Vogue 1448, a dress and some doubts

Hmm.....I have doubts. On this one. Which is so unusual for me. Maybe its the fact that I sewed up this dress just as autumn is tiptoeing into the area - although today it was around 88˚F, a shorts and t-shirt kind of day so what am I talking about?
For some reason when this pattern was released I was instantly drawn to it and just had to sew it up this summer. Vogue 1448, a DKNY design. So I did, and now I have doubts. Which is a rare thing for me. Usually I know exactly what I am making and either like, really really like or absolutely love. I wonder what it is about this dress? Another thought, typically when I sew a new pattern I can visualize where I would wear it. Casual clothes - no brainer. A more formal dress - ready for a party invite. Classic blazer - wear all winter long. But while I sewed this one I just couldn't picture where I would wear it.
and a little caveat - I took these photos in my sewing room with the camera timer late one afternoon in a fit of uncertainty. So maybe just a little awkward? Also I lightened them up a bit because of the afternoon shadows and now my skin looks weird.
Anyway...



One reason is fabric choice. And I'm not sure if it's the fabric in general, or the choice of this fabric with this dress. Looking at the fabric I do like it, but it's a bit muted for me. In a top to wear with jeans or something it would have been good. This dress is a fabric hog, it takes 3.5 yards of 60" for size 12. That is a lot for a dress for me - I can usually get a sleeveless dress for my not tall frame onto one yard or so. Consequently I ordered some fabric from Girl Charlee to use. Total fabric investment about $ 18 so I can't complain there. But that should have been a hint - that I was willing to sew it up - mostly for the fun of seeing how it all went together - but not willing to splash out on a $10 - $20 yard fabric.

How about some details? Here is the dress on the form. I had to do some adjustments to get a fit on the bodice and am quite happy with those adjustments. But this is one of those dresses where I think a lot of people might be unhappy with the final fit if no adjustments had been done. Details below.




and back view. With the self-fabric belt tied a bit snug on the dress form so you can see that it is supposed to blouse above the back waist. There is actually elastic just at the center back waist to pull it into the body.




Ok let's get down to the fitting details.



I did make a muslin of these two pieces - that's all I needed. That skirt would fit in any case so I just used some white knit fabric I found at a garage sale for the bodice parts.
Firstly, I used a size 12 and tapered to a size 14 at the waist, which was unnecessary. Since it is gathered at the waist I ended up removing that at the waist.

1. Reduced the center back by about 1 inch at neckline tapering to about 3/8 inch at waist. When I cut it out I added back a tiny bit at the top so more like 3/4 inch.
2. Shortened the back waist length by 1/2 inch. Usually I take away more here but I didn't want to eliminate the blousing at the back waist.
3. Lengthened the front bodice by 1 inch so the waist wouldn't ride up towards the bust. I used my gather the front into the back as if it were a hidden dart technique used also here (and explained)
4. Adjusted the wrap portion at the center front, changing the straight line to a curved one which adds a bit a the center overlap, I like the front to have a bit of a curve this way and find it makes any wrap much easier to wear. Had I not done this it would have been very low. As a lot of these Vogue designer patterns are. Maybe if you are a 6 foot tall glamazon it works but not on short me.
5. Raised underarm by about 3/4 inch. Maybe I have short arm depth? Is that a thing? or is it the armholes on these patterns? probably a combo but I find on a lot of the Vogue patterns if I raise the armhole it is much better, and if too high it is easy to take away. 

Here is the pattern envelope photo and technical drawing. Now looking at it again perhaps it is veering close to a ruffle. I am not super into ruffles. Although a nice flounce - that I do like, as evidenced by this Pauline Alice pattern sewn earlier this summer. But a ruffle skirt just seems a bit prairie girl dress. On the envelope it looks better. I think the example is a chiffon or very lightweight fabric. Although the skirt is not lined - so the double layer of the fabric has to do some work to make it, shall we say, ladylike?

I have no complaints about these clever pockets, though. They are hidden in the ruffles and droop a bit on the dress form but as worn are smooth and don't stick out. Oh, another thing - this dress is not hemmed and I think on anyone taller it would be quite short (another typical Vogue designer thing). I figured the flounces didn't need hemming either, as this is a jersey knit and they are round so all bias edges but actually kind of disappeared on the skirt without any hem. The small stitched hem was enough to make them show up so that is something to keep in mind.




and a look at the bodice. Featuring my blue leather belt which lives in the sewing room. Kind of amazing how many of my creations that it matches, which might say something about my restricted color palette. Or that blue goes with anything :) This fabric is a navy blue background with little pink, grey and magenta abstract spots. The bodice is lined with knit fabric. There is info on knit linings in my recent post.






See, kind of odd from the side. Also I thought it was a bit strange that the ruffle things didn't match at the side seams. And I know I didn't sew it wrong so that was the design.

Here's one with the belt instead of the self-fabric tie. I actually like the belt, maybe it makes it a bit less girly? which is not the intent. Ack - I dunno.  Anyway this is going into the closet with the other summer stuff and we will give it a try next spring.




This is my favorite picture of the day. I rolled my sewing worktable across the room so I could stand against the blank wall and take a mirror shot. Forgetting that everything behind the mirror is also in the camera's view. So real life sewing room, or portion thereof. including my Singer Rocketeer which everyone seems to notice in pictures. iPad on the table because who can sew without constantly checking up on the sewing blogosphere. Sneakers discarded, a muslin of Sewaholic Alma blouse hanging on the door which I am sewing for someone else. My very ugly floor lamp which I usually hide if anyone comes over but it takes a 3-way bulb so nice and bright. TV remotes on the desk because if not listening to podcasts then catching up on TV. The teal blue trays on the desk which are super handy for keeping all my tools in and then I can move them around the room. And most importantly my glasses because you know, sewing.



So that's the latest. I think I had better make a hard right turn into Fall Sewing. One of these days around here it will be frosty in the morning and thus turtleneck + boots weather. Not that I want it. Just tolerate. However if we have a nice rainy winter I will be thrilled.

Happy weekend sewing - and be careful as there are a lot of desperate folks (read non-sewers) on the hunt for Halloween costume fabrics this month.

Beth

For my garden photo today - speaking of desperate - it is so dry, even the trees are starting to look a bit exhausted. I am worried about the lemons and hope we get a good drenching soon.

So how about a succulent - although I'm not exactly sure what this is. The plant in the background is definitely a succulent though.

Vogue 7693 dress in two versions: silk jersey and linen

For the last week I have been working with a very slippery silk jersey, and as I said yesterday, "we wrestled and I won." Silk jersey is slightly maddening but oh, so luscious. The color and the texture is gorgeous. Check out that bias cut skirt just moving a tiny bit in the breeze, so lovely to wear. I will show you the finished dress and work my way backward with some of the details.

Yes, that is my friend and neighbor Alice who has appeared here before. She is going to a wedding this weekend in San Luis Obispo and asked me a while ago to make her a dress. She had a vibrant blue in mind and luckily we found this fabric (at Stone Mountain in Berkeley) which was perfect. Although when we were at the cutting table the woman asked what I would be making, and I showed her the pattern. She got that "better you than me" look. Like how are you going to get that neckline to stand up just right. I said I would figure it out (hoping for the best).

Here is the pattern I used. Not sure how old it is, I bought it and never made it but several years ago Alice was looking in my patterns and came across this - she thought it was just her style. Fast forward to now, I suggested this for her new dress and just like that we had an idea in search of a fabric. I was hoping for something easier to sew but that jersey was the very best color. 

Rewinding again, I did make a muslin because she is very slim and yet very tall with a narrow waist and broad back. So sometimes I have had to add in bodice length but this time it wasn't needed. Which shows why if I start with a size 12 for me I have to shorten the bodice, particularly in the back (as I am about 4 inches shorter than her). Started with a size 12 and mostly took it in at the sides of the bodice and upper sides of the skirt, as well as some down the center back.

However, after the first muslin I was contemplating remaking the bodice in muslin again just to be sure. and she pulled out some very nice drapey linen that she had bought ages ago to use with some lessons from me on jacket-making. That never happened so why not a wearable test version?

Which despite the rather somber color, actually is a great and wearable dress. I would not wear a dress in this fabric or color but I can see the appeal. 

How about some sewing details? This pattern is really confusing. Ok, I said it, I almost tore my hair out and I don't do that very often. Why? The front pieces are designed in a clever way so that the right front (on her right side) which wraps over the other side is not attached across the waist, and has a portion that is connected to the skirt but it is not very intuitive and I messed it up on the first muslin. But suddenly it made sense on the linen version which was very nice as I didn't want to make a mistake on the very expensive silk! I really didn't take any construction photos as I was just concentrating on finishing this in time and with the temperatures we have been experiencing I wanted to get my sewing done and get away from the steam iron. Even with air conditioning sewing is kind of hot work, don't you think?

Somehow in that very top photo it looks like there are ripples along the edges of the neckline but in person there are not. I think it is to do with the reflective properties of the silk, it has a satiny charmeuse look.

Here are a couple of late night dress form photos, no ripples although the color looks darker. I don't think the skirt lining has been sewn in at this point.  Sharp eyed readers will note my bulletin board in the background and get a hint at one of my Summer Pattern Repeats coming soon to the blog :)

                     

Here is a look at the inside of the linen version. The bodice front pieces, which are different for right or left are self lined, which the pattern calls for. Plus there was plenty of fabric, and they kind of need to be as the ties show both sides. I put a black batiste on the back bodice, and then Bemberg rayon in grey for the skirt lining to keep the slippery quality a skirt lining needs. Another point, the skirt pieces are cut on the bias. The only way to get that fantastic drapey look in a fabric like that.

   

For this linen version, I put strips of fusible interfacing on the lining pieces around the neckline and down to the ties. That worked really well and gave the collar and edge a nice crisp finish (along with some serious pressing and under-stitching). 

For the silk version I tested, tested, tested. I usually play around with interfacings, stitch length, and other details with scraps before I get going on the real deal, so for this one I tested out some fusibles, and to see how the silk pressed, if it would give sharp crease. Yes, it pressed like a dream. Fusible just didn't work so I used silk organza for the edges on the silk version. I sewed it to the lining, after pinning it on and then placing the paper pattern piece over to make sure it hadn't stretched or distorted. I did use the Bemberg rayon lining in the entire bodice of the silk version as two layers of silk in the front seemed like it would be kind of warm and also maybe not hold the shape as well as I wanted. For the tie portion I put an overlay of silk on the side that was lining fabric to solve that issue. 

1. testing super lightweight fusible with zipper

2. testing medium weight knit interfacing. 

3. testing how the layers sewed and pressed on the edge

4. Testing a hem option, 1/4 turned twice.

One thing I do when cutting out a fabric that looks the same on both sides is mark each piece as soon as I cut it out so that the whole garment is sewn with the same side of the fabric on the outside. On this silk I looked and looked and could not see a difference but wouldn't that be annoying if they were just slightly different in color or weave. I would notice an errant piece and it would drive me crazy. Better to be safe but that requires marking the wrong side of each piece.

The green arrow shows the tiny chalk mark on the wrong side. For this tricky fabric I put the chalk marks in the top edge seam allowance of each piece. When I mentioned about that I wrestled with this fabric it is because it is so slippery. You can imagine how it goes, lining and fabric are sewn together and every time you put it on the worktable and let go it slips to the floor. Enough to make me crazy and resort to pinning it down in order to press portions of the bodice. 

Back views

A closer look at the bodice front.

I think this is a beautiful color on her, pool blue is a perfect shade for a SoCal native and former competitive swimmer.

I don't think I had sewn with silk jersey before, plenty of other silks including charmeuse and stretch charmeuse but jersey knit is so nice. Now I will be on the lookout for another one. Unlike a poly ity knit or rayon knit this has just enough heft so that you don't see bumps/ elastic / strapsetc under the fabric. Very nice!

Next up, something easy. T-shirt time or maybe I will finally make that swimsuit I keep yapping about.

Hope you are having a great summer and stay cool. You can see that my lawn is on its way out - not water to spare here for lawns and I have to water the good stuff like hydrangeas and gardenias. 

Happy summer sewing, Beth

Today's SunnyGal garden photo - these gladioli are long gone, bloomed a few weeks ago but such a great color while they lasted.