October Wedding in Drape Drape

Just as summer was breathing its last breaths, I had the chance to go to a beautiful, casual outdoor wedding in the foothills. Of course, this occasion called for a new dress!

Pattern: Drape Drape no. 11
Fabric: 2 1/2 yards viscose 

Ever since I made Drape Drape no. 11 out of knit fabric several, several years ago, I have been wanting to make a version in soft, flowy woven fabric. This hippie wedding would prove to be the perfect chance, as the dress is pretty but still a little bit out there and not too done up. I love the swishiness of the fabric and how the wide A-line/tent shape hangs beautifully around my body.

What makes this dress unique is the half panel across the front, which only hangs down one side of the dress. In these pictures, it looks a bit like ruffle, but it is only attached at the side seam and the back of the neck. While other drape drape dresses (like no. 5) were very popular back when this book came out, I have yet to find anyone else who's ever made no. 11 up. If you have the book, I do recommend it - it's such a fun dress!

The fabric is this amazing mystery fabric from the designer bolt ends discount section of Stone Mountain in Berkeley. It was drapey and lovely and yet still nice and opaque. Perfect for a dress like this. I was a little nervous about working with it though because there are so many hems to do! In addition to the ample hem at the bottom, the entire flap needs to be hemmed at the bottom and front as well. I decided to follow Sham's tutorial for baby hems and the technique worked out great! Mine weren't super tiny as I didn't really need anything too small, but the technique was perfect for working with a slippery fabric and made the whole process less fussy. I actually maybe even enjoyed hemming this dress!


Looking back now, I'm a little surprised at my gumption for having sewn this dress up as a beginner. Even though I didn't have a lot of experience, I never balked at doing something like ordering a pattern book entirely in Japanese with crazy overlapping pattern pieces and just going for it. While the book is now out in English, at the time I had to do a lot of internet searching to figure out the instructions. Luckily I wrote right in the book, so things like "insert elastic here" and "join these two pieces" are now helpfully labeled. The book photographs are still of no help, which I have reproduced for you here below.

What is the craziest project you've taken on as a beginner? Would you sew it again now?

5 comments:

  1. that looks great on you - and so pretty in that flowy fabric.

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  2. This is just gorgeous. The color and the fabric are perfect!

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  3. I like your version better than the one in the book! This dress has never called to me, though pretty much every other design in those books has, aside from the droopy pants that I could never, ever pull off. I need to get those books out again... The craziest thing I made as a beginner was a mens suit jacket and pants using super cheap Joann poly suiting. We were on a grad school budget! It actually turned out okay, but for some reason I've now psyched myself out about jackets! I've made only one jacket for myself since, and still think I am not ready for a blazer. Why?!

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  4. It’s absolutely stunning! The drape is gorgeous and I love the colour.

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  5. Wow!! Such a pretty dress and you look beautiful in this. I want to have purchased a gorgeous dress for my cousin’s wedding at one of venues in Chicago. And want to look my stunning at the event. Just need to have some jewelry also along with it.

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