I have this pattern (dress only no coat sadly) for quite a while and have been looking for any excuse to try it out, I adore the shaping, and I also think that the ladies white hair in the illustration could have swayed me also!
I had a semi formal event in September and it seemed as good an excuse as any, however finding the fabric was a chore. I wanted something with a bit of depth and not prone to creasing, and as I am far away from shopping choice I ended up settling on a denim on sale in the local fabric shop. (The only other were some synthetic crepes – that were both flat and loud). I had already made the denim cigarette pants from the same denim and at 8euro a metre I would get the dress for 24 euro, so even if it didnt work, the pattern pieces were so large it could easily be remade into something else……………………and the denim also looked lovely with my silver shoes.
I washed the denim to soften it a bit, and my main worry was the weight. I really should have worried more about grading the pattern at the hips. I graded it fine in the main, but forgot to add to the the other side as its an asymmetric cut – but I was able to compensate later as it sewed up.
Not a lot to say about the construction. The dress went together pretty quickly, and the main difficulty was the weight of the pleats, and the omission of grading on the other side of the hips. For the back pleat I used a length of black binding to give me the extra to meet the side seam (the pleat is sewn onto the seam allowance here. If I was sewing it again in a heavy fabric I would take the kick pleat out of the back and make it a slit and have it hang straight down – ie not anchor it at all, and I would consider something similar for the front pleat. The sewing instructions also had the back pleat hang from the facing but I hand-stitched it down a few inches as the fabric seemed to drag it away from the body. I probably should have hand-stitched it further, but I was afraid if I did too much, the sewing may get caught up somehow.
The back of the dress is 4 layers of fabric and when you factor in the darts that’s 6 layers so after I steam pressed the facings, I used bulldog clamps to make it look less bulky (and it worked a charm).
The dress was incredibly comfortable to wear and if I ever see a potential swanky fabric I would definitely like to make it again. I am going to take the back pleat from this dress and turn it into a more casual summer dress.
The Shrug
When I planned the dress last spring, I forgot that September weather can be changeable so had to rustle up a shrug. I made a modified version of the studio faro balenciaga top – and gave it extra tailoring from a vogue picture I saw. I drafted up the pattern again, the last sample I did got used as hand bag lining, but I remembered I had drafted it far too big so I used a close fitting block as my starting point. I was using some left over grossgrain type fabric and would have liked to have done a bias cut and absorbed some of the darts, but as the fabric has a raised stripe, it was easier to cut on grain. I did a toile from an old sheet first, and fixed the darts using that, and also cut a curve in the back of the ‘sleeve’, and used the cut and fixed toile to alter the newer pattern. I was going to put in buttons and did some trials but thought buttonholes looked a bit fussy so I left it was was…….. a really useful shrug for an empire line dress.
upsew 
It’s gorgeous Eimear and looks amazing with the silver shoes! I love the colour and the cut on you – you look ready for some fun in it – any dancing perhaps?? Shame to not have the coat pattern – now that would be one to hunt down. I’m envious of the dress form…maybe I should put one on my Christmas list???
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Thanks Claire – I am delighted with the shoes and could only justify the online purchase of them when they went half price. I was thinking of trying to draft the coat pattern as the darts are similar to the dress but the authentic pattern is always the thing really (and this pattern is an expensive one in general). The dress forms are handy, I have mine for years and its only useful for basic alterations. You really cannot fit correctly on them – it sounds a bit flimsy when I say it, but it wasnt until after I got it that I realised its limitations, having said that – I rather having one than not! And it would be handy to have a kids one for the irish dancing stuff!!!
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This outfit is just stunning – you look really beautiful. So very well done. I love the description of it’s outing as semi-formal – wonderfully understated. Love everything about this.
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Thank you so much Aimee – I have a picture of Maude peeping out of my handbag somewhere, as ‘she’ was in charge of make-up (never know why I feel I need to bring back up supplies as I never use them), and it worked out well, and I am glad I went with the denim!
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I’m exactly the same these days when it comes to make up. I still like to have my three items with me as some kind of lifeboat! I’m beyond chuffed that Maude accompanied you. That has made by year!
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It is a beautiful pattern and really, really suits you Eimear. I agree that making the coat should be possible from the dress pattern. It is only the collar that is a little bit challenging. I think making these formal gowns in everyday fabrics is a really canny approach to reinvention. Super work. You look beautiful.
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Thank you so very much, yes, I totally agree on the collar – and realistically I have sufficient coat remakes for the moment (but none that would look good enough for a night at the opera!) I had been on the look out for this pattern for a while and was so glad to get it (as a lesser price as it was without the coat) I love the cut, and shaping, and that it will make a summer dress for next year! (so tempting to make it again in a lighter weight fabric, which I most probably will do!)
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What an interesting, puzzle-like pattern, I’m so glad you included the photo of the pattern piece diagram. The dark blue of the denim is lovely on you.
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Thank you very much, I love the diagrams of vintage patterns – especially vogue (does that make me a pattern snob?)as they seem to have the more unusual shaping. Wish I inspected the pieces better and would have done the grading better, I think I was overwhelmed with the size of the pieces, especially the back piece as it was bigger than my cutting table which is 160x120cm!
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Denim was such an interesting choice for your dress, and it looks great! I hope you enjoyed your night out 🙂
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thank you Carolyn, it probably was an interesting choice in hindsight, but given the choice from the local fabric store (truly limited) it was the only possibility….I envy all who live in larger cities when faced with these choices. Originally I was looking for a fabric with depth……..and denim has it in spades!
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The outfit looks fab Eimear and I see you now also have silver shoes, there’s something quite tempting about them, isn’t there! Haha!
I’m especially loving the shrug and can imagine it being remade in many different fabric types. I agree with you about the fabric shop choices, there aren’t many in Edinburgh when compared to bigger towns, but then maybe that just makes for more creative thinking? 🙂
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So true Linda, its quite rare that I will want/need/lust after new fabric, as I get so conflicted over price and quality and dither far too long, and ultimately see it as a good thing as I would never have started the ‘upcycling’ otherwise, and ultimately its my favourite way to make
The fabric shop in Galway is extremely limited – think ‘mother-of-bride’ or craft fabrics, If I buy new fabric, its generally from a shop in dublin (murphy sheehys) that sells roll ends so its like a fun lucky dip….. I am hoping to start remaking some coats soon (my favourite sewing) – I picked up a few wool ones in the reduced rail and have some new patterns to try out…..
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I think I enjoy that sense of freedom where, if your using a remnant or upcycling, you can experiment and not feel guilty about ruining some beautiful expensive piece of fabric. I believe we think in the same way.
Talking of coats I’ve just finished one in a piece of black velvet that cost £5!! Love this way of working!
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Wow Linda – that sounds lovely…………..cant wait to see what you do with the black velvet. I got a black velvet skirt some time back and was all set to embroider a top but have put it to the back for the while as unsure what to actually do…..totally agree on the sense of freedom and the fun way to figure best use of fabric on the upcycling………….
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It’s a beautiful pattern and looks great on you. Did it come with a book to show you how to sew it. Perhaps you can make the coat from the book. Can you share the pattern? I would love to make this dress.
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