Sunday, June 23, 2013

Pointer Sisters Dress

Oh yes, 'I'm So Excited, and I Just Can't Hide It', etc, etc, etc!!

After posting a muslin that really did me no favours at all, I received some great suggestions and comments from my lovely readers - thank-you so much!  And then we moved house, and I made some other garments and all the time felt terribly guilty that I did not follow up on these suggestions.  So here we are!  Based (very loosely) upon Simplicity 7740, I made a wearable muslin and I am toltally thrilled with the results:


Pretty cute huh?!  OK, so you can't really see much here - but that was the point of using a busy print!  So here are a few more photos:


Just look how short it is - you can almost see my underwears!!  I cut off about 6" (thanks gMarie) which is huge for me!  I am an 'ankle skimming' kinda-girl, but this length is certainly much more fashion-forward with this style and a lot less frumpy!



I had to add darts on the back neckline and make an adjustment to the back centre back seam to account for my promising dowagers hump (sigh), my parents were right - stand up straight and stop hunching your shoulders, they kept telling me as I was growing up . . . . .


I really like the way it fits round my waist and butt - I took loads in on the side seams and there is a sway back adjustment as well.


Apologies for the headless shots - either my hair was not behaving or Mr. SDSC managed to catch a less than flattering expression (obviously not my fault!!)

I know that there is still lots of room for improvement, but I am so pleased with this.  I ended up with just bust darts in the front (thanks Carolyn!) but added a very long vertical dart from my hips almost up to my shoulder blades in the back.  I bound the arms and neckline with bias binding, used an invisible zip and lined the dress (with a rather cheap lining - it is a wearable muslin after all!) and I feel very summery in it!

Here are a few close up photos:




I do like to add something in the inside of a vent like a button, or the eye of a 'hook and eye', as this helps stabilize the vent and prevent it tearing during wear.  I had a small shell button that fit the bill perfectly here!  I also like to sew down the lining either side of the vent to hold it all in place - elsewhere it just hangs free!

It is likely that I will wear a cardigan with this - I am not totally comfortable with flashing my upper arms:



So, what do you think?  I am ready to try another dress - in a solid color, and it will interesting to see how that works out.  This is what I have chosen:


Finally - thanks for the comments,past, present and future!  I learn so much from what you all say :)

15 comments :

  1. Love your dress. That fabric is fantastic! You have achieved a great look. I like to wear cardigans or shrugs or jackets with my dresses too. Great look on you.

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    1. Thanks! I have been following your progress, and that is what has prompted me to work on my dress again!

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  2. Your dress is lovely, such a pretty print and the cardigan goes with it beautifully. You have every reason to be thrilled.

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  3. Thank-you! I am hoping that this is just the begining!

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  4. Lovely little dress for summer and even better that it fits so well!!

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  5. Very cute dress with a good fit. Love your little details like the button at the vent and the lace edging on the bottom of the lining. Pretty print too.

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  6. I agree with the others, your dress is very pretty. I really like the lace trim on the lining. Good fit and pretty fabric.

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  7. The dress if very nice. I like the shorter length a lot! Can't wait to see your next one in a solid fabric!

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  8. Wow! What a great dress. The length is awesome. I'm glad you stepped out of your comfort zone and shortened it up. I hope you are comfortable enough to wear it that length. I love that print. Can't wait to the see the solid. In the 'preview' photo - the black looks like a jack-o-lantern face. :) g

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    1. Thanks :) I plan to wear it tomorrow - and I am working on my 'Halloween' Dress!

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  9. Love your dress. It is a great fit.. and I love the fabric.. great JOB. happy SEWING.

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  10. I agree with Gaylen (gMarie). It is a wonderful dress and you are going to see how easy it is to get hooked on making the same dress over and over again by just changing out the fabric and the embellishments. Great job!

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  11. This came out so well! Great fit and I am just in love with that print. The length is very flattering on you--I bet you could even go another inch or two shorter to show the bottom of the knee. Can't wait to see you use the rickrack in the next dress.

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  12. visiting from sew many ways. This is stunning, the length is fantastic and it is very modern. Love the material

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  13. It looks great! I've never sewn a dress and wouldn't even know where to begin with making adjustments, but yours looks fantastic.

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