SWAP piece number 8 ...

It's a long weekend again here in Hobart. It seems there are three extra public holidays here than I got in NSW, so I'm not complaining. I had planned to do a whole lot more sewing than I actually did, but the weather was incredible and Molly and I spent a lot of time out walking. Funny thing about Tasmanian sun; it's so much easier to get burned here. I'm told it's because of the ozone layer.
I did manage one completed garment. It's BWOF 05-08-116. I had originally planned to make this in the pinstripe that I used for the pants I made last week, but I changed my mind and used plain black. This is black stretch wool that came from the Vera Wang fabric sold on Fabric.com a few years ago. I bought three yards that I've already made a pair of shorts and a skirt out of (for my red, black and white travel wardrobe that I took to the US in 2010). This was the very last of it. The purple topstitch thread was leftover from the purple jacket and skirt I've already made for SWAP.
I had a few issues with this dress. Despite interfacing the front, it stretched. To fix it I stitched a thread on one side, threaded it through the fold and pulled the neckline in, then stitched it down on the other side. Next, I layed it over my pressing ham and steamed - it shrank back perfectly. I also managed to sew the facings in upside down, but didn't realise until AFTER I understitched and trimmed the seams. The original pattern is not lined, but as this wool is very fine, I wanted to line it. Because of the topstitching I couldn't follow my usual construction method for a lined dress, so I bamboozled myself a little and took a whole lot longer than I should have. I trialled several kinds of topstitching but ended up with regular thread and regular stitch to keep it a little subtle. I tried topstitch thread and triple stitch, but they all looked a little cartoonish to me.
If you follow the link and look at the Burda picture, you'll see this has a self-fabric belt above the waist. I went as far as making thread loops and stitching them in place, but the belt just doesn't work on me, so I took them off and will wear it as is. I like this dress but I don't love it. It's a little large in the shoulders - I should have graded down to a 36, but it's still flattering. It will be a great work dress. I tried it with the SWAP jacket and I like the way it looks. I may even wear it tomorrow because I have a meeting with the Antarctic Division and I like to look professional when I go there!
I had planned wide leg pants this weekend, but when I layed the fabric up I decided it wasn't heavy enough. I went to the back up plan and that fabric was completely wrong, so that project ground to a halt. I'll shop my stash tomorrow and see what else I have, but I think this means a trip to Spotlight, which I really don't want. Last time I went there I might have bought some purple faux fur, but that's a whole other story ...

Comments

Audrey said…
I traced this dress pattern long ago and never made it. Mostly because of concerns around the neckline. Your dress is lovely and the topstitching look great.
Karin said…
Looks like a great sheath dress to me. Leaving off the top stitching makes it a more flexible addition to your wardrobe.
Beautiful dress and I love how it plays so well with the jacket! Boy you are almost done...only 3 pieces left to make.
Sheila said…
Lovely sheath dress and like the lavender stitching. Glad you did not go with the belt, looking at the model photo the belt is sitting right under the bust.. not a good look.
Anonymous said…
ooooh! I love the black dress with the lavendar jacket... Very, very nice.
Sharon said…
Love the dress and your topstitching really gives it a bit of lift, subtle but still there and it looks so good with your jacket. Wow only 3 pieces to go, you are on a roll. You know the purple faux fur will just have to come home for a vest for winter :)
Faye Lewis said…
Sooooooo beautiful Carol!
This looks great with the jacket! A perfect LBD.
kbenco said…
Very smart. The purple topstitching looks terrific.
I am very interested to see what you might make with purplefaux fur that you may have bought.
Gail said…
all the pieces work together so well. Your rate of productivity is making me feel a little lack.
Faye Lewis said…
I don't think being scared of leggins is silly. If so, I suffer from silliness too because there are lots of sewing things that I'm scared of. I was scared of leggins too, but finally said what the heck and then took the plunge.
velosews said…
I love how your top stitching works so well on your dress. You can't have enough sheath dresses when they suit you.

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