So recently I had a birthday, and my children gave me a perfectly lovely surprise! fabric of their choice, for a particular pattern also of their choice.
It’s like Sew Bossy all over again!! haha, I jest, of course in all seriousness I’m absolutely thrilled that they thoughtfully gave me something that they know that I really love ie. a sewing project, and also for me, this is a very interesting insight into their vision of me, the kind of thing that they “see” me wearing.
Well, specifically, I suspect Cassie did all the choosing and so this is therefore her vision of, and for, me. She snuck quietly into the laundry and chose this pattern from my stash, Vogue 1281, and then zipped off and secretly bought the fabric from Fabulous Fabrics.
An interesting concept no? *adopts deep thinking stance* If others choose your clothing for you without your input, then does the result say more about you and your style, or about the chooser and their taste? or maybe it says something about the relationship you have with them? Food for thought, hmmm…
The previous, first time I made up this pattern I used old Tshirts and banged it together a bit, then pretty much tucked the pattern back into the stash; a mental “been there, done that!” ticked off in my head. For this new version the fabric was a obviously just a wee bit more precious to me, and I took my time, carefully and lovingly getting everything just as right as I could 🙂
Some thoughts and technical bizzo:
My original flippant assessment was that this is a very unusual pattern. Revisiting the pattern has only reinforced this assessment. This really is a unique design in amongst my very extensive collection of unique patterns.
Firstly; I sized down. This pattern is LOOSE!
The structure of the dress is all reliant upon the “lining”, which is essentially a thing that we call here a “boob tube”. Or if you prefer, a bandeau bikini top. Basically the whole dress hangs upon that! The first time I made it, I made it quite differently, NOT going with the separate boob tube but instead joining the dress and lining together totally at the top. I don’t think one way is superior to the other. Just observing that this dress is constructed as intended, with the boob tube lining kept quite separate.
In my opinion, if you are making it as intended then it is essential that the boob tube lining fits as perfectly as possible, and it is easier to do this if it is made separately.
My fabrics are all stretchy, so I didn’t put a zip in the back but just stitched up that centre back seam. IF doing this, my recommendation is that the strap be attached to the dress and not to the boob tube lining at all. I then secured the top of the dress to the boob tube by discreet hand stitching at a few key points; centre back seam, the general underarm area, and underneath the straps at the front.
A fitting tip, with my bodice fabric being quite stretchy, I still had to take in quite a lot of excess width from the bodice. I did this fitting adjustment all through the centre back seam and modified the placement of the right strap accordingly.
Details:
Dress; Vogue 1281, rayon/poly and bamboo/poly stretch jersey knit. Thin, liquidy, flowy cool. The beige is very fine, soft and matte, the print is a bit thicker and springy.
Sandals; Zomp, from Zomp boutique
The concept is great and the end result is stunning. You don't say whether you actually like the dress. It looks good on you in case you can't be objective.
Thank you Carol! and sorry, I should have been more clear, yes I do very much like the dress! 🙂
That is an unusual dress, but it is lovely on you. Your daughter certainly has a good eye. The dress calls attention to your fabulous curves and your great shoulders – I think shoulders are highly under valued these days, but they make clothes hang rather well. Happy birthday to you, Carolyn. Thanks so much for sharing your sewing with us.
thank you so much Shelley! both for the lovely birthday wishes and as always, for your thoughtful and insightful commentary 🙂
Such a thoughtful gift and you have made a beautiful and unique dress that is a perfect match to your style. Your children must be very in tune with you and your taste, to have chosen such an ideal gift.
I guess it says something about all of you! It's wonderful that your children could choose a gift that is so *you* – both the fabric and the pattern pick :). Hope your birthday was very, very happy.
thank you very much Gabrielle 🙂
Happy birthday and you look lovely. They chose perfect fabric for you and you did a fabulous job in creating the dress.
thank you Vicki! 🙂
How delightful! What excellent taste your children have and what a wonderful gift. The dress is just beautiful.
Oh how fun that your kiddies did this! I would be very interested to know what my own children would choose. This look lovely as always!
First of all: Happy Birthday!
It's fun that your children picked this fabric and the pattern for you but I agree with many other commenters that it seems to prove they know you pretty well: It looks very 'you'.
The construction of this pattern sound really unusual although it kind of makes sense because of all those draped bits. There's one thing you don't really say though: Are you happy with the dress?
thanks for the birthday wishes Lauriana! and sorry, I should have been more clear in my post, yes, I am very happy with the dress!!
What a charming gift from your children! They must be as creative as you 🙂 Beautiful dress too.
An excellent choice, it looks lovely, elegant and comfortable – and I am very glad they chose this pattern as I really liked your first casual Tshirt version 😉 and many Happy Birthday wishes.
MaciNic, thank you so much for the birthday wishes! 🙂
What a thoughtful gift! It turned into a beautiful dress! Happy Birthday! I love birthdays…a wonderful celebration of life.
thank you Shirley Ann!
Happy birthday, Carolyn! I love that your kids gave you the gift of a project! Cassie chose very well and the resulting dress is stunning! I agree that it's interesting to see how loved ones see you.
thank you for the birthday wish, shams 🙂
Happy belated birthday. Such a pretty birthday dress too.
thanks Faye! 🙂
A belated happy birthday to you Carolyn. Your birthday dress is beautiful. Your children obviously have excellent taste.
thanks Sam! I'm thrilled that they have excellent taste, too! 🙂
Happy birthday! I love the dress. That fabric is gorgeous and so is the pattern!
thanks Tina!
Happy birthday! What a wonderful gift. I do agree with your kids that it is such a lovely pattern and it really suits you (in the sense that I think it looks wonderful on you – your first version was the main reason I purchased the pattern after all).
thanks for the birthday wish Aline! I'm glad I had the opportunity to make it again, and to make it up "properly" this time, with proper fabric, I mean! I hope you get to make it up too, it's unusual, and with lovely lines 🙂
Happy Birthday! Looks like you have great kids! Good job Cassie on nailing you so well!
thanks for the sweet birthday wish, Em 🙂
Not many people could pull this dress off, but you do it brilliantly. What a wonderful present, and happy birthday.
thanks so much for the birthday wish Sue! actually I think this elegant design would look absolutely wonderful on you 🙂
I love everything about this dress–the fabric, the pattern, and the sentiment behind the gift.
that pattern is fascinating to me, and this version is very pretty and sophisticated. Well done to your family for the choice.
What a sweet gift! I love that print, and it looks great in this style. Happy birthday!
thanks KellyD 🙂
i love the gift they gave you! that is incredibly thoughtful. clearly they see you as a classy lady with an eye for unique details, because that is what i see here. beautiful dress–happy birthday!
Ohh, that's so sweet of you Lisa, thanks so much 🙂
What a thoughtful pressie. Glad you enjoyed making it. Jo x
It's a funny dress.
As soon as I saw the title in my blog reader I thought, "whoa, Carolyn has taken Sew Bossy to the EXTREME!" I think this makes you the bravest sewer out there! Congratulations 🙂 That pattern is very interesting and I wonder, do you think the style reflects Cassie at all? Or was she incredibly generous and tried to choose something she thought you would pick? A really interesting project! Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY! x
haha, thanks so much Reana! and you know what, I LOVED the whole concept behind sew bossy and wish we could all do it again 🙂 I was touched by Cassie's idea and it's interesting that (imo) her choice is an amalgamation of her own style and taste AND my own. I probably wouldn't have plucked the pattern from my stash on my own initiative but totally relished that I was to make it again 🙂
Such a well chosen and thoughtful birthday present from your children! The first version of this dress was awesome and this one is too. The fabric and pattern work together beautifully and the dress looks wonderful on you. Really, really nice!
Your family knows you well! What a cool idea for a birthday present. Beautiful fabric choice, too. Makes for a beautiful dress.
Happy birthday! What a great gift. I love how it turned out.
thanks so much Trudy! I do too 🙂
Happy birthday! I love this dress and your original one as well. I have the pattern but have not been brave enough to sew it up yet:)
thank you for the birthday wish Angela! yes, make up the pattern!, you won't regret it 🙂
Happy happy belated cake day! What a thoughtful gift- it's such an interesting insight into how other's perceive your style! But what a winner- I really like this version!
thanks Amanda! I totally SHOULD have made cake 🙂
Or maybe someone else should make you a cake :). Belated Happy Birthday, and clearly you have a very well trained and thoughtful family. The interesting design of the dress looks terrific on you.
Happy Birthday Carolyn, your children obviously get there good eye detail from you. Such a well thought out gift!
Happy birthday Carolyn! I think the dress is very 'you' actually, I think your children (Cassie) gave a lot of thought to the colours you favour. It's an excellent choice, and looks great.
Looks like you had a wonderful birthday, many happy returns. Your family from this side really look like they understand your style and picked the perfect pattern and fabric, you look so happy with this dress!
Happy Carolyn Day! What a fantastic present – your children have a great eye. It's so interesting when other people pick clothes for each other. Very enlightening. I love how the colors go so well with your colouring – a dress to treasure for sure. Rachel ☺
Happy birthday! 🙂 Very, very pretty dress. I like the idea of your children choosing both the pattern and the fabric – it really is interesting to think about how others see us. Your kids know you very well, since the dress is very "you", I think. 🙂
What an awesome idea. Happy birthday and congrats on a gorgeous dress
Gorgeous dress and blessed birthday to you! I wouldn't give the pattern cover a second look but your versions are truly tempting me!
What a great idea they had for your birthday. Looks great too! They did well with their choices, I think. Happy birthday!
It's beautiful and you have paired this gorgeous dress with the perfect shoes.
Your kids have great taste! Fabulous fabric and dress. Happy birthday.
Happy Birthday! I think your daughter knows very well what looks good on you, so she has given this some thought – how nice! The colors are perfect for you, and the dress is very flattering and shows your style. I think it is fabulous that your relationship with them is so solid that they felt confident doing this for your birthday. Hope you had a great day, and enjoy that dress.
Happy Birthday! Your dress is very special.
I love that your kids chose a birthday sewing project for you.Your dress is really lovely.
That's a fun collaboration and the result seems very "you". Do you think it's you?
One word: "Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"
As always, you look lovely 🙂
Such clever kids – Was this down to Cassie or did the boys have a vote? Whatever, I love the outcome.
" If others choose your clothing for you without your input, then does the result say more about you and your style, or about the chooser and their taste?" (c) —– Exactly!
And your dress is so cool….
WHat a perfect birthday gift!! Happy Birthday and you look amazing! This dress is lovely.
The colours in your dress are very much you! Your daughter knows your taste well. Well done to your daughter and sons for such a thoughtful and well chosen gift. I have always liked this dress pattern because it is a little different.