Archive for the ‘Dresses’ Category
Ah to be shir, to be shir
Posted on: November 30, 2008
- In: Dresses | Sewing | Vintage Refashion
- 2 Comments
Thanks to the Craftstylish blog for showing me how easy it is to create elastic shirring and giving me the inspiration for these two vintage refashions this weekend.
Exhibit A:
Once upon a time this was a long sleeved dress. I bought it off ebay because it had a pussy bow neck, and I had just seen The Secretary and I was obsessed with all things pussy bow. But when I got it home I realised it looked a bit more Little House On The Prairie than hot librarian on me. To pull it off I’d have to a lot taller, a lot skinnier and be able to wear HEELS. And I’ve been looking at it guiltily ever since.
This was a bit of a freeform hack job I have to admit. But, well I figure that can be it’s charm. I took my scissors to it and then faked a rolled hem by doing a zigzag stitch about 1/2 stitch length around the raw edge. Did a bit of gathering and made a neck strap.
But it’s a breezy loose fitting material and I needed to do something to the back. The material seemed to delicate to put a casing for a thick band elastic like I did for my dress last weekend, so instead I decided to give this shirring stuff a go! Not a bad first effort, me thinks.
Exhibit B:
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This originally was a long sleeve vintage shirt that I got on sale at Episode for next to nothing. I liked the material though I don’t really ever wear shirts. It was much too big anyway. Like I did with my dress last weekend I did some snipping, made a casing on the front and back this time, and used material from the sleeves to make shoulder straps to thread through.
It still looked a bit billowy when I tried it on so I took some more from under the armpits down to the waist and then I did a line of shirring at the waist line. I could have just sewed in some thin elastic I suppose by shirring just seemed easier!
I think shirring could end up being my new favourite cheat’s way to gather!
- In: Dresses | Sewing | Skirts | Vintage Refashion
- 3 Comments
The dress featured above was originally an oversized long sleeve shirt dress. I did love the sleeves but despite taking it in at the sides and trying to slim the sleeves somewhat, it still looked a bit large and shapeless on me, even cinched in with a big belt. So I decided just to turn it into and out and out summer dress. I only ever wear it in summer anyway
I used an old pattern to get the shape for the front neckline and casing for the neck strap. I made the neck strap out of fabric from the sleeves. The straps tie behind my neck
For the back I decided to just make a casing for some thick elastic. And then I brought the hem up that was rather wonky anyway, and brought it to knee skimming length. I’m all about knee skimming at the moment!
SKIRT ALTERATIONS
These are two skirts I have been meaning to alter for a while, so I can actually wear! Do you think the top one is too dowdy? It’s so nice and warm though. I think it looks a little frumpy because of the pleats in such heavy fabric – and while I was altering it I realised I think it had been altered before. It was originally a size 16 and I’m a size 10/12. If I was to take out some of the pleats though I’d have to unstitch the whole thing pretty much and recut a new pattern and I don’t know that I can be bothered. Hopefully I can get away with just funking it up with accessories and a good pair of shoes (flats of course, can’t wear heels to save my life).
This skirt at the bottom was originally a REALLY LONG corduroy skirt. I’m talking like ankle length. Who on earth would want an ankle length corduroy skirt? I just love the print on it though. I cut so much off the bottom that I am going to try and make a little top out of it so together it will look like a dress – a 2 piece. I think there should definitely be enough for a bodice with thick shoulder straps and I’d like to make it button up on the front, with nice bold coral coloured buttons, to match the flowers on the front. I’ll keep you posted. At least in the meantime I can finally wear the skirt.
I’m really loving my cutting table – it’s made such a huge difference. I have it sitting against the wall and I can just flip out one half of it when I need a cutting space but not a huge one like when you’re cutting out a dress pattern. And it’s really handy to sit at do unpicking at or anything that would usually have my straining my neck looking down. Gosh, what a nanna I am. But seriously, sewing is a seriously unergonomic hobby!
Pepped to par-tay
Posted on: September 5, 2008
- In: Dresses | Patterns | Sewing
- 3 Comments
P9043756, originally uploaded by mooimadeit.
I present to you my 1950s party frock!
Thanks to Melissa at Thread Den for showing me how to make a really quick and easy net petticoat. I plan to put up a ‘How To’ on how I did it soon.
For this dress I used a reissued retro pattern Butterick B6582 which was quite simple actually. Though I did take about twice as long to complete it because I kept making mistakes and having to redo things! I’d definitely use the pattern again though.
Fabric was on sale at Spotlight a few months ago – $10 for 5 metres! Amazing huh.
Oh and this is my new (second hand) mannequin. I need a name for her – any suggestions?
P9043757, originally uploaded by mooimadeit.
P9043758, originally uploaded by mooimadeit.
P9043755, originally uploaded by mooimadeit.
P9043753, originally uploaded by mooimadeit.
Do you take milk and sugar?
Posted on: August 19, 2008
- In: Dresses | Patterns | Sewing | Vintage Refashion
- 5 Comments
The film ‘The Edge Of Love’ is released in Australia this week and our shops are about to be flooded with pretty tea dresses in time for spring. And I, for one, can not wait! I’ll always have a little inner nanna!
I found some GORGEOUS dresses on a website for UK store Oasis only to discover they don’t ship overseas. Oh I could just cry, but that’s ok. Oasis do the dress featured at the top of this post. I adore the bow details and the fabric! They also do these:
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Butterick B6582
History of the tea dress and how to wear it
Pretty In Paisley
Posted on: August 10, 2008
- In: Dresses | Patterns | Sewing
- 10 Comments
Simplicity 3823 E dress
Well, it wasn’t so bad afterall. It’s been a few months since I revisited this project. I was dreading going back to it because from memory, it ended up a slight mess. But trying it on again this weekend and looking at it again with fresh eyes, I decided it’s FINE and just needs finishing off the seams and hem and though it’s not perfect, it’s good enough to wear.
P8103746, originally uploaded by mooimadeit.
P8103745, originally uploaded by mooimadeit.
P8103743, originally uploaded by mooimadeit.
I started this dress ‘Simplicity 3823 E’ just before going overseas, as a good excuse to procrastinate packing. As usual I started out paying meticulous attention to all the details – especially seeing the fabric was so expensive, even though on sale (Japanese quilting fabric from Spotlight). But as I went on and grew impatient to finish it off and be able to try it on, I became a bit slack when it came to the bits of the dress you wouldn’t be able to see from the outside. The lining was somewhat hastily cut. The side zip laps the WRONG WAY and took some turbo steam ironing to make it close better. An invisible zip would have been much better. Sewing piping into a dress that is gathered AND has lining was a bit ambitious and took a few goes.
LINING is such a troublesome thing to cut. So next time I am going to make sure to use the tips in Burda Style’s ‘HOW TO cut slippery fabric’.
I’m definitely curious to know how the rest of you go with lining your garments. Do you always use slippery fabric for your lining or are there other good alternatives? I love a jacket with a secret prettily patterned lining cotton. I suppose it depends what your garment is made of. If it’s a summer dress, cotton on cotton may stick to each a bit and sit funny? Or perhaps a light cotton would breathe better than a man made type slippery fabric. My understanding of textiles could definitely do with some work.
MOO I MADE IT! 