Sunday, June 24, 2012

Retro Butterflies Sundress

I am happy and proud to present this dress. Why? Because finally I managed to make a cut-at-the-waist design which is both confortable and becoming to my body, after some failures. How?


Again, couture techniques learned from reading Shaffer's book have aid me. Following her advice for two piece dresses cut at the waist, I finished both the blouse and the skirt independently. I sew a waistband to the skirt, which made it adjusted and confortable to wear both standing and sitting. Then, I attached the blouse to this waistband, and tada!
The patterns I used come from different places. The blouse is from this 1950s Simplicity dress and the skirt come form my favourite Burda magazine:




The fabric is this light red cotton with white butterflies. I really love this dress, it has a retro flavour that calls for some tatoos!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Cotton Checked Summer Blouse (and its defects)




Remember I got some fabric left from this project ? Well, I've been saving it for the good weather, and now, this sunny/wind/rainy spring, it has become perfect to go to work. It is a reversible cotton tartan, so I used the other side here.
I also took the pattern of my favourite magazine of all times, and it has resulted good, all in all.
In the positive side I must say it goes so well with my jeans and marine blue sandals, it is confortable, and again I applied some learning from Shaeffer's book that proved unvaluable, like interfacing all the front yoke and the back neck facing, only I made it with fusible interfacing, I cannot see the practicality of sewing it with (invisible?) stitches, so far.
Now, we have to learn from mistakes, and here I did some learning!
First, I realised there was not check matching in the back. I could not do it better, because the fabric (being the left overs) was so scarce. I decided to go on, even if this was and early stage, because, the alternative was... fire.
Second, it is not very becoming to my silhouette. In other words, it makes me fat. I forgive that as well, because I really like the tone of this blouse, and the grace it has, with its yoke and little sleeves...
Finally, one sleeve is not well placed in the back, it goes too low. I realised that just when I did the final fitting ( just now when it was completely finished). Too late, I thought. I'll have to bear that defect as well. And learn. You have to pay really close attention in all fittings (it is and unforgivable mistake when I was trying it on myself at home with no hurries and no preasure of any kind!), don't look only for the overall efect, but also check all the parts, low hem, neck, sleeves, everything, carefully and individually, to avoid mistakes in a too late state. This one could have been solved really easily in early stages, but now, with the trimmed hems and seams, no way.
But it is cute, isn't it?

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Jersey Dress in the Mountains

Today we traveled to Ainsa, in the Pirinees. The weather was cloudy, and I decided to wear this jersey dress I made a couple of years ago with my "Universal T-shirt" pattern. In this case I combined the printed cotton with some black for the sleeves and neck. It is a good solution for printed fabrics which could be too much on their own.

This particular dress combines very well with short leggins. I am quite proud of this neckline too. Ii is sewn separately, and then attached to the dress and machine stiched in place.
I decided to post it, even if it is an old design, because the pictures in Ainsa are so beautiful and because it is been a while since a posted something. The are two reasons for that. One, I was making these dresses to my twin nieces, and I haven't got any picture yet. This last week, I was also sewing for my students, but I will show you eventually.
Hope you like the dress!