Spring Dress Mash-Up

After a few years of t-shirts and sweatpants, it felt good to break out the dress patterns again. It took me about a month to sew this one up, and I enjoyed taking my time to make something nice. 

Pattern: McCall's Meadow Dress M8105 with McCall's Dawn Dress M8104 

Fabric: 2+ yds rayon

Cost: free

This dress is a mash-up between M8104 and M8105, mostly because I got the two mixed up in my head and thought it was one pattern. Once I dug them out and realized my mistake, I couldn't help but try making my vision a reality. The dress is mostly M8105 with the cut-on sleeves and sleeve ruffles of M8104. 

McCall's M8105 is actually a pretty clever pattern. The base is a simple strappy dress, but there's a tie overlay that attaches to the neckline and wraps around the body, giving it a faux-wrap style. It makes it very easy to fit but with a sophisticated draped look. 

What was not so easy was adapting it to have cut-on sleeves. That, and making it out of just 2 yards of fabric. I used every scrap of the fabric and puzzled through some fitting issues with the sleeves and the ties. Admittedly, I probably wouldn't recommend this mash-up, as the ties can pull a bit on the sleeves. But it ended up looking pretty good and even gives me enough movement for dancing. 

But I can't quite make up my mind about the sleeves. I love the flounce in theory, but on my body it feels like it overwhelms my frame. For our second wedding this month, I took the sleeve flounce off to try it the other way. What do you think? This is the second time I've sewn a project with the sleeves from this pattern and the second time I've taken them off, so there might be a lesson in there. 

As a bonus, the Mr. got to finally wear this coat I made for him way back when we thought we were going to a wedding in March 2020. 

Adjusting the Deer and Doe Myosotis

I think I'm just going to sew green things from now on. I have at least two more green projects in the wings. But next up to share with you is another version of the Deer and Doe Myosotis Dress.

Pattern: Deer and Doe Myosotis Dress

Fabric: 2 yds linen
Cost: fabric was a gift from mom :) 

When this pattern first came out I remember someone saying that it looked like an oversized toddler dress. While it is quite loosely cut, I think it's this easy-wearing shape that has made it a popular pattern for sewers. Personally, this is my second version and I find it to be a nice, casual, comfortable dress. 

I sewed this up in a beautiful linen that my mom sent me. The fabric, as with other linen I've sewn this year, is loosely woven and has a bit of give to it. It's perfect for this pattern because it doesn't need to fit tightly and precisely to the body, so a bit of stretching or fabric distortion wasn't much of a problem. 

The main change I made from my previous version was to lengthen the pattern at center front. It seems like everywhere I look these days patterns are riding up in the front. I don't know if it's intentional or not, but to me it just looks like the pattern didn't account for the bust shape and has a distorted waistline. Even the sample photos for this pattern ride up, giving not just the waistline but the skirt a high-low hemline. It's clear in the photos but not in the line drawing, so I assume this is a fit issue and not a design mistake. It looks ill-fitting unless you're actually trying to do a mullet hem!

If you're looking to make a similar adjustment, I started by slashing the front bodice at the lengthen/shorten line and pivoting it to add the required amount (about an inch and a half for me!). It's important to pivot so that you don't lengthen the side seam, just the center front. From there, I redrew the grainline and center front parallel to the hem. I also redrew the legs of the dart to connect the point and ends of the dart indicated on the pattern, as the legs get a little distorted. Finally, I added another button and redrew them so they were evenly spaced. 

I don't have a great photo of how this pattern originally fit me (probably because I like to hide my flaws). But below on the left you can see to some extent how the bodice and skirt on my first version ride up in the front. The right is my adjusted pattern with a more even waistline and hem. Success!

You'll also notice that I lengthened the skirt on my second version to a length that was more comfortable for me. I actually lengthened it a bit too much (five inches) and ended up making the ruffle a bit shorter. I wish I'd keep the original proportions but I'm pretending it's fine.  

Also, look how much my hair has grown over the last year of quarantine! I am also experimenting with cutting more layers and letting it air dry wavy. Now I'm just hoping the weather warms up again so I can wear my dress out. 

The Return of the House Dress

According to NPR, the house dress is having a renaissance. Why wear sweatpants all the time (and I do that, too) when you can be just as comfy in a cute dress? As the temperatures have risen and we can't escape to a movie theater or even open the window due to smokey air from the California wildfires, I have found myself reaching again and again for comfy, loose shift dresses. If you gotta get dressed during the apocalypse, might as well be comfy, amiright? 

Pattern: traced from RTW
Fabric: mid-weight cotton woven

Cost: gift from my mum

This dress is traced off of a second-hand sleeveless Old Navy dress that I just couldn't stop wearing this summer. It is loose but still shapely, with bust darts and a v-neckline. I had originally added on the Inari sleeves as well, but found the fit to be horrible in woven - much too constricting for an easy-wear dress. I went back to the original sleeveless design and was much happier. And of course I added pockets, too, which have already proven useful. 

This dress was very experimental, especially around the placket and collar as I didn't put too much thought into it before tracing and cutting my pieces out. The button placket is a bit off-center and probably not the recommended way to do it, but it ended up working in the end. Plus I found the perfect red snaps to go on it! 

I traced the collar off of a button-up shirt pattern but ended up needing to pinch out a lot of the fullness because, like a button-up shirt, the collar I cut stood away from the body. Luckily I had just enough fabric for all these little changes and ended up pretty happy with the results. While you could work all this out ahead of time, I sometimes like just cutting into something and seeing where it takes me. Very freeing! 

The fit is also fairly forgiving, although the bust dart ended up being pretty big for me - I wonder if the dart on the original got pressed down and conformed to my smaller bust over time. For me, this dress works fine with a bra and without. In fact, while I put make up on and everything for you guys, I didn't realize that I hadn't put on a bra until I was walking down the stairs to take photos. I think the no-makeup, no-bra look is here to stay and this dress works perfectly fine for that. 

Another fun feature of this dress is the mix of stripes. It's nothing radical, but I cut the left side on the crossgrain and the right side on the lengthwise grain to mix things up a bit. I do love a good stripe! My mom was curious if you're "allowed" to cut your pattern on the crossgrain (she's much more of a rule follower than I am!). I think in a stable cotton like this you should have no issues, as both the lengthwise and crossgrain are "on grain." Where you might run into trouble is with a fabric with an obvious nap (like velvet) or one that has a two-way stretch or is very loosely woven and might grow more in one direction than another. But so long as you cut it with the grain (crosswise or lengthwise) and not off-grain you should usually be fine. 

I added a nice deep curved hem traced off another button-up shirt pattern for interest and ease of movement. I'm all about the comfort here! Curved hems can be really hard to turn under and hem, so I used my final scraps to trace a facing that I turned under and stitched in place. Don't forget to clip around your curves to help things turn easily to the inside. I didn't have enough to do armhole facings so you'll see a bit of bunching there where I used bias tape and pulled just a bit too tight. 

 

Honestly this dress is far from perfect but it's not bothering me one bit. There's some frayed ends sticking out from my french seams, there's the aforementioned bunching around the armholes and also some at the back neckline, and the pocket openings are maybe a smidge too small (but the pockets themselves are nice and deep!). But it is so comfy and fun to wear. It got me putting on my best sun accessories on a sunny Saturday. And that should be the essence of a good house dress - no fuss, easy to wear, and a hint of style. 

I hope you're making the most of the weekend, or at least hanging in there. Today I took my aggression out on our communal hallway laundry door - completely stripped two layers of paint, sanded, and repainted. And then slipped back into my house dress. 

Badgley Mischka Dress

It seems like another lifetime when I was making work clothes to wear to large conventions. My camera roll shows me that I completed this in late February. 

Pattern: Vogue's Badgley Mischka Misses' Raised-Neckline Dress #V1460

Fabric: 3yds jersey knit

Cost: $40

This is a Badgely Mischka designer pattern from Vogue. I liked the fitted skirt with the bloused top and the fact that it could be made up in a comfy knit for work. The pattern looks easy enough but don't let that fool you. The thing to remember is that anytime they're adapting from a designer you get all the creative little design features that come with it. Normally that's really interesting but, in this case, it just wasn't worth it to fiddle with the design when the look could be achieved with so much less work. 

The main design feature of this dress is the raised, pleated neckline. If you read Pattern Review, this is also the element that causes the most headache. It is accomplished with some interesting pleating along the shoulder. This is then combined with a cut-on sleeve in the front that then attaches to a regular armscye in the back. Essentially, the cut-on sleeve is all one piece - you then have to attach the back part of the sleeve to back bodice, and then attach it all to the lining. Don't get it? Yeah...  I struggled with both making the pleats and attaching the sleeves and lining. The directions and pattern markings are a bit vague. 

Oh! And the one other thing I wanted to note is that the pattern says you only need ~2yds of fabric, depending on the size you're making. I was surprised considering the cut-on sleeves. It didn't take quite as much fabric as I would have though, but I'd recommend buying 3 yards just in case...

My end result was also not amazing. The top looks very droopy on me. Not sure if it's the pattern, my fabric, or my sewing, but it's not as polished as I would have liked. I think if I were to make this again I would use the skirt and the proportions of the top and lining but then sub in my favorite Tessuti Mandy Boat tee or other pattern and leave the creative construction off. The back fit isn't bad...

I've been sewing a ton on the weekend under quarantine. I'm actually rather enjoying the lazy weekends though I miss a night out now and then. For me the hardest part is by far the worry of what's happening in our country and around the world, and have been very fortunate enough to be able to stay home and try to reduce the spread. Hope everyone else is hanging in there!

Lacey Goodness

*Sigh* I don't think I ever get tired of making pretty dresses. We're still averaging about three weddings a year and I treat each as an opportunity to make my next idea. A girl's gotta have some excuse to dress up, right?

Pattern: McCall's Misses Dresses #M7719
Cost: $50
Fabric: embroidered poly netting with rayon/silk blend lining

This time around I tried out the new McCall's 7719, one of this past season's fancy dress patterns. I really wanted to work with some more lace or embroidered tulle (wedding dress making withdrawals?) so I found this beauty on the Joann Fabrics website on sale for just $7 a yard. I had to drive to the next town over to get it, but I scored over three yards for under $30. The Bay Area Sewists kept commenting on how expensive it must have been at our Frocktails so I think I successfully tricked them all. To enhance the lace effect I picked up a rayon/silk blend at a Hart's fabrics sale over the holidays in a tone that matches my skin color. As a lining it feels very soft and truly luxurious.

As with any new pattern, I like to do a bit of research on Pattern Review and Instagram to see how others have made it up and anticipate any issues. There weren't many versions of this view up yet but I did notice that several people had issues with gaping at the side of the bust cup. This meant a muslin was in order (enter amazing cartoon fabric from the stash). I was really glad I put in the extra effort because I had the same issue. I found I could pinch the excess out at the waist seamline (see the cup on the left side of the picture below). But, as you can see, that distorts the shape of the cup. To fix that, after pinching the excess out at the bottom of the cup, I re-centered the top of the cup so it pointed toward the strap as designed. That fix is shown on the dress form on the right and the patter pieces below. Much better!

But you can't leave it there! I pulled a favorite trick from Mrs. Mole of Fit for a Queen and snugged up the sides of the cup. She uses twill tape to gather some of the extra ease; I used elastic and stretched slightly as I sewed. The result is a cup that hugs to your body and stays just where it should. I also added a second piece of lining and tucked a bust cup in there for added shape. This is definitely not a dress you can wear a regular bra with. See how the elastic makes the pieces cup inward even as it lays flat on my table? That's what you want. 

Much better! From there the dress was smooth sailing. I just had to pick my pattern placement carefully and sew it up. As opposed to, say, a Vogue pattern, this dress doesn't have too many pieces and comes together easily once you have the fit of the cups and waist worked out. I didn't add boning but I did innerline the waist pieces with a sturdier canvass for a bit of shaping. 

The outer skirt is just a gathered rectangle of the lace. The lining uses an A-line skirt pattern with no gathers to reduce bulk at the waist. I have also used a circle skirt for this purpose in the past to good results. 

Perfect! Loving it! Just one problem. Is it too slutty for a church wedding? Hmmm....

I had just enough fabric leftover to make a cover up that I could wear to the ceremony. I was able to squeeze this little crop top out of it and I think I might like this look even better! The trick was to cut it short enough to still show off my waist shaping. It feels like a cute little 60s two-piece set!

Isn't the back fun? Here's the scoop: I knew that I wanted to be able to take this on and off myself with little difficulty to transform throughout the night. So I devised a plan where the back of the top crosses over and secures at each shoulder. To make it extra easy, I chose some magnetic snaps so I wouldn't have to fiddle too long with my outfit. Just unsnap each side and you can pull the crop top off with little effort. Here's a little sequence of the transformation. Fun, right?

As I mentioned, I already got to wear this baby to Frocktails and will be dragging it up to Vancouver later this month for the wedding. It was such a fun project all around and I can't wait to wear it dancing (especially since I now know everything will stay in place!). 

Charlie Brown in Drag

My friend recently complimented my dress, saying it reminded her of one she had when she was a teenager. She liked it a lot and wore it to her aunt's wedding. Apparently, however, not everyone was a fan. Later, she learned that the same aunt had commented to another relative that she thought it made my friend look like Charlie Brown in drag. Ha!

Luckily, now our egos don't bruise so easily and we've decided that being Charlie Brown in drag is a wonderful compliment which I will wholeheartedly embrace! So I present to you, my NYE dress of 2020. Oh brother!

Pattern: based on New Look 6460 with sleeves from New Look 6217

Fabric: velvet and sheer chevron stretch fabric lined in jersey

Cost: $30

Now that you can't get that image out of your head, let me tell you a little bit about it. I discovered this fabric at Crossroad Fabrics in my hometown over the holidays. Carla always has something interesting on hand, usually at killer prices. She gave me this amazing 2-yard cut of velvet and sheer chevron fabric for $13! On my way out of town, I picked up the coordinating yellow jersey at a Hart's Fabrics sale to line the dress. 

I knew I wanted to make something for New Year's Eve but was away from my machine. So I spent my nights dreaming up the best way to use this special fabric. I fell in love with this inspiration dress and was left figuring out how best to construct it.  

There are a lot of similar dress patterns on the market, but I wanted to work with the patterns I had on hand. I used New Look 6460 and grafted on the large cut-on sleeves from the jacket in New Look 6217. I cut the front as two pieces, making it easier to do the v-neck and the front slit. It did make for some work matching the front. I used lots of pins and the chevron pattern still isn't quite perfect. 

It also took some thought to figure out how to line it. I ended up doing lots of understitching to keep the lining out of sight, which is a bit tricky in a knit. The neckline also has elastic to prevent it from stretching out. Also, there are boob cups. I put them in pretty much everything now and it really solves the issue of finding the right undergarments. 

I'd only had it finished for about a week and had already managed to wear it twice: once on New Year's Eve and again that weekend to my friend's bachelorette. It's comfortable and special at the same time. And I still have a little bit left, so we'll see what becomes of it. 

THAT Vogue Dress

Remember this pattern? Yes, THAT pattern. The one Lladybird called the "droopy boobs trying to pretend like they don’t know each other" pattern. I have to admit, I kind of liked it. So I made it!

Pattern: Vogue's Nicola Finetti #1587

Fabric: something polyester?

Cost: $20

What inspired me about this dress was the sleeves. I liked the take on the cold shoulder. When I saw the pattern, I imagined them in a semi-sheer fabric. To make it happen, I walked into the fabric store open to whatever colors I could find that came in sheer and opaque. Pink wasn't my first choice, but the color's not bad on me. Plus I found them next to one another in the bargain section, so this dress was cheap! It's hard to photograph, but I like how the lighter sleeves move with the dress while the body is quite stable.

Now, some of the critiques of this pattern were definitely justified and there were a few modifications I wanted to make. First, I raised that neckline. Then, I got rid of the front slit. Really, who could sit down in that?! I seriously laughed out loud just thinking about that. 

I also wish that I had raised the armhole. Every Vogue dress I've made in the past year has had a very low armhole. I made no other changes, though you can see it fits me a bit differently than the model. The dress is fully lined and I added bust cups, my new secret weapon for dresses that aren't bra friendly. 

So far this dress has been really fun. It's made it to two weddings and Vegas. The one drawback is I really can't lift my arms very high, even to drink from a glass. I wouldn't recommend sleeves like this for everyday wear.  😂

So what do you think, love it or leave it? 

Summer Swing Dress

For the clothes that I don't make myself, I pick up at clothing swaps. My boss in college used to throw a big one where I could get some professional clothes, and lately some of my girlfriends have been putting on a semi-regular one. I find a lot of great stuff and it's perfect for trying things that might not be "me" to see if I like them. One unexpected hit was a striped swing dress I picked up from my friend. While she and I have very different body types (broad shoulders versus narrow, a few inches in height, etc.), her dress fit me almost perfectly! It was one of the pieces I took with me to Europe for three months and I wore it all. the. time. It was great for hot days, comfortable for traveling, and fun to wear.

Unfortunately, during our time in Prauge, I took a load to the cleaners because there were no laundry mats or machines in our building. And this dress didn't come back with the rest of them. We tried to go back to ask about it but ran into a language barrier and couldn't find it. It wasn't a huge loss though because, luckily for me, I can sew!

Pattern: McCall's Knit Swing Dress #7622
Fabric: 2 yds jersey
Cost: $30

That was a few years ago and I finally decided to replace that dress this week. As the weather was heating up around here I was really missing it. Luckily, McCall's #7622 was a perfect match and even had a few more options!

One of the options that I used was the V cutout. It's supposed to be in the front but I put it in the back. I had to cut the back in two pieces because of my limited yardage, but the center seam actually made it easier to sew the V. Instead of a facing I just turned the raw edge under and stitched. The cutout lends a nice touch, don't you think?

I also made two other changes to adjust for fit. I cut in the shoulders by about two inches to show a bit more skin. And the collar was also much too loose so I ended up taking out about 4(!) inches. That snugged things right up. Otherwise it's a very easy dress to fit. And I don't usually do this but I left it unhemmed :)

Another fun feature is that this dress has pockets! There were separate pattern pieces included, but I attached the pocket pieces to the main dress pattern and cut them out as a cut-on to the dress. This made construction super easy - just stitch up the side seam and around the pockets and you're done! It even holds my phone without too much trouble.

I am wearing this as I type and it is so comfy! I know it's the end of August but in the Bay Area that usually means warm days ahead!

Double Trouble

Believe it or not, this double dose of Myosotis is the same dress! 

My mom gifted me this beautiful plaid double gauze a few years ago. I sat on it for quite a while before realizing it had a double life - it was striped on the other side! I knew I had to find a way to showcase both views and so this reversible dress was born. 

Pattern: Deer and Doe's Myosotis

Fabric: 3 yds double gauze

Cost: gift

Of course, there are some challenges with creating a reversible dress. For one, how do you cleanly finish the seams on both sides? Flat-felled seams would be good, but that's a bit tricky on a fiddly fabric, so instead I did French seams and sewed them down to the fabric. Yes, even those ruffles! It's not perfect, but I've decided I'm going with the rustic look for this one. I also sewed down the darts to the main body. I got really lucky and my facings matched up perfectly on the plaid side, allowing for a fairly inconspicuous finish. I finished it off with snaps, which close equally well from both sides. 

This was my first time sewing the Myosotis, though I've recently had success with their other pattern, the Sirocco jumpsuit. It seems this brand fits me pretty well - I think they draft for pear shapes like me. I did grade out from the bust to the waist (on grading in the hips needed for this style). The only change I would make, and this is something you can see on the pattern photos, too, is that it tends to pull up a bit at the front waist.

I wasn't sure that I would like this style given how billowy and oversized it is. But it has a nice fit through the bodice which keeps the proportions in check. So far, it has been the perfect Bay Area dress - sleeves to keep the sun and chill off, but still a chance to show some leg. And since it is reversible, it has already pulled double duty on trips and different events in the same week - I can just reverse it and wear it again! Now just to see if this delicate fabric survives the wash.

Red Dancing Dress

It's wedding season again and I haven't been short on inspiration. I scooped up Vogue 1545 during the last sale and was excited to have an opportunity to sew it up for my friend's wedding this past weekend.

Pattern: Vogue' Misses' Lined Flounced dress #1545

Fabric: 2.5 yds ponte double knit

Cost: $35

While this pattern is designed for wovens, I thought a scuba knit would give it some nice body. Maybe a print? I excitedly jumped on the internets, thinking up a million ways (ok, five) to dress up this pattern. But wait a minute, you might be saying, this dress isn't made in a scuba knit or a print. What happened? Well, let me just say that the FIRST version was. I ordered this wild floral kaleidoscope print from Mood, spent way more $$ than I should have, and eagerly waited for it to arrive. When it came, boy was it bright! Despite my reservations, I sewed it up anyway. And it was... still too bright. I hated it. I couldn't even bring myself to wear it on our Hawaiian vacation. If anyone wears neons better than I do and has 38" hips and a 32" bust, it's all yours! 

It's been a while since I'd made a disaster as colossal as sewing a garment I could/would never wear. What to do next? I eventually decided I still wanted to make this dress, but a solid might be better. I ordered a beautiful red scuba very cheaply off Amazon. Waited for it to arrive. And, you guessed it - it was VERY bright. It looked like a shade of traffic cone orange. What was with my sudden attraction to neon fabrics on the internet? Do I need to adjust my monitor? I tried to dye it darker to no avail and realized I needed to try a THIRD time for the right fabric. This time, it was straight to my local fabric store for this scarlet ponte double knit. Bingo. 

With the advantage of having already sewn up the dress once, I made a few modifications. I had graded it out from the bust to the hips and needed to take the pattern back in some at the waist. As it was made from a stable knit, I also sized the top down a little, bringing in the darts along the waistline and taking in the sides. In hindsight, it may still be a smidge loose but on a dress like this you don't want it so tight that it pulls open at the front. I also added bust cups to fill in the top a bit more, as on many smaller figures the dress appears a bit... hollow. 

After photographing the dress, I ended up tacking the overlays to the body under the bust to help things lay flat. I remember that I also shortened the overlays by a bit as the tended to gape. Despite the slim model that Vogue uses, I think this dress is cut for figures that are more endowed than myself. 

In addition to those modifications, I also raised the armholes by a good two inches to help hold things in place. This is the second designer Vogue pattern I've made recently that has very low armholes and it makes the whole fit feel off to me. I brought these back up to a comfortable depth for me. I also sewed the front opening shut for several inches to try to hold things in place. I'm glad I did, as it can gape a little with wear as it is. For those considering making this dress, I would recommend stabilizing the front opening to pull things in and make it conform to the body. In the case of this knit dress, clear elastic would work well. 

To help reduce bulk with all these layers, I lined the top of the dress in a matching stretch mesh. Some reviewers of this pattern said they had trouble figuring out the lining instructions, but I just made things up as I went along. The top is fully lined and understitched to hold things in place. I left the overlay unlined to further reduce bulk. The skirt is also unlined and unhemmed. 

After all my fabric woes, I am happy with this dress. I love this color on me and I feel like it is a versatile piece I could wear to a few events. The knit fabric also makes it very comfortable. 

The back is a real stunner with an opening and metal zipper. I closed the skirt in the back with a gold button after forgetting to attach the zipper through the waistband. 

After all my fitting and fabric tribultions, this dress finally ended up working out and makes me feel like the red dancing emoji. And that's how we spent the wedding, dancing the night away in a warm summer vineyard.