work on McCall's 6073. My fabric (in the background) is a poly/ spandex blend knit. I'm really pleased with my fabric find as it feels so good against my skin and it's really cute.

The pattern only contains 7 pieces and it seems fairly simple to construct. However, since I haven't sewn in such a long time (over 10 years), I anticipate a few kinks along the way. That's why I'm starting now so I'll have plenty of time to work out any issues I come across.

One of my biggest fears, with picking up sewing again, is that I will make mistakes (cutting, measurement, construction) and the project will be a bust. I hate the idea of ruining/ wasting fabric (cheap or expensive). This fear is one reason why I started seeking and reading other sewing blogs. Others encouraged me through their experiences and I find that many have started off exactly like me; having no idea about what they were doing. The most important lessons I've taken away from other blogs is that "you just have to do it". You'll make mistakes along the way, but the only way to learn to sew better is to start. So, here I go.

I cut my pattern out Tuesday. Since I have a huge bust, I cut out the size 24W and i still had to add 5/8 inches to side seam. One thing that confused me is that according to my measurements, I needed to take off 1 inch for the back/ waist.

Although I made this change to the back bodice, I decided not to for the front. I thought that by leaving the extra length in the front, it would give me more room for my large bust. Not sure if this will work out but since I'm making a muslin of the bust first, I decided to try it this way. Any suggestions/ comments?

And so it begins...

2011-06-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

I began sewing Simplicity 3503 (here's my first post). This is an easy dress and I feel like I'm cheating a bit since it will be done so quickly. For this reason, I'm going to refashion a dress that hasn't been worn a lot due to its breaking of rules 3 and 4 of my "Rules for the Perfect Summer Dress" (see first post).

In the mean time, here are some progress shots.

The back ties.

Shoulder seams.

My Dress Plan

2011-06-01T22:15:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I'm Kara, and I have a blog over at Clouded Vision Sewing, though to be honest, I haven't posted anything in a while!

I'm so excited about this sewalong/challenge. I've been wanting to sew a breezy summer dress anyway, so it's perfect! I think the perfect summer dress should be loose and flowy, light colored, and if possible, floral! Mine is going to be all these things. I'll be sewing up Vogue 1086, a Tracy Reese design.

I'm making it up in this pretty sheer cotton with blue and tan flowers and solid dots from Fabric.com.
It's pretty sheer, so I'll be lining it with a white cotton voile I got at Britex Fabrics in San Francisco a couple weeks ago. This will be the second sewing project I've made where the lining is more expensive than the outer fabric. Is that weird?

I made a muslin of the bodice, first, and I'm glad I did. It was huge! I used a size 10 bodice and size 12 midriff, going by the measurements on the envelope. I'm not sure if it's really supposed to be that loose, or if it's just the ridiculous amount of ease drafted into the pattern, but it was not working for me! I made a second muslin, this time with a size 8 bodice and size 10 midriff, which fit much better almost everywhere. The back midriff was still really loose towards the bottom, so I sewed a one inch dart, to check fit. That fixed things to my satisfaction, so I set about redrafting the back midriff piece with a one-inch chunk cut out of it.

My fabric is in the wash right now. Tomorrow I start cutting!

Cutting it Close!

2011-06-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

Phew! Just barely enough fabric to cut out my first dress!!! Sure not very many scraps left.

I decided to kick off the summer dress challenge with a shortened version of Simplicity 2638 in a red dotted rayon that has been so well-aged in my fabric stash that it is approaching vintage status. I only had 2 yards, but it was 60" wide so I was able to just barely squeak out all the pieces for this dress. Though I did end up cutting the (self) lining for the back bodice on the cross grain, rather than the length wise grain.

I did a FBA, which allowed me to cut out a straight size 12.

Please avert your eyes from the visible mid-section pudge, I did attempt to crop as much middle as possible out of the frame! The muslin fit well, and I feel confident that the little horizontal wrinkle under the bust will be smoothed by the addition of interfacing combined with the weight of the skirt.

Sewing will commence in the morning :D!

I'm a procrastinator!

2011-06-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

I will be making Vogue 1027 in a navy blue knit. It isn't much of a summer color, but it's what I've got. If I love it I am sure there will be more in a variety of colors!

Late to the Party

2011-06-01T19:36:00.000-07:00

   I'm Late.
   Sorry.
   Many excuses.

I am making this:

If you have not tried this pattern, I highly recommend it. The amazing fit really does work.

I am thinking View C without the tabs, OR view A with the View C V neck.

Tie belt or no belt.

How is that for decisiveness?

Inspiration Below-maybe. Or I just might change my mind and make it as the pattern dictates.

Milly Spring 2011 "Haley" cap sleeve dress

Fabric choice:

100% Italian cotton pique with a faint metallic thread.

This fabric was featured in Peter Som's spring 2009 collection

Wish I could be a little more definite. This will be the dress that "unfolds" as I go.

I generally like a plan.

This is really a "wait and see".

Thank you for hosting Faye. This beautiful fabric has needed a project.

A Dress it will be!

Lumberjack

2011-06-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

I thought I would begin my first garment using Butterick 5500: Misses Shirt, Dress, Shorts and Pants. The dress is Version B, which has three-quarter length sleeves with tucks, bust darts & front button closure, simple enough.

Shirt dresses are everywhere, I guess its safe to say its the trendiest look of the season, and as I sit and people watch, it appears to work well with any figure. I haven't worn a shirt dress in eons and figured its high time to put one on.

In preparation for today, over the weekend, I cut & ironed the pattern pieces, washed & dried some brown/white gingham fabric that I've had for some time and figured it would be perfect since it was a cotton blend. Since my shape is rectangle I knew I would need shaping in this garment and cut a 16 instead of a 14, which would allow me to add the darts for shaping and at the same time wouldn't make the dress too small.

I basted the dress together before putting in darts to determine whether I would need just back darts are front & back. Removed the basted stitches and put in 2 back darts 6-1/2" from the side seams.

Another fitting and noticed that there was still too much fabric in the back and put in 2 more back darts 3" from the side seams. Yes the dress has four back darts, which was taken from a dress I saw a woman wearing. I was standing behind her on line at starbucks and thought... what a great way to add more shaping.

With the darts in place I started to see some shaping, but not enough...

Decided to add fish eye darts to the front extending from the bust darts....

Another fitting and the fit is better, but I feel like a lumberjack.... 0_o

and that is where I left it... so not feeling the dress... it may become a blouse.

So back to the sewing room I go.

ON YOUR MARK, GET READY, SET, GO...

2011-06-01T16:51:00.000-07:00

WOW! We reached 100 degrees today. Sweat rolling down my back, hair wet, makeup wiped off. Is that graphic enough for you. Yet, it is the perfect time for just the right summer dress - wouldn't you agree?

I am one happy blogger! 45 participants are accepted the invitation to "Stay Cool by Stitching Up an Ideal Summer Dress". There are still 6 other people who have not yet responded, BUT there is still time for them to jump on board. This is the largest sew-a-long/challenge that I've hosted so far. The fact that so many of you wanted to join in is quite encouraging - so I want to send out a big THANK YOU for participating.

Lots of inspiring patterns and fabrics have been showcased already. It's going to be a FUN 15 days! When you finish your "Ideal Summer Dress" please remember to share a picture of you wearing it! I'm in the process of learning how to create a composite frame for all the finished project pictures. If anyone knows how to do that, please let me know.

That's it for this post, I have yet to cut out my dress muslin. Got to get to work!!!

2 Dresses?

2011-06-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

I am hoping to draft two new dresses for this challenge. (We'll see about that.) I am reluctant to post my tentative designs because I have to check fabric requirements before I commit. I have no hesitations in posting my fabric choices though.

This is a beautiful cotton print I picked up on sale from Fabric.com forever ago.

This is another cotton print that some friends sent me from Tokyo this year for my birthday. I don't usually do purple, but I'm excited for this one.

What makes a perfect summer dress for me?

Unfussy
Easy to iron (I use a lot of cotton and I accept that I need to iron.)
Shows of my tattoos. (I keep pretty well covered in the winter. I get some funny reactions come summer when I have less coverage.)
Looks CUTE!
Keeps me cool. (In case we actually get warm weather here in Seattle.)

ooooh I'm running late (again)

2011-06-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

yes that is a bad habit I have :s So where to start, this is my fist time at a challenge like this so I hope it will all work out. Also, I have to apologize for my English, I am not a native speaker but I hope it will do.

On to the challenge. I love dresses, very girly dresses, 50's style dresses, nothing that clings to the body our shows to much of my out of shape belly (4 kids and I'd rather have chocolate than exercise LOL). Though I like them, I actually don't often wear them since I find it not easy to do all my daily work with a dress in my way. Challenge for me is to make a dress (or several) that I will love so much that I actually wear it.

Amongst my to-sew list are 2 party dresses that I need to make for the weddings of my DH's colleagues. I'm hoping to make something suitable for a wedding that I can also wear in everyday life.

My first dress, that I'll probably wear to one of the weddings is this one :

Sybille from Burdastyle

with the following fabrics

I als want to make an infinity dress following the pattern found here (picture from the same place)

but I don't have any jersey knits in my stash, so I have to order some on-line :/

Let's get started with the first one and see how it goes. Things have a tendency to go wrong here whenever I plan something so I'll just go with the flow :)

Slow and Steady

2011-06-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have been making progress on my dress for the wedding. I have a couple of weeks to take my time and concentrate on the details. Though I expect to be finished this week. I am also working on a handful of other projects for my two Etsy shops: 64 Color Box and Splendid Play.

Prior to Monday, I had already washed and ironed the fabric. I had also cut out the pattern pieces except for the jacket lining. I ran out of fabric. I had planned on picking up more of the Kona cotton in white, but decided on a pink that matches the pink in the seersucker. That fabric is now washed and ready to be cut out.

Tuesday I took the plunge and started sewing. It had been awhile since I've added a border to an edge that isn't straight. I had some problems making certain the points and seams lined up. My seam ripper was working overtime! Next time, I will leave off the contrasting fabric border. I was considering leaving it off this dress, however I wasn't sure the bodice would be high enough without it. Now that I've made it once, the next dress will be made without the border.

After considering it on Tuesday and deciding against top-stitching, I decided to add the stitching when I got back to sewing on Wednesday. I like the finished look it gives to clothes. I also stitched right along the seam between the border and the seersucker. I wanted to be certain the lining and the bodice stayed lined up after washing.

My challenge for today came in the form of tucks. The white band of fabric that forms the midriff is detailed with pin tucks. The problem started with the directions which read: To make tucks on midriff front...bring broken lines together. If you look at the photo of the patern piece, you will see that all of the lines are dashed in the exact same way. The only clue for the placement of the tucks was the word TUCK printed every other line.

So far I am delighted with the progress. I think now that I have the front of the bodice complete, the rest should continue fairly smoothly.

There is also a post about this on my blog. There are a few more photos included in that post.

I had every intention....

2011-05-31T18:17:00.000-07:00

I had every intention of starting on my dress today, along with another project that I'm working on, but my oldest son suprised me with a laptop formy birthday. So, needless to say,I've been playing with my new toy.
I've cooked dinner, finshed eating, now maybe I'll go clean my sewing room so I can get started with something....
I don't know about you, but I can't start sewing until I have a clean slate, so to speak.
Well,happy sewing ladies! I'm gonna try and detach myself from my laptop.

Later

Ready for Kick-off

2011-05-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

So this is it!!

I was reading Shawnta's blog yesterday, and her post about what she planned on making for her sewing challenges, and I realised I had not even selected a pattern nor fabric. So I quickly ran to my pattern stash, checking and rechecking, and decided on Vogue 8184.

I plan on making the blue version, using the straps of the yellow one. For the fabric, I decided on this tulip stretch cotton. The fabric is not that floaty, but it is soft enough for this dress I reckon.

This pattern calls for boning in the bodice, which is something I have never done before, so it should be interesting.

For an idea of how this dress looks when finished, I searched online and found these here, and here, and here. I only hope mine comes out as nice as theirs.

Goodluck ladies, and thanks Faye for this wonderful initiative.

ONLY ONE MORE DAY...

2011-05-31T04:01:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is our big day - the first day of the 2011 Ideal Summer Dress Challenge

43 participants have responded (This is the largest number of any challenge I've hosted - so exciting!)
5 participants have not responded*

*Since email addresses don't always line up with our names or blog names I'll just note the first part of the email addresses of those who not responded. Again, if you did not get an invitation yet, please let me know. I don't want to omit any one who is interested :

Cindy - Color by Number
asewfit
kjej
csmith
minniemoocher

Some people responded with different email address (which is quite alright). If that is the case with the 5 people listed above, please let me know - so I will know that you are in.

On your marks, get set...

Candy Run Knock Off

2011-05-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm Anna from 64 Color Box. I'm glad to be joining this challenge. I've decided that living in Florida requires more than two or three summer dresses. My first dress is for my brother's wedding at the beginning of July.

I started the process of finding the correct dress in mid-March. I began my search at modcloth.com. I enjoy spending time looking through the many dresses available for sale. Even with the great prices, often a dress is still a bit more than I prefer to pay for a dress. I do look to them for inspiration. On this particular day, I found the almost perfect dress. It's made of pink gingham with a sweetheart neckline and white empire waistband. I adore the three little buttons. My only dislike is the length; I felt it should maybe be a bit longer for a wedding.

Since my skills as a pattern maker are still in the developmental stages, I began searching for a similar pattern. I settled on Simplicity pattern number 2886. I will be making view C. I will also be making the jacket since the wedding is outdoors and in South Dakota. I don't plan on making many changes to the pattern. I will be adding buttons like the dress from modcloth. I am still undecided about having a contrasting stripe at the bottom of the skirt.

My main fabric is a pink and white seersucker. The pattern is very similar to gingham, but on seersucker fabric. I am using white Kona cotton for the waistband, contrasting hem, and jacket. The jacket will be lined with a solid pink Kona cotton.

I found a huge white button in a clearance bin for 25 cents. I am deciding between a few options from my supply of buttons for the three little buttons for the bodice. If you have a suggestion, I would like to hear it.

Note: I am new to using blogger. I'm still sorting out how to get the photos the way I want them. Please check out my blog here.

You've seen these before

2011-05-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

That is if you read my blog I purchased this pique fabric about 6 months ago at Hancock with these same patterns in mind.

Hopefully this challenge will make them actually happen.

I went to Hancock's Memorial Day sale and picked up these patterns. I love a maxi dress in the summer and I usually make one for the Macy's Music Festival.

This pattern would be perfect for a red/white seersucker that's been in my stash for over a year. I did make a shirt dress with the blue/white last year and it was my favorite summer dress.

I forgot that I will be out of town next month but I hope to get at least one made before the challenge is over.

My Summer Dress Odessy

2011-05-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

So excited about the whole summer dress thing. I've already made my first summer dresses Vogue 1224 and 1250, I just started on the muslin for this one a couple of weeks ago but haven't been able to work on it consistently due to a number of issues that I'm hoping are now resolved because at this point, I'm full on sewing. Don't ask me to cook, don't ask me to clean, don't ask me for nothin' just hand me the scissors, Amirite??

Shirtdresses have always been a love of mine. I haven't had a good one in a while and I think this is perfect for me as it suits my figure pretty well. I need that sort of pouffy hip action and waist pleats and I absolutely adore how the pleats look at the center back neck. A bunch of people have made it and it's darned attractive. And of course, I'm a huge Donna Karan fan.

Here are the adjustments I've made so far, I had to add a bunch of width to the dress as it doesn't go up to a size that will fit me. Since this pattern has a lot of ease, I didn't add enough to total the amount which equals me plus ease, I added in enough to fit me and some ease. It seems like the easiest way to go was to add evenly all the way down and enlarge the pleats to take in the excess fabric at the back neck and waist.

I placed the top of the skirt back on the largest size and slanted the bottom so that it's on the smallest size since my hips are much smaller than my bust.

The muslin looks pretty good so far. I think I can raise the waist about 1/4" (since I lowered it too much) and the sleeve is too tight and too low. You can see in this pic, the sleeve cap is pinned where is should be not where it would be. I'm going to have to remove some fabric from the shoulder and adjust the sleeve so that it's cap is higher and it's a little wider (just a touch).

The only other issue and the one that is vexing me currently is the bubble where the shoulder meets the neckline. I have a high round back and a short neck, so I think that's where that particular problem comes from. I adjusted the muslin so that I take a deeper seam right at the pivot point. I think to be safe, I'll make another muslin before I go full steam ahead.

The fashion fabric I'm using is an exact version of the Donna Karan Fabric. I've prepped it by washing and drying in hot water to shrink and then soaking in starch and let dry flat.

That said, I really want to get this done soon, because I love it and I have the perfect shoes for it and I want to make at least 5 more dresses this summer. You'll see.

Simplicity 3503

2011-05-30T04:24:00.000-07:00

Hi. I'm Sophia from Sophia Sews and am so happy to be partaking in my first sewing challenge. Since summer dresses are basically my favorite clothing item period this was the perfect challenge to take on. Thanks, Faye!

Over the years I have slowly cultivated my idea of the perfect summer dress. Here they are:

* Colors! I don't like black or gray in the summer.
* Easy fabric. Anything that doesn't wrinkle too easily.
* Non-fussy pattern. There should be no need for readjustments during the day. Nor should I worry about wardrobe malfunctions when bending over, etc. Many RTW summer dresses fail miserably here.
* Put on and go! No need for slips or camis. Just give me a dress and let me go.

So, you can see style isn't on the list. I love 'em all! Give me a long maxi, a frilly above-the-knee dress, a beach cover-up, whatever. My mood determines the style.

After all that chatter, here's what I'm making. Simplicity 3503 is a great little pattern (is it cheating if you've made the dress before?). I'll be making several changes though including making sure the front and back aren't too low and probably taking out the midriff piece (just because, no real reason for that).

The fabric will be a kelly green knit from Fabric.com. I don't have anything in this color, which is why I chose it.

Happy sewing, everyone!

Don't leave me!!!!!!

2011-05-30T01:21:00.000-07:00

Like always, I am feeling behind! I wanna thank Faye for this awesome challenge....I am was trying to narrow down my dress choices.. I think, no I am going to go with New Look 6557...I loved this dress when I first started sewing, did a review for it on PR and everything...HA, the dress doesn't fit, did not and does not have functioning zipper...Looking back at the dress now...I am like, "Wow you posted that."Looks can be deceiving dear readers....I will post a shot of the zipper and the inside of the dress soon... So you can see my little skeltons in my closets so to speak....

The fabric is a cotton satten that I purchased from Denver Fabrics after seeing Toya's lovely creation of Butterick 5549 and I was like I have to have it!

Alright lovely Divas! I have to get started wish me the best!

LETS GET IT STARTED...

2011-05-29T22:43:00.001-07:00

Don't you think it's time to start prepping for our "Summer Dress Challenge". On Sunday afternoon I pre-treated my fabric and altered my pattern according to Threads Fitting DVD on Torsos. I performed a full tummy ~~surgery~~ adjustment down the center front pattern piece. Since the dress buttons completely down the front I want to make sure I don't have to deal with any gaposis problems in that area.

Threads suggests a cut and spread method to deal with this adjustment. So I cut the pattern and spread it 1 inch. This adjustment worked beautifully on a previous jacket pattern so I trust it, and besides I'll be making up a muslin - so if the adjustment is too much I'll have time to make it a smaller spread on the actual dress.

The only other adjustment was on the collar pattern piece. I'm not sure if it was necessary for a dress, but to assure that the collar will lay correctly and to allow for proper turn of cloth, I traced a separate under collar pattern piece to be cut on the bias rather than on the fold like the upper collar piece. I also cut the under collar pattern 1/8" smaller than the upper collar and also added a 5/8" seam allowance.


1/8" was removed from the edges where the pattern weights sit, and 5/8" seam allowance added to the edge where the pencils sit.

Now I'm ready to cut out the muslin.

Sorry for the Goof Up

2011-05-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

I have to get accustom to having two blogs on my Dashboard!! I have decided to attempt both the M6350and the S2212 for the challenge. I've never worked on two projects simultaneously so any tips would be helpful. The most I have done is cutting out a few patterns at the same time or even to the point of cutting out the fabric, but once construction starts it has been just one garment at a time. Another option would be to do one dress a week. I will also be learning a couple of new sewing techniques with these dresses such as adding a lining and boning. I am enjoying seeing all the dress ideas. It's surely not helping my pattern stash as y'all are making me want to add to it! :)

Starting With This

2011-05-29T21:26:00.000-07:00

When I saw this challenge I knew I wanted to be a part because I've been wanting to build on my summer wardrobe, especially adding some cool, breezy,and feminine dresses. I work in a 9-5, corporate environment, where I'm usually in a black suit (pants), and closed-toe shoes. So, I want to be a little more carefree with my off work, summer attire. That's what a summer dress is to me~ cool, breezy, and feminine.
My problem in choosing a pattern and fabric is that I'm always second guessing myself, 'cause I know once I cut that fabric out of the pattern I choose, that's it. I guess I'm afraid of turning a good piece of fabric into a wadder. :)
I know I'm the only one with this problem, hee-hee!
Anyway, in deciding on the pattern and fabric for this challenge choosing was no different. But, I made up my mind to dive right in and go for it. However, you ladies have some wonderful work ahead of you~ I can't wait to see your finished dresses.

So, here's what I'm starting with:

I'm using Vogue V1152 and my fabric is a seersucker with a little edge to it. :)