Saturday, August 17, 2013

*Peeks around corner; waves sheepishly*

Hi!  Coming out of winter hibernation, finally!

My sewing room is cold, ok?  And how many boat neck, three-quarter sleeved ponte frocks do you want to see anyway?  It's almost all I made for a year.

The weather has warmed up, and I made this frock last weekend out of some polyester border print I bought at Remnant Warehouse a while ago.  It's woven, no stretch, sort of a cross between a charmeuse and challis in feel, maybe?  I don't know,  it's silky, but still a bit crisp.  Twill?  Anyway, it feels nice for a poly.

It's a border print, but I needed a waist seam because I wanted to use the sparser diamond pattern in the bodice.  I couldn't just cut the dress out in the middle of the print because I wanted the sweet black hem border to remain.  Needs a press too, that hem, oops.

I have many patterns.  I don't want to seem boastful, but I'm a pattern thousandaire.
I didn't, however, have a pattern in the massive stash which was suitable for my (admittedly simple) needs.

So I made up a pattern, making a wide-ish bodice it so I didn't need a zip.  I didn't put darts in, but did slash and add pleats to the neckline to add a bit of interest.  The skirt is just two trapezoid shapes, and I zigzagged elastic onto the seam allowance at the waist.  I made a quick muslin out of an old bedsheet, to check I didn't need a zip (I didn't, yay!)

Hands on hips pose:


Belted:



Neckline pleats, with sweet 1960s horse pendant:



On the roll, showing reason a waist seam was needed, unless I wanted a mid calf length or maxi dress, which I didn't:


So, what have you all been up to?  *Whistles, tries to distract from own slackness*