flower bomb

Well hello there everyone! I hope you've all had a great April! Around here we've been truly living up to the old saying "April showers bring May flowers". Well, at least the bit about the showers. The flowers we get all year round. In other words, it's been wet! I can't believe I'm saying this, but... I'm ready for summer. Yes, summer, and all it's triple-digit, 100% humidity, sweaty, stifling, sunburnt, nastiness. Bring. It. On. You northeners can keep your spring (and your bad tacos, but that's a rant for another day)! I'm ready for the heat! Maybe it's because winter was such a joke this year, and I have no patience for this in-between bullshit, but I'm really looking forward to the days when I can throw on a dress and sandals, put my hair up, and sweat. We're almost there. almost. We just need the sun to decide to make an appearance...

And on that note, let me introduce you to this backless beauty! This was my April make for the Mood Sewing Network, and, again, you've probably seen some sneaky peeks on my Instagram all month as I slowly chipped away at it.  I feel a bit weird calling this thing a "shirt" or even a "top" as its open-back, voluminous, apron-style design makes it feel as if I'm wearing nothing at all.  But it does cover the essentials, and after wearing it to work for a whole day I can attest to the fact that those essentials (somehow) stayed covered. Phew. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure if that would be the case. This also isn't the most bra-friendly design, so if the goods did come out, they would be alllll out! But thankfully (for both myself and my unsuspecting coworkers) we good.

Okay, so what is this, you ask? (What? You didn't come to hear the gripping tale of how I did or did not flash the entirety of Galveston Island?) This is Vogue Patterns #1507 made up in some Italian Printed Floral Cotton Batiste from Mood Fabrics online.  I was super super excited to see that Rachel Comey had released a few more patterns for Vogue this season.  Her designs always delight and excite me, and I feel like the resulting garments are truly one-of-a-kind pieces.  This top was my favorite out of the recent bunch (although I also love this dress) so it was the first one I wanted to sink my teeth into.  While I think the plain green version on the pattern envelope is great for seeing this top's interesting style lines and features, in my head I always imagined it in a bright, exuberant print.

This cotton batiste was everything I could have hoped for this make: a large scale, painterly floral print, easy to handle during construction, and light and airy to wear.  The whole top is double layered, so despite the fact this fabric was somewhat sheer, I didn't worry about a lining.  I really love how the print of the underlayer actually peeks through the sheer areas of the top layer. I didn't bother with print matching, or even give much thought to print placement with this make (I may have been print placement-ed out from my last make!) I really love the resulting sporadic feel of the top.  

I took a few indoor shots on my dress form because the gusty winds during my photoshoot were doing this top (and my hair) no favors! Hopefully these help give you a better idea of the lovely intricacies of this design.  I have to say, it was truly a pleasure to work with a pattern where the actual pattern pieces were practically unrecognizable and how it was all going to come together seemed like a mystery.  Often times when I see a garment I have a pretty good visual idea of what the flat pattern pieces will look like, but this one was completely wacky! Definitely a good project for pulling me out of my sewing autopilot! 

That being said, the actual construction really wasn't all that difficult once you figured out what went where.  The trickiest part was that just about every major part of the garment - both the top and bottom layers of the bodice and the sleeves - called for a teeny, tiny 1/8" hem.  And those hems were verrrryyyy loooonnnnng and veerrryyyy cuuurrrrrvyyy. This probably would have been no big deal if I had a rolled hem foot for my machine, but I don't.  I also contemplated doing it all by hand, but I wanted to finish it before June so I followed the instructions.  First I sewed a line of stitching at 1/2" then I used that stitching line as a guide and folded the hem up once, trimmed close to the line of stitching, and folded again at 1/8", edgestitching that in place.  By the time I got to the sleeves I was pretty pro. Or at least there was much less cussing.

The back neckline is finished with a small bias facing and the back yoke edges are bound in bias binding. The instructions had you finish the armholes with bias binding as well but I had run out of red bias tape and actually thought that might be a bit bulky, so I used my serger instead. No regrets.

And here's a closeup of those cursed teeny hems. Honestly this was at least 70% of the sewing! Choosing a thread color for this project was a bit of a head scratcher, because no matter what I went with it was going to be in contrast with the print at some point.  I decided on off-white, however I'm sure an invisible hand-rolled hem would have been the more elegant option.  But I don't think the visible stitching detracts from the finished top at all.

I'm quite happy I chose such a well behaved fabric as cotton batiste for this top, because while it wasn't a difficult sew, a lot of the pattern pieces fall on the bias, and I could see that, coupled with the teeny hems being a real headache in a trickier fabric!

Fit wise I'm fairly pleased with how this turned out.  There was, frustratingly, no finished garment measurements printed anywhere on this pattern so I had no idea how much ease was built in.  I decided to play it safe and go down only one size since I find, in general, Big 4 patterns tend to go crazy on the ease, with the occasional exception of these Vogue designer patterns, which sometimes actually have spot on measurements. I figured if I went down one size I could counteract any built in ease, but that the top was also voluminous enough that if there wasn't a whole lot of ease built in it would probably still fit me anyway.

In retrospect I think anyone making this top could probably safely go down two sizes.  I find the shoulders to be quite wide, even on me and I have good, wide, linebacker shoulders.  From an engineering standpoint the shoulders are really the only thing holding this top on the body, so if you've got narrow shoulders you might find yourself with a garment that simply doesn't stay on.  I would also suggest reinforcing the front neckline with some staystitching or even some light interfacing or organza to help prevent it from stretching out during construction. The instructions don't call for this, but that's my two cents for anyone thinking of making this up in the future.

As I mentioned, I wore this top to work yesterday and felt like a total superstar! It felt so unique and special, and as I was getting ready at the gym in the morning (yes, I shower at the gym most days - glamorous, I know) women kept sending their friends in to see my outfit.  Not that I base the success of a make on how many compliments I get on it, but it's always really nice when other people like your work as much as you do.  

I'd really like to make a pair of black linen tap shorts to pair with this little topper for the ultimate breezy ensemble once the dog days of summer really hit. Nothing like pairing a little volume on the top with some long legs on the bottom! 

Obviously my wardrobe planning is all about summer.  What about you guys? Anyone else ready for a heat wave?

xx

flowers and colors and newness

Hi guys! So you may have noticed that I've done some redecorating around these parts! I hope you like it! I've been meaning to give my blog a little facelift for awhile now but couldn't quite decide how far I wanted to go with it.  Eventually I decided just a little sprucing up, a little feng shui, and a new coat of paint was really all I needed to make this space feel fresh again. There's no major reason for the new look, I just felt like it was time.  For the most part everything is still the same, but I might be doing some larger reorganizing of things in the next few weeks, so don't be alarmed if things keep changing or look a bit weird if you come back and visit. I do all this stuff myself, so it's a lot of trial and error and googling things like "how do I get rid of the weird space in my sidebar in blogger". Fun times! Speaking of which, if anyone can tell me how to get rid of that skinny black line underneath my header I will tunnel through cyberspace and give you a giant smooch!! (translate: I will be forever grateful and I'll repay you with undying love and loyalty. Like a puppy.) (UPDATE!! Problem solved!! Jana, you win my endless love and devotion!)

So let's talk about this dress! This is my latest make for the Mood Sewing Network.  I generally feel like sewists take one of two approaches when confronted with a large scale print, like this Thakoon Amparo Blue and White Viscose Jersey. You either opt for a simple silhouette to pair it with so the whole thing doesn't become to overwhelming, or you go for an equally statement making design and the let the print and style duke it out. Winner takes all? Or perhaps the battle simply swallows whoever was foolish enough to attempt the pairing in the first place! Well, whatever, I fall into the latter category.

This jersey is the stuff of dreams. It's a sheer, light as a feather, tissue weight jersey, with a modest amount of stretch, and it drapes like a boss. I ordered several yards of it without really having a plan for what it would become, but once it arrived I couldn't get over how gorgeous it looked as it folded and shimmied over itself.  The large blue floral print became abstracted and even more beautiful than when left un-manipulated.

So I decided to pair it with Vogue 1287, a DKNY pattern that I've had in my pattern stash for awhile. This pattern's got pleats out the wazooey, saggy pockets, kimono sleeves, a mock wrap top... it's got errrythang! I knew that the Thakoon jersey would be much too drapey and ... I don't know... ephemeral to stand up to all those pleats, but I also imagined this fabric falling in soft folds instead of sharp pleats and, in my minds eye, this pairing seemed inspired. At the time. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about the end result, but there are a few reasons for this.

Chief among them being that this was one of those patterns that suggests jersey as a possible fabric, but only includes instructions for wovens. Total pet peeve of mine. Why do you do this, Big 4 Patterns?? Why?! Who understitches a jersey?? I ended up following the instructions as they were written, my reasoning being that this viscose jersey wasn't extremely stretchy, and that the style itself didn't have any areas of negative ease, so I really didn't need the fabric to stretch.  It turned out mostly all right, however there are a few areas where the stitching pulls the fabric too tight and I got some puckering - like around the pockets.

Speaking of the pockets - I love how deep and slouchy these are! They create some volume around the hips which helps balance the blousy-ness of the bodice. You can also get a peak at the accompanying slip I made for this dress. This was included with the pattern and I was soooo tempted to skip it! However my jersey was very sheer and really needed a slip, and I didn't own any plain white slips, so I decided to give it a go. I used some white crepe de chine I've had lying around. I had barely enough to make this slip, which is all cut on the bias.  I sewed it up one night after work and expected it to go together in a couple hours. The slip had different plans. It was just so finnicky! I forgot how stressful sewing bias cut garments can be! However, I'm glad to have it.

The back is definitely the most boring view of the whole dress.  The back waistband is gathered with elastic (yawn) and the pockets wrap around the hips (the potential is there but it leaves me feeling a bit 'meh').  I sewed a straight size 12 for this dress, but probably could have sized down. I tried it on after inserting the elastic and the waist was very loose, which, combined with the loose, drapey bodice, the saggy hip pockets, and the large print, made for a very unflattering dress. Luckily, the solution was simple, I just cut a smaller length of elastic to pull the waist tighter, which created the shape I was missing before.  I also only had 1 inch wide elastic on hand, and this pattern calls for 1.5 inch wide elastic. I thought I could get away with it, but it really does look a bit sloppy, so I think I'll switch it out for wider elastic when I make my next Joanne's run. 

If I'm being truthful, this dress kind of stressed me out. I probably should have tried to make something a bit more straightforward this month because I was in the midst of a very labor intensive install at the gallery which had me running on fumes. But I had a vision! And dammit, I wanted to see it come to fruition! But the combination of this delicate knit, the instructions, and all those pleats (seriously, it felt like they were never ending... I think I spent three nights after work skipping dinner and just sewing fricking pleats. I could be exaggerating. But I don't think I am) and that shifty bias slip had me crying out in frustration on more than one occasion! And then, when it was time for me to try it on, I couldn't quite decide if I was wearing the dress, or if the dress was wearing me! The combination of the print and the pleats and the drapes just seemed like... a lot. 

But I think it's growing on me. Now that I'm on the other side of my work stress and I've had a few good nights sleeps under my belt (and stopped skipping meals) I can look at this dress and see that maybe it's actually the right amount of everything.  

Maybe...

xx

back to school

Even though I've officially been finished with my education for seven years, this time of year will always make me think of going back to school. I swear, there's just something in the slight shift in the light that signals the end of sumer and with it the impending doom of a new school year! I know some people associate that 'back to school' feeling with excitement, but for me it always meant the return of stress and anxiety - juggling good grades with extracurricular activities and often more than one demeaning and depressing job (Lord, may I never again have to waitress at a chain restaurant where they make you stop what you're doing every 30 minutes to line dance in the aisles...) not to mention the social and emotional labyrinth that was being a teenager. Thankfully, the majority of this anxiety has abated as I've gotten older, got out of school, and just generally got on with life. But I still visit my high school in my anxiety-induced nightmares - you know the one... You forgot your locker combination, which is bad enough, but you can't even remember where your locker IS anymore, and come to think of it, it's the end of the semester and you don't think you've been to Calculus all year and surely you're failing, and where is your calculus classroom? Who's the teacher? Are you failing all your classes? Can you make up all the tests in one day?

Yeah. That one.

But there was one thing I always loved about going back to school, and that was getting a brand new 'back to school outfit'. Complete with shoes. Definitely the silver lining to the whole 'back to school' thing. Somehow that new outfit could convince me that this year was gonna be different, better. With my new outfit I'd suddenly understand Physics, I'd get the lead in the school musical, I wouldn't feel the sting of the mean girls, and I'd maybe get to skip out of gym (ha!). Apparently I thought a new outfit could do a lot! Even as a poor art student I still scraped together my money to carry on the tradition of buying myself a new somethingsomething for the upcoming year. I hung all my hopes and goals and aspirations on that outfit.

All this musing and tripping down memory lane has a point. I swear. True, it's a bit of an oblique point, but a point all the same. And the point is this: this outfit reminds me of a 'back to school' outfit. Okay, my skirt may not have passed dress code, but anytime I see gold paired with blue (bonus points if you throw in some cranberry red too) I'll always think of 'back to school'.  And you know, when I got dressed this morning, I still felt like today was gonna be a good day, because I was wearing some new duds. Of course that was before a hose leaked all down my back. Totally should've taken blog photos before I went in to work!

Aaaanywho! This skirt probably needs no introduction. It's V1247  one of those beloved (by me) Rachel Comey patterns, which plenty of other sewistas have made up before me. A few of my favorites are Sophie's (here, and here) Heather's (here) and Carolyn's (whose made a few, but here's one, and here's another).  Every time this little skirt makes a show in my blogroll I'm always pleased to see it, and without fail I'll ask myself, "Self, why haven't you made that skirt yet?" I've made the top from V1247 (click on that link if you want a throwback! My hair!!) but never got around to making the skirt. After seeing Sophie's latest versions I decided enough was enough and it was time to right this pattern negligence wrong.

It just so happens that I had this funky little palm tree print stretch cotton twill that I picked up with my Mood allowance sitting around, gathering dust, with no real plan for.  Nothing like pairing an overlooked pattern with an overlooked fabric! I just love giving these things a happy ending!  I cut the skirt in a size 10, which would have been a close fit if it wasn't for this fabric's stretch. As is, it's a ridiculously comfy skirt! I also decided to keep the original length, though I noticed that many other ladies who've sewn this up added length. I was going to add an inch in length, but at the last minute I decided, nah, just go for it! I really love the super mini length paired with the high waist. It feels very 70's collegiate to me - a bit Gloria Steinem, or like something my Mom would've worn in her late teens and early 20's.

I did, however hem the back of the skirt a half inch longer than the front to compensate for the fact that my rump ate up some of the length back there. Also, pockets as design features are highly underrated.

This skirt came together pretty much without a hitch. Although I did almost lose it once or twice with the bias bound innards. The pattern calls for you to make your own bias binding, but I decided to just use up some random bits of pre-made bias binding that I've had lying around.  Therefore, my innards look a bit like a carnival! I have to admit, I hate this method of seam finishing. Sure it looks pretty, but it's a major pain in the tuckus. Bias binding is just so fiddly!! After a total hack-job on the curved pockets, I decided to forgo the idea of pinning the binding in place, and instead brought out my trusty glue stick and started glueing that shit down! It stopped me from ripping out my eyeballs. So there's that. To all you ladies who choose this method of seam finishing of your own accord (not because a pattern tells you to) well... I will readily admit that you are finer seamstresses than me!

I decided to wear my new skirt with my blue linen Archer, which looked quite sharp this morning, but after a day of sweating and leaking hoses... well, I was looking a bit rumpled by the evening! I'm also looking forward to pairing this skirt with my bodysuits for an overall svelte look. All in all, a fun little addition to the wardrobe!

So does anyone else get the 'back to school blues' this time of year, regardless of the fact that you're not actually going back to school?

xx

a winter coat just in time for spring

Hi Ya'll! I'm very excited to show you my newest make for the Mood Sewing Network! I know everyone is clamoring for spring, and the last thing you want to look at is another reminder that it's still, alas, winter, but bear with me here because I'm really excited about this coat! Get ready for a looonnng post and picture overload! (P.S. if you want the short version, head on over to the MSN post!)



I know I didn't do a big post about my goals for 2014, but that doesn't mean that I didn't make any goals! For instance: learn to knit in 2014. check! make better use of your time and be more productive in 2014.... erm.... check minus?? Anyway. You get the point. Well on that list of goals was "make a coat in 2014". (check!!) This wasn't so much an aspirational goal as much as it was a 'this-is-getting-ridiculous' kind of necessity goal. See, when I moved to Texas I got rid of all my winter coats. A bit drastic, I know, but you gotta understand, for a girl from the northeast, Texas winters felt like a joke. At first. Then they started to feel cold again. Also, I bike to and from work everyday.  The past two years or so I have started collecting an odd assortment of winter weather layers, that consist primarily of a $10, thin, unlined, nylon, rain jacket procured from the local sporting goods store (the kind that folds up into a tiny pouch), an aztec print poncho/blanket type thing (shown here) from some cheap, trendy store (this was pre-sewing days) that I tend to wrap around myself like a giant muffler, an array of hoodies, some gloves picked up from the drugstore for $1.99, and now, my hand knitted hats. As you might imagine... it's not the most flattering look.

This year, I decided it was time to step up my outermost layer of clothing. No more being confused for a homeless person! (Although I will miss all the extra change people throw at me... just kidding... that never happened...)

This is one of those makes where I'm not really sure which came first, the fabric or the pattern. Or perhaps it all just miraculously happened in one, giant, big-bang-like, divine-intervention-esque, stroke of inspiration. But for the sake of keeping things coherent, let's start with the fabric. I actually spotted and fell in love with this Oscar de la Renta wool coating from Mood Fabrics' online store before I became a Mood Sewing Network blogger.  I even asked for, and received, the necessary yardage to make a coat as a Christmas present (thanks Mom and Dad!!) It's basically my dream coat fabric. It's double faced, so it has a gorgeous weight to it, and it's plenty warm for the southern winters I'm dealing with.  And I just think the large-scale, salt and pepper herringbone has such a luxurious texture to it.

I really wanted to use this fabric to make a coat that felt both architectural and soft. I know that seems like a contradiction - but trust me, it can exist! I decided to use Vogue 8933 for the pattern, because I loved the large, dramatic collar, and the asymmetrical front.  Also, this was a relatively un-fussy pattern, perfect for my first go at making a coat. I made a size 10 based on the finished garment dimensions (always wise to use the finished garment dimensions when working with a Big Four pattern company!) The one thing that I was sort of bummed about when it came to this pattern was the sleeves. The pattern uses a regular, straight, one-piece sleeve. Since I wanted this coat to feel softly tailored I felt like a two-piece sleeve would just be a more elegant option. So I used the one-piece sleeve as a base to draft a two-piece sleeve. I used this Threads tutorial.  It worked pretty well, although if you do this, I strongly recommend making a muslin (or two, or three) just to be sure that all your markings line up and the sleeve hangs correctly.  I ended up having to move where my seamlines fell, and taking out an odd little chunk of fabric out of the underarm. Drafting sleeves are basically my nightmare, but in the end I think these turned out all right.



And speaking of sleeves, since this Oscar de la Renta wool has such a gorgeous texture, I thought it would be fun to really highlight it with an opposing texture for the sleeves. You can disagree, but I'm pretty certain that this nubby wool paired with this buttery soft black leather is like the 'chocolate & peanut butter' of the textile world - tactile soul mates. I bought this leather hide, and let me tell you, it was a bargain! I feel like the quality was great and I got a great amount of square footage for the price. I still have a nice, hefty amount left over (hmm... what to use it for....?) plus, shipping was fast. After working with leather a few times now I'm starting to get a nice feel for it. It really isn't a complicated material to work into your sewing, and I, obviously, highly recommend it. I was thinking of putting together a post of a few of my 'tips' (if you want to call them that... it's definitely not anything official) for working with leather... would anyone be interested in that?

Since I was on a roll with making this coat as much of a sensory delight as one can make a coat, I decided to throw another oh-my-god-I-can't-stop-touching-it fabric into the mix: silk charmeuse.  I'm not going to lie, I completely stole this idea from some other brilliant and fabulous sewists (namely Lauren and Erica). It just looked so incredibly ... what's the word ... rich! And since it's always fun to add a bit of 'over the top-ness' with linings, I opted for this lovely magenta silk charmeuse - although I might call it fuchsia rather than magenta. I like that it adds just a touch of "Dynasty" to the coat, without  going full blown Joan Collins.



It's been awhile since I made a garment that required so much hand stitching.  I had to brush off my technique from my red jacket days (remember those days.... oh how time does fly...) Granted, I didn't go to nearly the extent that I went to on that red jacket, but there was still a nice amount of fell stitching and catch stitching involved.  And, hence, lots of getting caught up on the most recent season of 'Downton Abbey' (is it just me, or is that show getting even more ridiculous plot-wise?) Anyway, I attached the lining to the collar by hand, because that pivot point was driving me insane on my machine, and also attached the sleeve lining to the coat lining by hand because... well I just wanted to.  The bottom hem of the coat and the lining hang free from each other, so each raw edge was finished separately, pressed up and catch stitched in place. There are little thread bars that hold the lining in place at the side seams. You can also see my little leather hanging loop that I threw into the collar of the coat. I'm so pleased with this little touch! 

I debated adding a back vent to the jacket. At first I thought this might be a nice 'tailored touch', like the two-piece sleeve. However in the end I decided against it. Since the front has such a wide split, the coat doesn't need it functionally, and visually I felt like a back vent might break up the bottom hem too much. And since it didn't meet the criteria for form or function that idea got ousted. I think this was a good call.

Since I was trying to maintain some softness with the fabric, I didn't go full tilt with the tailoring. I used fusible horse hair canvas in the facings, and to reinforce the pocket openings, and underlined the leather sleeves with cotton batiste. I also constructed a back stay from the cotton batiste... aaanndd.. that's really it! I think because this wool is double faced it already has a bit more heft than single ply fabrics and I didn't want the coat to get too bulky, or stiff and lose the drape of the collar.



The coat is closed by a series of coat snaps, sewn on in the very last step. In a world where we go all swoony over a perfectly executed bound buttonhole, this is certainly not the sexiest of coat closures, however it is very functional, and I even sort of dig the final look. A little additional hardware never goes amiss in my book. And while we're on the subject of hardware - am I not-so-secretly regretting not adding  some tough zippers to the underarm seam of my leather sleeves?  Yes. Yes I am. Hindsight you guys...



I realized that I didn't get a great picture of the coat all buttoned up when I did my photo shoot, so I had Nick quick snap this iphone photo of me.  As you can tell from the majority of my photos, I love the way this coat looks open with the oversize collar doing it's own dramatic thing, but it's nice to know that should I feel a chill creeping at my neck I can button myself, literally, all the way up to my eyeballs!

Phew!! Long post, you guys! Thanks for sticking with me all the way to the end! In conclusion: I'm incredibly excited about this coat! It feels great to finally have some outerwear that reflects my personal style.  Truthfully, I probably won't get a chance to wear it this year, since spring is already making itself felt down here in the south.  However, I know I will be immensely grateful for this coat come next winter! Is anyone else doing a little 'out of season' sewing?

And how pretty is this fog we've been getting in Galveston? So moody... Can anyone spot the little orange kitty that was keeping me company while I was shooting these photos?

xx

devil with the blue dress

Stop the presses, hold the phone, and all that jazz! You guys... I took these pictures in the morning. That's right. I'm packing my woolies for the afterlife,  because hell just froze over.

You see, I am not a morning person. Like, I've been known to breathe fire, speak in tongues, and spew green shit if I'm addressed directly before 8am. It should also be known that I'm not a night person either (person of the night? lady of the night?) rather, I think of myself as a day  person.  Between the hours of 9am and 9pm I'm golden, an utter joy to behold - anywhere beyond that and it's really a gamble.  But for some inexplicable reason, today I was literally champing at the bit to get out of bed! I made myself wait until 6am, for the sake of decency and so I wasn't blowing too many minds, but once 6 rolled around I was up and at 'em as they say.

So I made it my business to take some blog photos! Everyone knows that the best times to take photos outdoors is when the sun is at an oblique angle (late afternoon/early evening - or, as the case may be, morning).  So I did my morning routine, ate my breakfast, got myself gussied up and tramped out with camera in tote to pose in someone else's garden. And here I am! Home before 9am! Is this what it feels like to be an adult...?

This dress was one of those makes that sort of happened a bit unexpectedly.  Lately I've been trying to take care of some projects for other people, and as every selfish seamstress knows, there's only so much of this one can take before ohmygodihavtamakesomethingforMEEE happens. This also happens to be the time of year when I can often be found crawling on all fours, sweat pouring from my brow, my trembling hand reaching out for my sewing machine, gasping to no one in particular (but usually the cat) "need.... more.... summer... dresses...." And it was in this frenzied, heat stroke induced state that I made this dress.

This is V8810 that I purchased during one of the awesome $1.99 sales, not really all that sure what I'd do with it, but thinking it might make a nice basic summer dress. I haven't really seen this dress around on the sewing blogs, and while I know there are plenty of people out there that sew and don't choose to parade around on the internet for all the world to see, something about this dress' absence in blogland tells me that it's not particularly popular.  And I can kind of get why. It's a little meh. I mean, a drawstring waist dress...? It sort of says "potato sack". But I've also been known to be a sucker for a tie waist, and the gathered shoulders were definitely my thing, and I liked the skirt options, so I went for it! 

The fabric is some weird rayon that I think is trying to imitate a summer-weight wool.  It's slightly scratchy, but not uncomfortable, it has a nice drape and is lightweight but still opaque.  And I love the color. Like really really love it.  I used those Dritz fabric covered buttons, which I've had so-so luck with.  I actually think they look quite nice, and are surprisingly easy to make, but I've found that they don't last very well. The tops tend to pop off after a wear or two.  But since this is really such a plain dress I wanted to make sure the buttons were immaculate so this time I pulled out one of my favorite sewing tricks - some glue and a hammer! I glued the top and base together and then pounded the shit outta them with the hammer.  I'll let you know how they hold up...

After I finished the dress and put it on I felt a wee bit lackluster about it. I was kind of expecting this, but it was still a bummer to actually see it. Something was just off. I loved the color,  but I felt like the shoulders were just too wide, despite the gathering.  So I decided to make these shoulder tabs for it to pull up the excess fabric and make the sleeve sit at a more flattering place on me.  I could have just gathered the sleeve more, but after trying on the dress I felt that it had a sort of uniform-y feel to it (not quite sure what kind of uniform... waitress? airflight attendant? armed forces...?) so I decided to kind of play up whatever utilitarian vibes I was getting from it by adding the little shoulder tab touch. Now I feel like the whole bodice is more flattering.  

All in all, this dress has been a pleasant surprise! I don't feel like the pattern envelope or drawings do the collar justice - it really has a lovely, almost mandarin-type, stand to it which I find really elegant and becoming as a neckline (necks can just be so lovely, can't they?) It was quick and easy to make, and while it may not be the most amazing thing I've ever made - I think it will serve me well as a great casual dress for work during the long hot summers.

Have you ever gone into a project with low expectations, only to be pleasantly surprised? I love it when it happens!

xx