THE PROM DRESS!

WHEW!!!!!! That was a doozy!!!

(in the first pic the belt had twisted around! haha!)

The inspiration

Copied from PR (cause I'm tired!)

I actually combined the bodice of Burda 03/2013 #133 with the skirt of Simplicity 2442. I decided to put the review under the dress because the bodice was more what I was going for than the (relatively simple) skirt of the Simplicity pattern.

This pattern is from the March issue; so it's the wedding issue! While I have good sewing skills; I do not draft or drape and needed to find a pattern to mimic the bodice lines and went straight to the March issues of the mag! AND I already had this issue in my collection. SCORE!

Pattern Sizing:

Burda tall sizes 72 - 88 (36-44). I used a size 36 with adjustments.

Fabric Used:

I used a satin from Hancock Fabrics in bone, antique gold lace and nude illusion both from Vogue Fabrics.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:

I cut the sleeve length in the muslin phase to give this cap sleeved look. I cut the bodice pieces in all 3 fabrics, changed the neckline of the satin to a sweetheart, and cut it down so that the illusion was featured. I cut the lace to mimic the sweetheart (3 cheers for applique scissors!!!).

After getting it sewn and ready to do the final fitting, the back was too small. I was going to leave a keyhole in back but the top would not meet. DD has a VERY broad back. So while the muslin was just fine, in the fashion fabric it was off by a good 2 inches.  So I cut the back to a V-shape and again, mimicked that with the lace and illusion. It worked very well.

She has on jeans under the dress here. 

Crazy kid!

She got tired of me making her get undressed to try it on!

The fix! 

I couldn't quite figure out how to do the satin waistband and tulle skirt integrated into the dress so with Catina's help (thanks!) I made the tulle overlay a separate piece. I measured the waistband and used the satin to make the belt. It is full interfaced and is closed in back with hook and eye.

I cut strips of the tulle about 8" wide and 'draped' it on the dressform. When I went to transfer this to the belt it looked wimpy. So I added another layer beneath with very wide pleats. Still too wimpy. So I add several panels of gathered tulle. "Make it work!" :)

I added 6 inches to the skirt length (Yes. 6"!). DD was wearing heels but moreso because she has a 34" inseam. I used a 1 1/4" hem on the skirt.

On the bodice I had to trim out a couple of inches in circumference. E.g., it would have worked better had this come in a size 34. I also removed about an inch in length from the bodice AFTER doing the adjustment to bring this from tall to regular. She has a short torso and long legs.

Lastly, the zipper goes up to about mid-back (just over the bra strap), as I didn't want to deal with a zipper in the illusion. In the end it really worked out great because of turning the back to a v.

To hem the illusion, I folded over the seam allowance (finger pressing works fine), sewed at 3/16" and then *VERY* carefully trimmed away the excess. Tedious but it gives a neat finish.

Conclusion:

I had some serious moments of doubt and panic that I could give her what she wanted. But I am SO glad that I took on this task! The dress is so pretty on her and I am very proud of my work.


More pictures!!!! I posted some on Instagram too. I've cut out the friends for the blog post photos. though.

I really love how the illusion hemming turned out! 

A glimpse of the back!

I mentioned Catina from PR helping me with some logistical stuff. But a special thanks to Jess who blogs over at Sometimes Sewist. She's gotta have a hundreds text messages about this danged dress! :) Lots of suggestions, lots of encouragement and lots of listening! :)

April Wrap Up and May Plans

This month I sewed 2 5/8 yards

• McCall's 7246

LOL!

It was my Fabric Mart contribution for April. I used their Kit, which I got pattern and fabric for free. I really do like the dress though! You can read about the project on their blog.

I thought for sure I was going to be able to squeeze in the Burda dress but alas...no time. My sweetheart of a daughter pleaded with me to "take in Ks dress just a little bit" at the bust. So there goes any time I would have used to work on my dress!  Soon though as that was intended to be my April Burda project.

For May, again, plans are being kept pretty light. I have a little more free time as DDs uncle (on dad's side) generously sent money to cover lots of her end-of-senior-year expenses. So she purchased outfits for some of the events she has coming up instead of having me sew some things.

I feel a disconnect right now from sewing (I know, I know...it happens) and just can't motivate myself to even make a sewing plan! (isn't that sad?!). Even looking at all of my newly acquired patterns isn't doing it for me.

So I'm going to keep it easy and say that in May I plan to sew:
*My Fabric Mart contribution

S8138 (from the latest release) in a textured olive crepe

*An outfit for graduation and/or the graduation party

For graduation I'm thinking M7167 with the solid back in crepe

For the party I'm thinking easy/relaxed flowy sundress - M7350

*My May Burda

I love this dress!!! 

*An outfit for the Beyonce concert

I scored cheap-o seats so DD and I will go. My May Burda or the FM project (over white skinny jeans) may be one in the same as the concert outfit...We shall see!

We had a little prom dress mishap but I have a recovery plan. Here's a (dark and tiny!) sneak peek

There'll be an overlay with the illusion attached to a belt from the satin. So I have to make the overlay (won't take long, no hemming of the illusion is required - yay!), fix the back (I'm going to change the illusion to match the 'v' of the lace), hem the illusion neckline and sleeves and DONE!

That's totally a lot! Prom is a week from Saturday. This has to be done, for my sanity, before I go to bed on Sunday.

Weekend in Pictures & Simplicity 2700

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU(!) for the kind words on my two new awesome dresses! :) I really love both of them and am grateful for the love!

I mentioned before that I am ready for spring and OVER my winter wardrobe. Trolling the stash, I found this brick-red wool/poly suiting from Fashion Fabrics Club. It was super cheap at $2.30/yd (they have good sales but I feel like their quality is far more hit-or-miss than Fabric Mart) but I scored and it was really great to work with!

It washed and dried well and sewing/pressing was no problem.

I made no flat-pattern changes from the last time I used the pattern (which was awhile ago and I don't have any of those pants in my wardrobe because they'd gotten too big and I'd taken them in once. A second set of alterations wasn't going to happen!). 

I ended up sewing 3/4" side seams on this pair though. I do *think* now that I can fix those high-hip wrinkles. I truly forgot how much I like this pattern. More of a trouser cut without being too full through the legs, and the nice, wide waistband makes them a hit for me.

These were hemmed long with a couple specific pairs of shoes in mind. But as you see here, I was losing daylight and just wanted pictures, so I grabbed the shoes I was wearing that day :) In the taller heels they don't pool at all.

I redid that fly topstitching once and wasn't going to redo it. I don't usually have an issue there so I can only assume I may have placed my zipper a bit too low, giving me an issue with the zipper stop.

I used these lovely shell buttons gifted to me by Carolyn -thank you again! :)

I left off the pockets and hand sewed the hem. 

I really love these and they look amazing with black/white tops -- of which I have plenty!

I started this Cynthia Rowley vest (S1756) that I have been wanting for a long time! I decided on this linen/cotton blend and I thought, "oh how cool! It'll be super casual and lightweight and..."

No.

It looks like a lab coat. 

Could be that I actually wear one but...Let me tell you; I am SO glad I didn't use patch pockets or I probably would've tossed it. The zippered pockets are the only thing saving it but I fear they aren't enough.

More on that when I finish it.

My wonderful, super awesome and fantastic daughter received her financial aid award package - 90% of her first year funded via scholarships and grants!

I am one happy and proud mama!!! And relieved! I don't want her to have the burden of student loan debt that I have!

I want this little decorative sailboat from Target SO badly but every time I see it, that uneven line of paint stresses me out.

Because I learn (sometimes) I cut out several samples of satin for the prom dress and tested needle size, tension, stitch length, etc.

I don't have adjustable presser foot pressure but I did find that the satin likes loose upper thread tension, a moderate stitch length and to be kept taut while going through the machine. Seams were pressed and flattened with my psuedo clapper (e.g. a thick but smooth block of wood!)

No puckers! YAY! 

I have Lily WAY tall in this pic so the dress doesn't drag on the floor. I have to press the top of that slit a bit but hadn't tested pressing on the right side so I didn't dare touch the iron to it, even with the press cloth.

I used lining fabric for the underlay -- there'll be a layer of illusion over that and then the lace. But it's far more sheer than I bargained for so I may go back and use the satin. Doesn't seem like the lace will do much for coverage.

Also, I did a french seam on the illusion and it looks terrible to me. Will see how I feel about it after I recut the front bodice in satin. Oh and the client decided upon seeing this that the underlay needs to be sweetheart.

The back will be illusion only with partial lace (e.g. maybe up to the waist??). Details, details... ;-)

This was me today. All day. Life was HARD.

Oh and I am officially out of the Wardrobe Contest. Booooo!

I knew I didn't have time to be going off on tangents with this wardrobe. And I also knew I didn't want to sew to create a wardrobe for the contest but rather I wanted to create a casual summer wardrobe and enter the contest. Since certain parts aren't coming together, no need to stress over it. Aside from the chambray top and the white vest, I LOVE every other piece I've made. So I'm just going to stick to the original summer plans.

OH! I have to blog the failed M6965. Perhaps with the chambray shirt.  A post of failures. Hahahaha!

First Week of March: Gone!

I think time is passing by a little too quickly!!!  Just slowwwwww down 2016, sheesh!

So far this month I've made a pair of pants and a dress. I need to find some time to take photos because I hate having a backlog of stuff to blog! It's easy to forget details and specifics I want to point out when time passes between projects. 

Such is life, right?

I've been wondering if I'm going to finish the PR Wardrobe Contest and I think I may make it. The first 3 items below are part of my wardrobe. I have 3 items left to complete. 

• McCall's 6884 in a floral ITY - LOVE THIS!!!! Can't wait to show photos!
• Vogue 8904 in striped jersey - MUCH better result than my last attempt.
• Burda 7136 in chambray - so far, not a fan of this Kaufmann chambray. It feels so much stiffer all made up than it did when the fabric came out the wash. I have to do the buttonholes then I plan on running it through a couple cycles to see if it softens.
• Simplicity 2700 in this brick red poly/wool suiting - Love. Love. Love. I was looking for something else on the blog when I came across a photo of these and remembered how much I love the fit/details. V9032 is still my ace, haha! But these have some fun features like the super wide waistband and trouser-cut leg. 

So photos of those 4 soon! 

I received the lace for my daughter's prom dress (from Vogue Fabrics) on Saturday. We'd ordered a ton of swatches from a bunch of places (EOS, Sawyer Brook, Mood, maybe 1 or 2 others) and she really loved this floral motif and the color. 

She then picked out the BFF Collection dull satin in Buff from Hancock Fabrics. But we couldn't find a chiffon that we loved at SR Harris (I KNOW!) nor at Hancock.  I emailed Vogue and asked for suggestions to match the lace. So we have 3 new swatches of chiffon on the way. 

Also from Vogue I ended up ordering these seam tracers in 1/4" and 5/8". I've been working with Burda mag patterns so often lately I thought it was a good idea and a bargain at $3.69 each. Such a simple concept but it works!!

Often times I do just add SA directly on the fabric but I've totally avoided remaking items that I really liked because I didn't want to add SA again. LOL!

Lately, I've been tracing a pattern piece, adding SA, cutting it out, moving on to the next piece. It's felt like less of a chore--but this should help speed things along.

I also got a little haircut this weekend. Wasn't my intent originally and it took a few hours to grow on me, but I think I really like having it in "a style" vs just being there. I'm not into much morning prep so this makes it easier to look pulled together when you're lazy like me. ;-)

I want my bangs to grow out completely to go for this kind of longish bob:

The last thing I wanted to mention...I've been standing in front of my closet everyday feeling blah. And somehow, today it hit me! I've reached my "OHMYGOSH I'm so sick of winter and black and grey and DARK clothes!" point. It's over 60 degrees today in the tundra which for us, coming out of winter, may as well be 85. I'm ready to switch my closet over but...

I'm moving in a few weeks. Boooooo! I mean, YAY! But moving. Ugh.

So it makes no sense for me to lug out spring clothes for a couple of weeks. I'll just wait until I'm settled...Perhaps I will bring out a couple of brighter tops to get me through :)

Until later!