Skip to main content

Style Arc Alishia slip, Brisbane meet up and Strawberry dress.

I have made the Alishia dress slip from Style Arc. This is for a wedding that I am going to early May. First up is the rouleau straps. I partly remembered a tutorial about turning these thin straps but having a long length of thread and then pulling it through itself. Not a good explanation - I had a long length of thread (the machine thread) before I started sewing the strap. I then tied the thread onto a needle and threaded the needle through the strap then I gently teased the end into itself - this was the tricky part and where I thought it would go pear shaped - but it didn't and once the end turned into the tube, the heavy satin just glided through and a great strap emerged. I thought for sure it would turn to the proverbial for the second strap, but it did not. 
Two perfect straps! Ta da!


I then put the straps onto the bust cups and gathered the bust cups and put them onto the front bottom of the slip. It was a little touch and go as I cut this from a remnant piece of satin I've had for ever and even though it's a little short, it is the perfect colour to match the sequinned lace I have. However because it was a remnant, I had to cut the bottom of the cups a little inside where it should have been because that was the edge of the fabric. I think it worked out ok as it still looks like a nice curve and the cups fit. Just a side note here, there are two sizes of cups for the slip and I cut the bigger one - I'm between a DD and E cup and they fit ok...  not perfectly under the bust but I did have to cut them shallower by about 1cm so I think they are pretty good.

Today I finished the slip save for hemming and joining the straps at the back. It isn't ironed obviously and not sitting well on the hanger but you get the picture. I am really happy with it. It would be better 5 cm longer but it isn't indecent just shorter than I'd like but it is a slip. I'm hoping I can use this slip under a number of different dresses as I don't have another. It's quite a heavy synthetic satin and I LOVE the gunmetal grey colour.


I tried putting the elastic on with the overlocker and then to turn it over but the overlocker ate it up first then I just couldn't keep it all together well enough without that third hand we could all use in sewing, so I just triple zig zag stitched and turned it over and stitched it again. I wish I thought to put the straps under the zig zag but I didn't.  I just found a little flower I will put in the middle of the bust there ... or do you think it would look too 'nightie' then. I'm thinking to do a double turned hem (don't know if that is what it is called... ). I'd turn over a tiny hem and then turn it again. I've had a little practice run before I do it on the slip.. worked out ok. I'd like to roll hem on the overlocker but can't trust the black thread and the machine. What do you think so far? Onto the dress next.


The Brisbane meet up arranged by Busy Lizzie in Brizzy is on this Sunday and there are 28 people coming. It's very exciting. I'm getting some patterns and fabrics to swap ready today too.

On another note, I haven't given up on the strawberry dress. I had some issues that have been resolved and I will put the snaps or buttons on and post. Hopefully in the next few days. There isn't much to say about Melbourne sewing wise but there is some .. I'll leave that for the next post too.

Comments

Kristy Chan said…
28 people! Sounds like an awesome meet up is going to happen. Your straps are perfection, I never make them because I'm too lazy and mine usually turn out terrible....
Sue said…
Lovely slip! I have a tool to do the turning of straps - a long metal thing with a latch hook at one end and a loop to hold at the other - really easy to sue and not expensive to buy.
Judith said…
Those straps are just perfect ~ well done! If the length of your slip does worry you, you can always add a strip of lace to the bottom ... looking forward to catching up this Sunday ... fingers crossed for a dry day (maybe meet-ups are meant to be rainy for us?!?) ... J
Summer Flies said…
Great idea Judith. I didn't think of lace. It's only been a few days but I'm over the rain. Seems it doesn't rain but pour nowadays. See you Sunday.
Summer Flies said…
I normally avoid them too but these were easy but maybe that is due to the satin fabric. It's going to be a big meet up for sewists in Brisbane!
Summer Flies said…
Yes, I have one of those and that's what I normally use. It's a great tool and it's long which is great. I only think this method worked so well because of the slippery nature of the satin. I'd try again but think it would be harder with cotton or something. I also think this method was for those really thin straps where the head of that tool doesn't fit.. mine aren't that thin though.
katherine h said…
This is really lovely. I would put the flower on.
Summer Flies said…
Thank you. I think I will.
Cornelia said…
Thanks for posting this. I have just finished the slip also. Your version spurred me on. I haven't tackled the lace overdress yet, but I have just layed out the pattern pieces and I will need about 1.5m more fabric! My lace has only 1 scalloped edge, and you just can't fit all the pieces along one edge on the 2m piece I bought. That serves me right for not measuring the pieces first! I'm looking forward to seeing yours. Will that be soon? (We both have the same deadline of early May. I'm going to a wedding also.)
Summer Flies said…
Hi Cornelia! I have lace with sequins but no scalloped edge at all so not sure how I'm going to do it. I'd like to start next week but I think I'll make a different dress to test the pattern fit before I make the 'real' one. I have some appointments and job application next week too so don't be surprised if you see no action. I'm glad I could spur you on. The slip is quite simple really and I'm hoping the dress is as smooth.
barbarajane said…
Your slip is lovely. I've been looking for a slip pattern, might give this one a try.
Summer Flies said…
Yes it is a nice pattern and so easy. I'm thinking to make some nighties out of the pattern too.
Cornelia said…
The dress isn't hard thus far, but I was wondering how you are going to hem the sleeves and body, and how you will finish the neckline without scallops? My lace has some cording around the motifs, which runs along the length continuously, squiggling around each shape, and it's a bit tricky to cut and sew. I decided to applique the shoulders seams and darts and it's gone ok, but it's very time consuming. Amazingly the invisible zipper went into the lace perfectly! I've only sewn a test piece, and was about to use snaps instead because I doubted the machine could make a clean line on lace, but I was wrong. I think I will just make a french seam down the sides because it will take another week at least to finish the side seams by the applique method. And I'm not the bride; no one will be looking at me and my side seams! (BTW It seems a little narrow in the CB for neck and upper back so I've cut wide seam allowances. I have also cut it wider in the skirt because I have a bigger bottom half, but I'm sure I'm a 12 up top. Maybe I'm not any longer, or is designed for no ease?)
Summer Flies said…
Hi Cornelia, I just saw this! I don't know if you've seen my toile... not very flattering but the fabric was very thin and moved around a lot. I think I'll finish the hem just straight and I'm not even sure I'll have sleeves. Your lace sounds lovely and like a remnant piece that wasn't big enough to use for the toile. The appliquéing sounds nice and I think will make your dress much more special than mine. I don't have the stamina for that. My lace has sequins so I don't want to overdo it. I'll work on the dress retry after Easter. I made the 12 too and the bottom is too small - I'm quite small on top and the bottom part is very round so it is very hard to fit. I don't worry too much about perfect fit as whatever I make will fit better than anything I could buy! I'd love to see your dress when it's done... do you have a blog or something where I could view it?

Popular posts from this blog

The saddest dress, then a few more.

Well hello. It's been a while. It was 8 months from the last post to the previous one to that and it's a bit longer this time. The last day I wrote was 10 Jul 2021. On 12 July my son and I were finally seeing Tim Minchin  after booking it before we went to Europe at the end of 2019. It was going to be April 2020, but changed a few times and although it was a school night (year 12 for Alex) we went for dinner and sat in the show. My Mum had gone to hospital that morning and my sister was still at the hospital with her. Just after interval I got a message on my phone, "get to the hospital now". So we raced out and to the hospital where. although it was a lockdown and no visitors allowed, all 10 of us were allowed to see Mum as she was end of life. I won't go into the whole thing but Mum didn't die that night, but because of lockdown, we were not allowed to go and see her until a week and a half later when we were allowed just to discuss palliative care. By the n

Bubble O'Bill: take 2; bikinis

With some time at home, I've been sewing a bit lately and I finally had time to make the bikinis for my son's girlfriend for her birthday. I cut them out in February from some scrap fabric my friend gave me. I made my son some swimmers   and I see someone has some for sale if you feel you are missing out 😆.   I had to piece together the bikinis as I had nearly nothing left over. I made the top back and the briefs from the free Madelynne Noelle pattern and the front top from another Madelynne pattern I can't find a link for it but was Mallory Lane. It's a basic top with scrappy back. If anyone wants it I have the download. Looks like it's not available any more.  All this piecing and mixing was purely from fabric limitations. The other fabric I mixed it with was ombre from aqua blue to purple and matched well. I asked Liv if she wanted a frill down the centre front to break up the print as I wasn't sure she would, but she loved the idea, so on the went. She tr

Emergency Rashie KS2600

I go to aqua aerobics 3 or 4 times a week and I like to wear a rashie as it's outdoor and it's a bit warmer in the (not very cold usually but really warm this) winter, and I can't reach the spots for sunscreen. In Brisbane you must wear sunscreen every day even in winter as we have the highest skin cancer rates in the world and I don't want to be any more wrinkly than I am! Anyway, I went to the Gold Coast to see my friend for a few days and I left my rashie at her place and I she wouldn't get to Brisbane for a few days so I pulled out KS 2600. I saw this pattern listed on a pattern site and then became obsessed with it till I got it but this is my first chance to try it. Isn't it lovely! I wanted to test it to see how the fit was. I've made McCall's 7417 a few times but it's long between the shoulder and the arm for me and even though I have made a few it wasn't ever a great fit but it is a quick sew. The pants on the McCall's is a good fit