A New Dress - vogue 8567

I'd give myself a C+ on this one. It would have been a B- if I'd gotten the side bodice seams exactly right. I made it exactly as instructed, except I shortened the skirt to fall at mid-knee length (the photos below were taken before the skirt was hemmed).

The brown color goes nicely with a number of jackets and vests I already own, and I need more dresses. So this was a good choice as far as my overall wardrobe. The color would have been great for me when my hair was dark reddish-brown. Now that my hair is gray, I'm not so sure. I probably look better now in greens, blues, and grays.

 This dress was easy to make. The only part I found difficult was sewing the shoulder seams. The instruction sheet that came with the pattern directed one to sew the bodice lining to the outer shell, leaving the shoulder seams and part of the armhole edges open. After the lining and shell were attached, one was to turn the lining out and sew the shoulder seam for the lining and shell in one continuous seam. The hand-stitch the remaining open part of the armhole edges. It worked OK, but I have to wonder if maybe there's a better way.

The dress is quite figure-flattering and comfortable. Here are the things I learned while making this dress:

1. I should consider linen-rayon blends in the future rather than 100% linen when making dresses or skirts. I can't think of any way to keep linen skirts from wrinkling badly when one sits down in them.

2. Even though a garment fits perfectly when made in a test fabric, I should try the "real" garment on as I'm making it. The cotton test fabric version of this dress fit perfectly, but the final version would look better with each of the side seams of the bodice taken in about 1/4 inch. It's not bad enough to rip it apart and re-do it at this point, but it would have been a very easy problem to fix if I'd tried on the bodice before attaching the lining and skirt.

3. Cotton poplin is not the best lining fabric for linen. Cotton lawn or non-slippery rayon would have been a better choice.

SSS Day 9

This is another version of the huge pants (Vogue 9231) made from a linen-cotton fabric underlined with cotton fabric from an old sheet. The shirt is McCall's 8850. I'll almost surely make McCall's 8850 again but probably won't do the pants again, unless I try them in a very thin, silky fabric. It might be interesting to see what they look like in a completely different sort of fabric.

I went out to my country place today and changed into these clothes when I got home and cleaned up. I always get my clothes dirty when I go to the country.

SSS Day 8

Today I'm wearing the Vogue 9231 huge pants that are extremely unflattering but o-so-comfortable. These pants are great for working in the garden or hanging out in the house.

SSS Day 7

Wore these yellow pants to the store and hanging out at home this evening. The cotton fabric is very comfortable but wrinkles easily. Vogue 8584. Very easy to make.

SSS Day 6

Oh dear, I'm not sure I really want to look like this! I think I need an extreme fashion make-over! I like the comfort of this linen skirt I wore to the office today, but it's not very attractive, is it? The skirt is from a 1970's Perry Ellis pattern. I'm almost finished making a new dress that I hope will look a bit less dowdy.

Self-Stitched September Day Five

That oh-so-loose-fitting blue knit top was so comfortable I slept in it. It was still comfortable this morning, so I've worn it all day. Definitely could not be called elegant, but there's a lot to be said for the idea of comfort before fashion.

Self-Stitched September Day Four

The blue cotton knit fabric stretched way more than I thought it would when I cut out the pattern. As a result, I ended up with gaping neck and arm holes, and it tends to have wrinkles across the front unless I stand up really, really straight. It's unwearable in public unless I wear a jacket or shirt over it. Works fine for hanging out in the house or garden. Just now, I'm preparing to wear it to the grocery store, so I threw the white shirt over it.