I have made a new dress.
And here I am wearing it to scramble about on the rocks, just like a, er, crab….?
…..?
well, it’s a tenuous little link!!
I made it using a new-to-me pattern Vogue 1317. I have admired previous versions of this dress on shams and more recently Catherine, and my own version has been cut out for months and getting worked on in miserable dribs and drabs for waaaaaay too long! But it is finally finished. Like a lot of Chado Ralph Rucci designs, this is not a make-it-up-in-one-day garment 🙂
The fabric I used is a lovely silk/linen mix from Fabulous Fabrics, bought for me as a Christmas present by Mum and Dad. The shade is a gorgeous deep, grey-y, green-y blue, like gunmetal, or the colour of the ocean under a thundery sky. It’s lovely stuff. I’m kinda tempted to go into Fabulous Fabrics and buy up every colour…. must resist….
I must say I really love this silhouette and this style; the bodice is flatteringly streamlined, the sleeves are a nice shape and length, and the skirt is flippily cute and figure flattering. I’m happy with how it turned out, I love the (modified) pockets!
I did make a few tiny alterations to the pattern when I made it up; and when I use this pattern again I will make even more changes.
The changes I did make:
Even just looking at that front skirt piece I thought that the pockets are situated too close to the centre front, which would lend a sort of hands-over-the-crotch appearance to when you put your hands in the pockets. So I widened the skirt front piece by about 2.5cm (1″) on each side. This alteration also enabled me to make the pockets slightly bigger, mine are about 1cm wider and 1.5cm deeper each. Now they are situated over my upper leg and I think they are perfectly big enough to be usable 🙂
The front centre front bodice slit looked a tad low-cut for my taste, so I sewed up the bodice front and the corresponding facing pieces by an extra 4cm. Now the opening hits at a more flattering and modest point.
I spliced the skirt pieces together to cut a three piece skirt lining (one front, two back pieces with a CB seam), using dark grey polyacetate lining fabric. The pattern doesn’t call for a lining, but if there was not one then in a windy situation…. see?
I think a skirt lining is imperative 🙂
I cut the waist ties to be much much longer, because I like the idea of wrapping them around my waist and tying them at the back. I prefer a back-tie, over a front-tie sitting in a big bow right in the middle of my tummy!
I also added about 2.5cm to the skirt length, and reinforced the zip stitching lines with narrow strips of self fabric cut on the grain for stability.
Changes I did not make, but would if I was making this up again:
The inner corner of the bodice front, at the small circle point, is, I hate to say it, badly designed, there’s just no other way of putting it. The dress as it is is fine for sitting at a desk, working on a computer all day, or say, going to a concert, a movie or the ballet. However I want to wear my dress all day, for the kind of activities I do everyday, including hanging the washing on the line, putting groceries in the fridge and pantry; in short, activities that require me to raise my arms above my head! Lifting my arms over my head does not work as smoothly as it should.
The next time I make this pattern up, I will re-draft both the front and back bodice pieces to be roughly more like this illustration… opening up the underarm at the inner corner to let the sleeve sit out horizontally at the cutting stage. This will help eliminate that unnecessary strain on the fabric at that turning point.
The hems are finished with an interfaced facing, which is turned in, double top-stitched and trimmed close to the stitching. This is quite nice, the double top-stitching matches up visually with the copious quantities of double top-stitching that is all over the rest of the garment; but I don’t know if I love it. I might brainstorm something different for next time.
But these are mere petty quibbles. I do like my new dress!
min 11C, max 21C, fine and sunny
Details:
Dress; Vogue 1317, dark blue/grey silk/linen mix
(not seen): handknit socks
Boots; Enrico Antinori, from Zomp shoes
Pattern
Description:
Dress has low neckline slit, close-fitting bodice cut-in-one with sleeves (slit), side back bodice extending into underarm gusset, lined midriff, single-layer tie ends (wrongside shows), skirt with side front/side back seams, side front pockets/vents, invisible back zipper, stitched hems, and self-bias binding. Topstitching and edgestitching.
Pattern
Sizing:
8-16; I made my usual size 10 and needed no alterations for size
Did
it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished
sewing it?
Yes.
Were
the instructions easy to follow?
as is usual for Chado Ralph Rucci patterns, yes the instructions are easy to understand, but not necessarily easy to follow!
What
did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I fell in love with this dress style from very first sight of the envelope. Who ever said there was no such thing as love at first sight? Poppycock!!
The style is very chic; a funky modern interpretation of a vintage silhouette.
There are quite a few things I do not like; that I intend to change on future iterations of this pattern; and yes, there will be more!
The shape of the bodice front and back, at the small circle point, is, I hate to say it, but badly designed, there’s just no other way of putting it. The shape of the pieces here means that lifting your arms above your head while wearing the dress does not work as comfortably as it should here.
Fabric
Used:
Silk/linen mix
Pattern
alterations or any design changes you made:
I thought from looking at the pattern piece that the pockets were situated too close to the centre front; ie, meaning that when your hands are in the pockets, they are hovering right over the crotch region… neither a ladylike or comfortable position. I widened the skirt front piece so that the pockets are more to the side, so my hands are resting on the front of my hips while they are in the pockets. Widening the skirt front also enable me to cut my pockets bigger and deeper, a bonus side effect 🙂
I stitched the front bodice and corresponding facing pieces seam to be 4cm longer; the opening now hits at a more flattering and modest point on me.
I cut the waist tie piece to be much much longer, so that I can wrap it right around my waist and tie at the back. I prefer this to having a bow or knot sitting at my front.
I cut the skirt pieces about 2.5cm longer each, and lined the skirt with a lining that does not have that wide open flap at the front; for reasons that become obvious when you sit down and cross your knees in this dress.
Would
you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Probably! I recommend this pattern to an advanced seamster, who likes an updated “vintage” silhouette, and who lurves topstitching with a passion.
Conclusion:
Well, I love it! and with just those few minor adjustments I am looking forward to making this pattern up again 🙂
Now, just because it always gives me a big laugh when other sewing bloggers do this, like Jilly Be and chenille; I give you… the simple casual elegance of the Vogue pose! Now this I think can claim to be crab-like!
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