Show us what you've made!

[Last_Chael]

Wow! all these outfits are BEAUTIFUL!!! I love the butterick evening gown, I've been eyeing it off for a while! Nice to know how gorgeous it looks! I always find that patterns add too much ease, so I usually just go with the size I usually am, and I always make a mock-up of everything! Actually, if you made the neckline too plunging, you could always use a pretty brooch to hold it up higher?

I went on a bit of a shopping spree on the weekend and bought a whole lot of fabric which is slated to become day dresses I'll have to find batteries for my camera so I can take photos and share them! I also bought a few patterns that I can't wait to make! February is going to be the month of sewing dresses!!

I'm so inspired and motivated now!

 

[Sunny]

Do the sleeve have a placket at the wrist? It looks so narrow I don't know how you get your hand through! Would love to see a back view - that peplum and extra back gores are too cute!

Nice job fitting the blue dress, too. I don't think I ever used a modern pattern that was less than two sizes smaller than my designated size. I'll never understand why they add SO MUCH ease.

Thanks, Snookie! The sleeves have two elbow darts on one side and narrow significantly to the wrist. There's about a 1/2" placket, and they fasten with a snap at the wrist. Let me tell you, it was a bear to get that placket neat with a lining and three pieces of bias binding!

And yes, I was an idiot and forgot to get back pictures. I'll probably update with those this week or next - I finally have a setup for taking pictures myself.

Actually, the blue dress has NO fitting. It even says on the pattern - "No provision for above-waist adjustment." I was just on the border of being too busty for it; any more and then I couldn't adjust the angle of the wrap parts to keep from gapping on the side.

Lauren, I really like those pants! The buttons and especially the pocket are very cute.

Wow! all these outfits are BEAUTIFUL!!! I love the butterick evening gown, I've been eyeing it off for a while! Nice to know how gorgeous it looks! I always find that patterns add too much ease, so I usually just go with the size I usually am, and I always make a mock-up of everything! Actually, if you made the neckline too plunging, you could always use a pretty brooch to hold it up higher?

Thank you! I've heard some so-so reviews, but it was so lovely (and the wrap design is TOO cool) that I had to try it. After this, I'm going to measure the pattern pieces!

I actually RAISED the neckline when I made my final. So it's 1.5" higher than it was! Because of the design - it's really a very graceful narrow V - I really can't use a brooch without making it pull very awkwardly. It's okay - I'm just SO glad I raised it how much I did!

Good luck on your day dresses. I have a couple I got on ebay and I love them! I really want to find some nice fabrics for making some more.

 

[ShooShooBaby]

Thanks, Snookie! The sleeves have two elbow darts on one side and narrow significantly to the wrist. There's about a 1/2" placket, and they fasten with a snap at the wrist. Let me tell you, it was a bear to get that placket neat with a lining and three pieces of bias binding!

sunny (and everyone), it's so helpful, as a beginning-ish sewer, to read stuff like this, because now i know what features to AVOID when choosing patterns for myself in the near future. something like that would frustrate me terribly!

 

[imoldfashioned]

Everybody's so talented! I've got to get sewing again--too many other balls in the air right now. I need to finish some writing and drawing projects so I can have something to contribute here.

Sunny, any chance you could post a picture of the back of your burgundy dress? I just love it and I'd like to see how the real thing looks in comparison to the picture. Thanks for considering!

 

[Sunny]

sunny (and everyone), it's so helpful, as a beginning-ish sewer, to read stuff like this, because now i know what features to AVOID when choosing patterns for myself in the near future. something like that would frustrate me terribly!

Well, adding the lining was my own brilliant idea! lol If a jacket is designed to be lined, it'll have separate pieces for fabric and lining when necessary, and specific directions for how to do it. And probably the bias binding wasn't necessary on top of the lining. I was just winging it, really, and going on the memory of an 1860s sack coat I made for my brother several years ago.

But I'm glad it helps! I do like to add more info, just in case it'll be useful to someone else.

Sunny, any chance you could post a picture of the back of your burgundy dress? I just love it and I'd like to see how the real thing looks in comparison to the picture. Thanks for considering!

I will! I'll try to take it tonight and upload tomorrow morning.

 

[goldwyn girl]

Thank you Lady Day and CherryRed.

Sunny, your frocks are fabulous, love the colours you chose. I also have the Butterick pattern and it's good to see it made up. I am always altering things due to that dreaded "ease"

Lauren, as always your talent blows me away, wonderful !!

 

[kamikat]

I originally planned this to be one of the photo shoot outfits, but it looks a little too modest, I think. I do, however, love it anyway! Please excuse the bad, camera phone, mirror pics. My manniquin is now bigger than I am, so mirror shots are gonna have to do until I save up for a new one. The shirt is view 2 with shortened sleeves from view 1.

Here's a close-up. I love the scottie buttons!

 

[Lotus Leroux]

Nice work kamikat! I love the scottie fabric and the buttons!

 

[leaette]

the doggies are soooo cute. great job. how many dress sizes did you go down?
i'm jealous. i have a very hard time at losing weight.

 

[imoldfashioned]

Love the fabric Kamikat--is it still available?

Thanks so much for the back view Sunny, I appreciate you taking the picture.

 

[kamikat]

the doggies are soooo cute. great job. how many dress sizes did you go down?
i'm jealous. i have a very hard time at losing weight.

I started at a 20 and am now in a 12.

 

[kamikat]

Love the fabric Kamikat--is it still available?

I got it at my local JoAnn's. It was in with the baby prints. I got the end of the bolt, just under 2yrs. If there had been more, I would have bought more. I really wanted a whole dress from this.

 

[Sunny]

As requested, back views!

Pattern again:

In burgandy wool (the skirt was squished in the closet and needs ironed):

Action photo. (I was getting goofy.)

I want to show how the full back skirt swings so well.

Trying to show the three darts at the sleeve head.

Two elbow darts, and the narrow wrist placket.

I'm pretty experienced at doing darts, but I was thoroughly sick of them after this. Five per sleeve, wool and lining = twenty darts! Yeesh!

Also, here is the version I made in September, out of a poly/rayon "linen." The linen drapes better than a cotton would, but I still think the wool's best. The sleeves I pretty much drafted myself. For some weird reason I couldn't get them to work when I made my mockup, so I did my own. But now I want to replace them with the right ones (which I had no trouble with the second time around). That three-dart shaping at the sleeve head is really nifty.

 

[Sunny]

I originally planned this to be one of the photo shoot outfits, but it looks a little too modest, I think. I do, however, love it anyway! Please excuse the bad, camera phone, mirror pics. My manniquin is now bigger than I am, so mirror shots are gonna have to do until I save up for a new one. The shirt is view 2 with shortened sleeves from view 1.

Andrea, that is just adorable! The curved fit the double darts give is just amazing. And the scottie buttons are perfect!

 

[Laughing Magpie]

Sunny - that suit is beautiful. It looks so smart on you! The darts paid off

kamikat - your blouse is adorable! What a great match of fabric and buttons!

Jen

 

[kamikat]

Sunny, I've never been a big fan of the 30's look, but this suit is making me want to take a second look. Just stunning, in both the winter and summer version!

 

[kamikat]

Andrea, that is just adorable! The curved fit the double darts give is just amazing. And the scottie buttons are perfect!

Thanks! Yeah, the double darts in this blouse has, so far, been the best fitting blouse I've ever made. I didn't even need to do my usual full bust adjustment. What I like most about this blouse is that it's faced and interfaced through the entire hem, up to the waist. It really gives a more structured, polished look and feel to a plain, ole cotton blouse. I could easily turn this into a jacket pattern.

 

[goldwyn girl]

kamikat, your blouse and buttons are so cute.

 

[Lauren]

Thanks gals!
Kamikat, I LOVE the fabric and buttons and pattern- EVERYTHING! I want one!

 

[Sunny]

Sunny, I've never been a big fan of the 30's look, but this suit is making me want to take a second look. Just stunning, in both the winter and summer version!

Aww, thank you! I think the late 1930s are my favorite years, when the skirts start shortening and flaring but there's still a lot of fun cutting and shaping detail.

Thanks! Yeah, the double darts in this blouse has, so far, been the best fitting blouse I've ever made. I didn't even need to do my usual full bust adjustment. What I like most about this blouse is that it's faced and interfaced through the entire hem, up to the waist. It really gives a more structured, polished look and feel to a plain, ole cotton blouse. I could easily turn this into a jacket pattern.

Well, the 1950s aren't as big a favorite of mine - but I really like the fit of that blouse! Faced and interfaced at the hem, too? That's fantastic! I'll have to keep an eye out for something similar. What fabrics does it recommend? I could use a nicer summer blouse, and I've got a variety of white semisheer and lightweight materials.

Hmm, look at both of our tops - fitted closely to the waist, then flared with a curved front hem. I think we share some tastes that can't be tied to a particular decade!