Fabric That Makes Me Change My Social Plans.

On one hand, I get frustrated with not having a life to wear the clothes I want to make. On the other hand, I cringe at the introductory awkwardness and small talk involved in participating in social events. I recently received an invitation to an event by a casual acquaintance. My initial (and usual) reaction was to RSVP "Thanks, but no."

Within a few days of receiving and mentally rejecting the invitation, I  got some happy mail from Nature's Fabric. The moment I felt the super soft double brushed poly (DBP) fabric, I decided to accept the invitation. I needed to wrap my body in this wonderful stuff! I wanted to make a pretty dress and was excited to have a place to wear it.  

I have six yards of this yummy fabric in two colorways. For my first project, I chose to use McCalls 7654, a "Create it" pattern that lets you mix and match the elements. I used the bodice of view B and the skirt of C.

                                     

     

   

This was my first time sewing DBP fabric so I treated it like any other knit fabric. I pre-washed and dried the fabric prior to cutting with a rotary cutter and mat.  For construction, I used a ball point needle, serged the seams, and pressed seams with steam as I went along. I had no issues with the edges lettuceing, or snagging of the fabric as I sewed. 

The pattern calls for interfacing to stabilize the bodice and a zipper closure. Because of the stretch, I omitted them. To keep the dress up, I added an elastic casing to the upper front and back between the dress and lining.

I kept the interfacing at the top of the sleeves and with movement, this dress is not going anywhere. It is so comfortable and I love these sleeves! They balance the close fitting body and bare shoulders without me feeling self-conscious, 

If making a knit version, it is an easy pattern to make with no complicated steps. It is a good "next step" pattern for a newbie sewist. It includes darts and a lining, but that is as challenging as it gets.

I love this dress! It is just what I had in mind when I felt the fabric. It feels soft and cozy while having body for this project. I don't think I will be able to wait until that event to wear this, date night here we come.

Happy Sewing,
Bianca

On Trend and Off the Shoulder

                     

So I was kinda in love with the Simplicity 8124 Cynthia Rowley off the shoulder dress when I saw it. It is fun and flirty and I thought it would be cute to make. I have seen pattern reviews and loved a few. I had doubts about the length and fabric fullness at the bust, but decided to give it a go.

                                       

My dress did not turn out as expected; it was a disaster! There is so much ease in this dress it was unflattering. The shoulders kept rolling up and when down, I felt like I could not raise my arms. I spent some time fiddling with it to make it work. In the end, decided to move on.

I thought I had a similar style in my stash and found Simplicity Jiffy 8978. I used it to make a dress a few years ago that was hidden in my closet. It was the look and feel for which I was going.

                                  

I shortened the dress to the point of the side slits of the pattern and whipped this up.

I love the narrower silhouette and wide drapey sleeves. The shoulders stay in place and are very comfortable.

I like that if I choose, I can wear the shoulders up too!

It feels good to bounce back from a sewing fail with a good result.

It was so fast to come together, I made another in an Ankara, wax print. 

The weight of the wax print is heavier than the lightweight denim of the other dress. This makes the sleeves stand up in a slightly more structured way and it gathers less on the elastic.

I love that a bold fabric like this wax print can take a simple shape and add some drama.

 This was the feel I was hoping for with my Simplicity 8124 version.

I compared the pattern pieces for both patterns to see the difference. There is an 4-inch difference at the fold on the front and back. That is a 16-inch difference around! The rest of the pattern is pretty much the same.

Cynthia Rowley -----------------------------------------Out of Print Jiffy

If you want a more streamlined version of the Cynthia Rowley dress, cut your size then fold that pattern down four inches before cutting your fabric. There is a wider triangular base on the C.R. pattern which you can taper down if you like. My concern was the bulk at the bust so I would leave that part alone.

Happy Sewing,
Bianca