Dress – Page 2 – Hopefully Creative

Little Black Dress

First iteration in 2012, repeated in 2021 and finished even quicker than back in the day!

Black dresses are supposed to be a staple and since the one I had doesn’t really fit anymore, I finally set out to make one. The fabric is some black, slightly stretchy scuba fabric that does not fray. There was about 1.5 very crookedly cut meters of it. This dress only just managed to get squeezed from the yardage I had. There was so little that I actually had to cut the pockets (because a dress without pockets is just a horror-tube) from a different fabric. The pattern I chose was Simplicity 2473, first debuted in 2012. I cannot for the life of me remember what happened to that iteration, but I’m certain it no longer resides in my closet.

Since the fabric was quite thick, I chose to use a slightly different construction method than the original pattern instructed. This to eliminate some bulk along the waistline. The front was sewn together first (so bodice, waistband and skirt) and nearly all seams pressed open, then the back was sewn together (bodice, waistband and skirt) and seams pressed open. Front and back where then attached along the side seams, with a hand sized section left open for the pocket. Special attention was paid to make the waistband match up along the sides. This also means that there is no waistband lining, but the fabric is thick enough that it doesn’t matter.

The instructions for the short cap sleeve were just about completely ignored, as the pattern called for a lining and I didn’t think that was necessary. I just folded over the hem, sewed it down and hoped that the stretch in the fabric would allow it to lay well. I then inserted them in the sleeve cap, which worked remarkably well. After that came the collar. The collar by itself was very thick, so if you compare it to the 2012 version, this one is a lot smaller. That is because it stands up by itself a lot more. This time I chose a size 10, which fits my 2021 body a lot better than it did my 2012 body.

The zipper was inserted next. In a recent haul of a Czech crafting supplied webshop, I discovered ‘continuous zippers’. This means that you get a very long zipper without a pull. You can cut them to size required and then install the pull yourself. You can buy those in multiple sizes, colours and types. I saw one in rainbow and decided I needed to have it. There was no project in mind when I bought it, however, after starting this dress, I thought it would liven up this fairly dark project suitably. During that haul, I also got some superfine pins for no real reason. Turns out that I was psychic again and this scuba fabric only wanted to play with those superfine pins and really resisted everything else.

The last bit were the pockets. I chose to do a historical pear-type pocket that was pieced from some remains of the scuba and some secret sweatpants fabric. These are easy to install after the fact and can hold a lot of stuff. A secret key loop was attached in the right pocket for my carabiner. They are further attached by the waistband with some afterthought strips of fabric. Last but not least, it was hemmed. The most awesome part of this project is the fact that it’s finished and did not languish in the project-box-of-shame for any time. I started it yesterday and finished it today. It also feels very nice and warm to wear and I hope to make some use out of it with some tights or very long socks.

Sewing for Someone Else

Sometimes ones mistakes can be put to good use for someone else.

Somewhere in the midst of lockdown, I impulse purchased a few lengths of fabric from the internet. When they arrived, I found that one of them had quite a lot of pink in it. I’m not a pink person, I hate pink with a passion, so I wasn’t going to use much of that fabric for me. However, my mother is a colour person. Bright colours are definitely her preference, so I decided to suggest making her a thing from that fabric. She was a bit scared because choosing patterns is not something she does regularly.

When she dropped by at one point, we started looking through pattern magazines and settled on the pattern. We chose Pattern 14 from Simplicity Naaimode 31, also known as New Look 6298. Measured her and decided on the size. I sewed it up and brought it back to her and it was.. very large. Not very appealing although the fabric looked good on her. So off for a second try I went, unpicking the raglan sleeves and neckline and took it all in. Upon return it looked much better. We’ll see if she ever picks it to wear, but even if she doesn’t, I had fun making it.

Now on that first visit, I also showed her the trial version I made for the party pantsuit. It looked absolutely horrible on me, but it was made of a stretchy fabric. She found it quite nice and put it on. It looked a whole lot better on her. So we decided that I would finish it and put a band of ribbing in for a waistband. That way my trial version would actually end up being worn (potentially). It’s nice to see someone else enjoy your failures by getting use of them.

Graduation in Red

For last week’s graduation ceremony, I tried something new. I’d found a picture on Pinterest, links below, that I really liked. So I set out to recreate it. I didn’t want to use grey plaid from my hoard, so I chose something completely different. A red fabric with specks of different colours, including some light blue.

So, I set out to create something resembling the pictures. Since I knew that the top and sleeves needed to fit and the rest could be loose, I chose to use the top of the bodice up to the armholes and heavily altered sleeves of the Garden Party dress. Then I just extended the side seams out to create a giant tent shape. I added some pockets, because a dress without pockets is just a torture device, and cut out light blue leather strips. The fabric itched, so I added a brown lining for the sleeves up to the waist. The lining was the original Garden Party bodice, but now with the darts sewn as shallow pleats.

Once the dress was sewn up, I needed to get the leather strips on. In some long forgotten days, I apparently purchased 10 ‘book screws'(?), that seemed to work quite nice. I used a series of needles and knitting needles to make holes in the dress big enough for the screw to go through and then added the leather strips on. The pleats on the arms are not sewn down at all, and the ones on the waist are only tacked on the front. To make it easier to get in and out of, I found some leather laces to thread through the zipper. And that was that!

I did get some compliments on the day, so that was nice. I do want to wash it, but I’m not sure how the leather and screws will hold up, so we’ll see how that went in about an hour..

Cat Dungaree Dress

After finishing the blue plaid shirt, I set off to use the brown fabric bought in the same haul for some harem dungarees. So I set up to draft a set of dungarees based on pins like this, this and this. I sewed it all up and… I looked like a Teletubby.

It was very bad. So I cut off the bottom and decided it was going to be a dungaree dress. It’s still got the details from the harem jumpsuit from pinterest, with a large pocket on the front and a strap across the top. The pockets in the sides were drafted before construction. The shoulder straps, front strap and sides all close with snaps.

After effectively finishing the dress, I wanted to add a little more. So I decided to also add some pockets to the back. I got the pattern from the internet somewhere (cannot remember where) and embroidered some cats on the back, heavily inspired by this pin.

So now I have a cat dungaree dress that I’ve been living in for several weekends. I say it is a success!

Convocation Dress

Another event just happened. We opened the academic year yet again. This time, I had a dress that barely had any back. But it was too cold so I wore the magic Shrug? over it to keep warm.

It all started when I was looking for a pattern that would make a nice dress and would be interesting. So I searched through all my stash and found Knipmode November 2015 which contained dresses 7 and 10. I combined the sleeves from 10 with the body from 7. This was possible since dresses 7 through 11 all had the same bodice, just different sleeves, skirts and neckline treatments.

I finally managed to use a fabric that I had bought for an event like this. It’s some form of slightly stretchy woven thing with large floral print. I’m not generally one for florals, but this one was not dainty, so it fit me better. However, there wasn’t very much of it, so I shortened the skirt and did not make a full lining for the bodice, but improvised a partial lining. I attempted to do an exposed zipper for the first time ever. It was also the first time I tried a horsehair braid hem.

The main alteration was that I had to take the back in by at least 5 cm, I don’t know why. Apart from that, I think that the darts were all in the right places and the pockets are very nice. There is a snap on the top closure thing, since I didn’t want to make a button hole.

Cutting the pattern probably took the longest. I had put all the pieces on my fabric and it was not fitting on at all, so I shortened the skirt, which helped, and then tried to find the configuration which would save the most fabric. Then after sewing most of the pieces together, I had to cut out the partial lining. For some reason I was afraid of this, so that took a few days of gathering courage. Eventually I did manage to get my act together and put the thing together. Then some minutes of watching horsehair braid being applied and I went for it, which took some time at the television to hand sew and voila, a dress!

Bras are in danger of showing a little, but I have decided that it shouldn’t be too big of a problem. With the shrug over it, no one would be able to tell anyway. So far, it does wear nice, but it needs an under skirt of some kind if I’m wearing a legging. Shouldn’t be a problem next summer.

Graduation Dress Summer 2018

For the last graduation ceremony, I of course needed another outfit. This time I had just received some fabrics from a friend of mine who was not going to use them any more, and I chose those. Since the fabric has a interesting colourful pattern, I did not want to distract from that will all kinds of difficult pattern pieces or circular skirts. So I sought a dress pattern that had a skirt with a straight bottom. This did meant that I needed to gathering, which I usually hate, but the fabrics were quite thin so it worked out.

I chose pattern 41 from Simplicity Naaimode 16. I made a few small changes: added a lining, put the zipper in upside down, took in the shoulders a little (should have taken those in a little more), shortened the skirt a little, did not pay attention to the instructions for the pockets at all and I added some elastic to the sleeve hems. I probably need to just shorten those sleeves to balance this dress as it is not truly nice looking. The neckline is also way too deep so I need to wear a top underneath, which I luckily already always do. Still, it feels borderline uncomfortable being such a deep v.

It’s lined in a yellow stuff and I tried to have as few exposed edges as possible. Only the pocket will now fray, hopefully.

I think it was fitting for the occasion, but it requires some alterations before I would wear it regularly. The sleeves need adjusting, the shoulders should be taken in more.

Double Duty

An old friend of mine notified us that she was getting married earlier this year. I knew that this would call for a brand new outfit. At some point in time I received the cutest wedding invitation card (it had bunnies!) which had a dress code on it: Tenue de Ville. I’d just bought a nice piece of fabric that could sort of fill that dress code. So I started work making a dress with a waterfall top and a skirt that could make use of the border print. At some point I put it on, and it just felt wrong. So, very, wrong – frumpy, not me, just terrible. So I chucked it in the corner (it’s still there) and set out on a plan B.

Plan B involved getting new fabric, since nothing I own is light-coloured or pastel or suitable to fit in Tenue de Ville. Of to the market on the next Thursday, and miraculously I found something that was relatively close to the mark. Light coloured, with green leaves and blue/purple flowers. It was some weird sort of stuff, almost like thin scuba. It didn’t fray at all, which made it really easy to work with.

As a tribute to the bride, I wanted a circle skirt, as she always wore them back when I met her. The fabric had some lettering, but the print wasn’t super directional, which allowed for that circle skirt. Then I needed to determine what to use for the top. I figured on the garden party top, as I know it fits without much hassle. But it needed something special, so I pinterested (is that a verb?) and found this pin. I liked the idea of the keyhole and the pointed waistband. In contrast to the inspiration I also incorporated binding and modified tulip sleeves.

This make felt so much better right out of the gates. It was super comfortable, it twirled so nicely and pockets. It was easy to dance in (queen of horrible dancing on the dance floor) and not too hot or cold. I was a fan.

It did have a test drive before the wedding. Two days before was convocation, a work event. I had this one finished in time (!), and I didn’t have the time or inclination to also make a dress for convocation so I wore this one instead. Therefore, this dress served double duty and will be put into regular rotation in my closet. It has been a super success!

Mondriaan Finish

I’ve had this fabric in my stash for years.. probably over a decade by now. I have always liked the Mondriaan-eque pattern on it, but I never really knew what to make from it. I finally decided to cut into it again. I used the garden party dress bodice by Honig designs again (used before on the riding jacket and a graduation dress). I re-printed the pattern this time. I used the second size, squared out the shoulders a little (downwards), increased the width of the back darts and lowered the neckline on both sides. I added a skirt from two widths of fabric with big pleats (about 10 cm). Also, pockets, of course.

I think this is the cleanest finished dress I have ever made. The skirt is two full widths so I could use the selvages. Along the skirt zipper, shoulders and bodice sides, the fabric was folded inwards, cut with pinkers and sewn. The waist seam was finished with some white bias tape, invisible from the outside (I think). The neckline and arms were finished with some home-made bias tape. I sewed the single-fold bias tape along the inside at around 5 mm from the fold, cut of the excess fabric, folded the bias tape over the cut edge and under again and stitched it down around 8 mm wide. This mimicked the width of the stripes on the fabric. I had white in the bobbin and black as the top thread, so it almost looks invisible on the inside!

There were some severe troubles getting the skirt to go on right. Since I have quite a bad swayback and effectively stick my butt out very far when standing normally, I had to accommodate for some extra length in the back. This turned out a lot harder than expected, but it did work in the end (I hope). I might wear this for convocation this year. It might be too bright, I’m not sure yet. We will see at the end of August, I guess.

Hopefully the next you’ll hear from me will be around September 1st, when I’ve finished a dress for a wedding with a Tenue de Ville dress code.

Graduation Dress 2017

Blue seems to be a recurring colour in my summer graduation dresses, see the evidence from 2014, 2015, and 2016. Again in 2017, I found myself attracted to blue yet again. This time I picked two blues with the intention of making something with a circle skirt. However, the idea lost its appeal and I started looking around my pattern magazines for something new. Turned out that I liked another pattern from a Simplicity magazine. It could also be done two-toned, so that worked out great.

This was the pattern, in Simplicity Naaimode 16, pattern 6-10. It came in sizes 38, 40 and 42. Since I generally don’t fit in size 38, I redraw the 38 pattern to get a size 36. I made up the pattern, pretty much as drafted. At the start the only thing I changed was to also add piping along the side-back seam and the back skirt seam. I also had to pull up the shoulder seams as it was too long. That resulted in the one on the left:

The proportions of the top were just off. It was too high and there was not enough darker blue. So I recut fronts and put those on while attaching it lower on the front by about 4 cm or so. This was much better as showcased on the right.

I hemmed the dress with the lining slightly longer than the shell. I liked the idea of some of the darker blue peeking out.

The side view is to show how the piping ran on. The invisible zip is slightly not invisible enough but it isn’t too bad although I like the matching on both points (skirt and top).

It also looks clean on the inside. I am hoping that the fabric does not fray too much in between the layers. I’ve worn it since graduation and it is comfortable to wear. It will most likely see more wear this summer.

Twirly Graduation

A couple of Fridays ago, it was again time for the most important work event of the year. The Summer Graduation, 150 students came to pick up their diploma in caps and gowns during a splendidly sunny ceremony. This of course warranted a new dress.

I had found the pattern months before on Papavero, the Polish site that also gave me my January Graduation pattern. They call it the Sukienka na poprawiny and you can find it here. This pattern features an asymmetric full skirt and asymmetric top, it’s sleeveless and doesn’t have too many pattern pieces. Two skirt parts, one bodice front, two bodice back, a strap and three facing pieces. The skirt pieces are enormous and are not really suitable for a lining. This meant some special fabric restrictions as I didn’t want a see through dress. Luckily I found some blue and white fabric that was really opaque, it was a very long piece which I still got for about 10 euros, it was apparently just too short to cut in two (lucky me!).

Dress Back

All the bits were cut out and sewed the thing together. The front of the skirt turned out shorter that I would have figured so I decided to do a bias tape hem to restrict length loss as much as possible. This would also mean a nice decorative feature. I also covered some of the seams in the same bias tape for cleaner insides. I made a few changes, namely: increasing the depth of the neckline at the front, subsequently changing the strap piece so it would still fit, shortened the bodice at the shoulders quite drastically, inserted plastic boning in the back darts and I added pockets.

Pocket Binding

The pockets were fantastic. I could put so much stuff in but due to the nature of the skirt it was invisible. It helped me out a lot during the day. The other fun thing is the mega swirl factor of the skirt. To combat the dreaded underwear showing during mega twirl, I also created some shorts to wear underneath, but more on those next time.

Inside Inside

The invisible zip worked out pretty well and it’s nice to wear. It’s airy but still *in my opinion* formal enough to serve well during events like this. People also made a lot of positive comments about it, which is always nice. I think I may make the dress (or just the skirt) again, but then I’m going to lengthen the front of the skirt a bit so that I feel ‘safer’ when I wear it. All in all, it was a success!

Tag: Dress