Execution of the Plan

I am happy with the dress however it really veered off the plan.

Recall…this is the pattern.

My previous dress made with this pattern.

You just look at this dress
and it wrinkles

I started off thinking this was just going to be as the pattern intended but after cutting out the pattern pieces I decided I wanted a tie for the back.  I knew I was going to back off the piping for this dress and that stayed true to plan.  I also knew that from my prior make, I thought the sleeves were a tad long…just long enough to annoy the crap out of me so those were shortened.  I also wanted to lower the neckline.  Hello cocktail dress…. needs a low neckline.

I constructed the dress with French seams.  I love French seams in theory but they annoy me in execution because it really does mean sewing the dress twice.  I also hand basted the seams first before taking it to the machine so I could stop the slippery charmeuse from slipping and sliding all over the place.  Due to the time crunch I have to admit the basting was NOT pretty but it did its job.

Just the 2 rows of topstitching
and lower on the neck

First bee in the bonnet: I decided I should top stitch with silver metallic thread.  I had some wild idea this would look really cool.  Well, the first row of topstitching along the shoulder seams looked okay.  Sooooo I decided a second row would look better.  It was okay so why not add a third row??  So that’s what I did.  But when I stepped back and looked at the third row, I ….well I have to say I hated it!!  Really hated it and started re-thinking silver topstitching all together.  Out came the third row of topstitching but I just decided to leave the 2 rows remaining and revisit it later.

Notice how high the neck
is in the back.  Also you can kinda
see that there would have been a lot
more topstitching

When trying on the bodice with the lower neckline, I started making changes to the neckline in general.  I thought there was too much fabric in the back of the neck in that it was creeping up my neck.  But time was of the essence so no muslining changes.  When I bound the neckline with bias binding, I made further changes to the shape of the neckline which means that all the silly topstitching has all but disappeared.

Second bee in the bonnet: After piping along the waistline, I decided I needed to bring the silver metallic topstitching down to the waist.  I topstitched above the piping. …and it looked weird so I removed it.  I topstitched under the piping…better but the fabric was sliding and the topstitching was…well…very wavy.  So out it came.

This silly topstitching is eating up the time!!  I had to stop and just finish the puppy so I didn’t go to the party naked!

Such A Lot of Plackets

The dress is complete except for the little things such as whether a bow or a button to close the top of the bodice.  The pattern suggests a bow; I think so buttons may be nicer.  Not sure, will decide tomorrow.

What can I do to spice this
up???

So putting the last bits together were time consuming because there was such a lot of hand sewing.  The neck and sleeves are finished with bias binding facings.  I think the look is more finished than a regular facing and may have to incorporate this trick into other projects.  There are also plackets on both sides of the dress.  There is a small opening on the right, a couple of inches, and a larger on the left.  Both openings required 2 plackets for each side which results in even more hand sewing.

Mmm...puffy sleeve

The sleeves were a breeze.  Since they are supposed to be gathered, there was not the fussing over the excess ease that I normally engage in.  This dress requires shoulder pads…hey it was the 40s!  But I cheated, I used some shoulder pads I bought at a tailoring shop.  The pads are a little big but do give the correct silhouette. 

Now do I make a slip or use one I already own.  Hmmmm decisions decisions.  I have to wear this dress on Sunday so I need to decide fast.  Maybe tomorrow I can get a picture of the dress on,…depending on how the day goes.

Band-y-ing About

I made a milliner’s band to attach across the front.

What is a milliner’s band I can hear you ask.  Well, until a few months ago I had no clue.  All it is is bias binding folded and then slipstitched together closed.  I thought it would be perfect for the band across the bodice.

 

Here is the underside, not as pretty as I would like. 

The top just looks like any bias binding you would buy in a store.  I like to make my own bias binding because I know how.  For a long time, I found bias binding frustrating and overwhelming…that is until a good friend taught me how to do it.  Now, I like to make my own.  If you are interested in a tutorial on bias binding, check out the Dreamstress’s site.

 

Here is the button I have picked out with a little help from a JoAnn’s 50% off coupon.

This is for you Monique:  the pattern I am using is Polynesian Pattern 203 from what looks like the late 60’s early 70’s.  Check it out here

I loved it when I saw it and had to have it!  Though I had a tough time with the pattern and do not know if I can recommend it in any way but it is fabulous!

Rolling Along

Gah, my battery is not working so pictures took longer to take than finishing up binding the sleeves. 

There is a lot of bias binding on this dress which for me means a lot of hand sewing.  Finally, the end is in sight for this dress.  Tomorrow the band across the chest goes in and the buttons.  Depending on how long that takes, hemming will need to begin.  However, the hard stuff is now done!

I like how this looks.  The binding does rather disappear into the dress.

Here is an up close view of the bias binding on a sleeve

Zipping Along

The zipper is in!  Yay…progress is being made albeit slow.

I had some difficulty lining up the 2 bias binding bands.  But that is where my hand sewn method of inserting the zipper pays off.  First, I hand baste in the zipper.  When everything lines up, I move forward with some serious hand sewing.  I then use a backstitch to firmly get that zipper in place.  Once I am done, that zipper is in and not moving. 

I do admit this takes some time.  But, I have found that for me, there are less errors and less ripping out stitches if I do it by hand.  So, totally worth it!

Progress

The binding has been sewed onto the bodice.  I almost pulled it off again because I was still unhappy with the underarm seam.  But, I will have to learn to live with the puckering.  I cannot re-do this bias binding again or I will never finish this dress.

Next up……putting in the zipper.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Gosh, just kill me now or forget it, you don’t have to because this Hawaii dress it doing it for me! Seriously, why is this taking sooooooooo long. It shouldn’t be hard. But I keep redoing that one seam…you know, the one I mentioned before….the underarm (or whatever it is called) seam.

The Good:

Hand sewing is good. Hand sewing makes me happy. When I hand sew, it seems go into a meditative state and completely relax – something that does not happen whilst sewing with a machine.

The Bad:

I don’t know what I was thinking but when the need for black thread arose, I spent some extra dollars on black cotton thread. Ugh! It was horrible. Really too thick for hand sewing the bias binding on the Hawaii dress. I really disliked the way it looked so I toddled back to the store to pick up some cheapo black thread. Lesson learned! Stick with the polyester thread unless sewing on silk.

The Ugly:

No surprise here, it is that seam where the underarm is on the Hawaii dress. I sewed the bodice bias binding on and then noticed another fabric mess in that area, so off came the bias binding. The reason there are no photos, just in case you are wondering!

How Did This Happen

There I am sewing in the bias binding trim on the Hawaiian dress.  Should be easy.  But its not because I run out of thread.....black thread. 

I search the house.  I have a lot of thread but nary a spool of black thread can be found.  I will not tell you the sheer number of different spools of blue and green thread I have on hand.  But no black and not a lot of white thread either.

Seriously, no black thread.  Really, how did this happen.  I know I sew a lot with black thread but really, no black thread.

Nope...so I am stalled until I can get some black thread.  Does this happen to anyone else?  Running out of a basic color of thread that should be on hand.

The Confusion Sets In

The instructions in this Polynesian pattern just make no sense.  I am used to muddling through with little to no instructions or the instructions of the Big 4.  In a way, no instructions would be best because when those instructions are there, well I have to read them.  In this case, first I read, then I am utterly confused.  This should be moving forward faster.

It’s not.  I know it is me.

So, I have this so far

I do like the pattern placement of the flowers in the front.  There will be more bias binding across the seam so no worries that the pattern does not match.


Gotta love a stash.  I did have some dithering about what fabric to use as bias binding.  I have been collecting some basics from the bins at the Loft.  It has proved helpful because I had a few blacks, browns and even a khaki to choose from.  I went with a black cotton perhaps a blend ( I did not do a burn test).  The weight was a match.  None of the browns were right.

Dithering and Decisions

Well, you would think that once I remade the sherbet dress, I would be able to move on to something else.  You would think so wouldn't you?

Not so much.

The past week has had me dithering right and left.  Persuing the stash for fabrics to go with the patterns on hand.  Dithering more on what to work on next.  This was not due to a lack of ideas...oh no, it was because I could come up with a fabulous idea for every pattern and fabric I saw.  I overloaded!  I could not make a decision.  I went back and forth every night with not one thing getting done or a decision being made.

Last night, I forced myself to make a decision.  I could no longer keep this indecision up.  So after even more dithering, I determined that this weekend I will work on this pattern:

It is only 4 pattern pieces.  Perfect to get moving on something!

I will use this fabric:

With the binding from some self-made brown bias binding made for this dress.

Tonight's goals: pattern tracing, fabric washing and ....maybe....fabric cutting.

The 20’s

How about some eyecandy because I am tired of the refrain about homework taking up my sewing time.   So after a “discussion” with Lisa, ( who has an awesome blog for you to check out),  about the 1 hour dress, I have been thinking about my foray into 20’s outfits.

I love the clothes from the 20’s but they do not love my hourglass figure.  I know that women in the 20’s had hourglass figures, but the styles make me look more than a tad dumpy.  Of course, that wont stop me from loving and wearing the styles.  In fact, I have a 20’s dress brewing in my imagination.

This 20’s dress, I adapted from a 1926 pattern, is one of the first dresses I ever completed.  Note, I said completed not started.  I finished it last August.

It is loosely based on a 1920’s pattern I own.  I changed up the sleeves, they were supposed to be cap sleeves but I like bell sleeves so there I go.  Also, there was no waist band, so added that in because I thought it worked with the stripes.  The front bodice of the pattern was a lapped front which I though would be lost with the stripes.  I am sure there were more changes I made but I am blanking right now. Oh yeah, how about matching the stripes up....sheesh.

Now, almost a year later, there is so much I would do differently.  The sleeves have pleats in them because I could not figure out how to set in a sleeve and get rid of the ease.  Also, I would finish the neckline differently. I would still use bias binding but have it hidden rather than as an element.  I think I will increase the darts.

This is a dress to slip over the head: no closures whatsoever (which may be why I did finish it).  It is sewn entirely with French seams as is the accompanying slip made of china silk.  However, I have no clue where that slip might be!

It is nice to know that I have advanced as a sewist.

Weekend Accomplishments?

Not a whole lot but not a big fail.   Zipper went in McCall’s 5150 and bias binding went on the Mint Chip dress (perhaps if I didn’t keep messing up sewing the bias binding on, I would have gotten further this weekend).  I did not put the buttons on the Mint Chip dress but I could right now before bed, I mean how long does it take to sew on 3 buttons? 

Just now before sitting down to write this, I cut out the need piece for my stays.  The only reason I did this was because I knew I had this to do list hanging over my head.  Wow pulling out the stays, I see I have a lot of unpicking to do to remove that one piece.  Too bad it was one of the center front pieces.

Overcasting facings did not happen…at all…on anything.  Actually, I fail because I totally forgot that this task was on my list.  However, I did get some substantial cleaning and laundry done so that’s probably better than doing the overcastting.  Ah…yes…justifications.. are raising their evil little heads.

Then there is homework and no it wasn’t on my list but no it did not get done.

To Do List

All the sewing I am doing is homework which is rather unsatisfying.  Trying out different stitche on 10 pieces of muslin....blah.  Yes, it is nice that I am learning these skilss but exciting not so much.

Last night I spent almost 5 hours on homework, the night before 4 hours.  Because this homework is overtaking my sewing life I need to be proactive and make a list of what I want to do Friday,Saturday and Sunday:

1.  Put the zipper in McCall's 5150.  Kelli, do not worry about sending me in the wrong direction.  The consenus is a non-descript cream/beige zipper.  I just agree with what you and everyone else who chimed in said.  And if I hate, but I know I wont, its just a zipper and easy to rip out.

2.  Put bias binding trim on the sleeves of the Mint Chip dress.  Then put the buttons on.

3.  Cut out the one piece of the 18th century stays that I mesed up the first time.  Sew as much of the stays as possible.  One side is done, just need to do the other side.  I havent blogged about this because it seems to be outside the scope of the blog but if anyone is interested, just let me know.

4.  Overcast the facings in McCall's 5150 and the 1918 dress. 

Ok, this does not seem overwhelming.  Let see how much I can get through!  I cant even think about next week's homework....add that in somewhere because it is my company's monthly event which means a killer couple of long days next week.  Maybe having this list out there in the universe will help me focus.  Normally, I dont care but I have some deadlines looming.

I am trying to stop another weekend from passing by with no work done....darn vacations!

Choices

So the bias binding has been sewn in around the neck and I still have not done by homework for the class.  There seriously is not enough time in the day.

But now choices need to be made.  Button choices that is.  A button is to go at the neck and on both sleeves.  Here are the options:

Any thoughts?

To digress…..I hope the US pull off a win tomorrow at the World Cup so we can progress.  I know our team can do it if they put their minds to it.  They beat Spain last year, they can beat Algeria tomorrow.  Regardless, we need goals!!!!!!

Practice

 Here’s an update on the Mint Chip Dress.  Well, it has a collar which was nicely hemmed by a catch stitch that I needed to practice for my class.  2 1/2 hours later, I think I have the hang of it!  That hem on the collar would have taken a couple of minutes on the machine.  I put on the collar and the bias binding on the inside of the collar.  But I have not sewn down the bias binding.  I plan to practice another stitch on that since it would have to be hand sewn anyways.

I am finding this class quite a bit of work.  My instructor expects not only that you can replicate the stitches but also memorize all of the information on the stitches.  Instead of sewing, I am studying.  Not exactly what I had in mind.  I am going to have to figure out something so that I can study, sew, work out and I don’t know…maybe relax a little too!

Your eyes do not deceive you...the dress form received implants over the weekend so as to better approximate my actual measurements.  I think the placement needs to be adjusted!