Well part 3 is here. First up Style 1876. Did I ever say that Style are my favourite patterns? So this one was an op shop find a long time ago. It's a great pattern. I can't remember if the bodice is cut on the bias (but I think not) and the skirt is cut on the bias. I made it out of some synthetic crepe in the most fabulous colour. It has great pockets that you can see on the red dress.. The are sewn onto the back pieces, and then when you sew it up and leave the opening, you stitch the pocket onto the inside/front of the dress. That pocket isn't going anywhere. I used up all the fabric which was a gift from a friend's mother in law. It turned out to be a bit see though and I didn't wear it. It fits so nicely around the shoulders and arm holes. I decided I was going to wear it to Brisbane Spoolettes Frocktails this year as I didn't have time to make something else. I decided that it needed something else though as it was a little too see through for me. I had a piece of beautiful lace in the same colour so the morning of Frocktails, I cut the skirt panels out and unpicked the bodice to do it properly. I spent 10 minutes thinking of short cuts but there wasn't any. To make the pockets accessible I left the lace side seam open and folded back the seam allowance for my hands to go through. No extra sewing there. The lace is cotton so it presses down well. I had a little covered button in exactly the same colour from my Mum's stash that I put in the + of the bodice and the skirt to finish it off. Although I don't like synthetics, it's an easy dress to wear and love.
The hem looks crooked here but it's not. I made the lace a bit longer than the hem. This is when I got back from Frocktails.
Next up the cutest Butterick 5365 dress. It's hard to see because of the pattern but it went together beautifully and fits well. I made the pockets but took them out as the fabric, a very fine (meaning thin) rayon doesn't have the structure to hold them well and also to hold the floaty sleeves like on the pattern envelope. The sleeves droop. I tried to tack them together high up but it didn't really work. I will make this again but in a cotton fabric I think. The fabric being thin is great for super hot days as it's a very cool dress to wear. I wear it without a belt. I finished the hems of the sleeves and the skirt with the overlocker and a rolled hem. I had started this dress a couple of years ago and I kept putting it off but I wanted to just get some UFOs finished and out of the way.
Here's the dress in Ho An in Vietnam .. we're smiling but we were melting. Humidity hair 😂.
This yellow silk dress below was a display in a fancy hotel lobby in Siem Reap. It really took my eye. Beautiful crochet and fabric flowers (can't remember what they call these fabric flowers). It's such a modern take of a crochet dress.
This dress I wanted to make it for a long time. It's BURDASTYLE MAGAZINE 08-2014-116 (CUT OUT BACK DRESS) I loved it when The Slapdash Sewist made it when it came out. It's taken me 10 years - I realised I had that Burda issue when someone gave me a whole pile. It's super easy and I love wearing it too. I thought I'd hate the high low hem but I don't. This fabric is also very thin rayon from East Coast Fabrics.
These photos are taken at the Brisbane Spoolettes Frocktails for 2023. What a Great Wall of streamers it was. I loved those shoes too. I bought them off Marketplace for $15 that morning, but they were not good for me to walk in so I have sold them on.
I cut the neckline down a little and I think I'll raise it a little next time and make a FBA too. I love the little cut on sleeves as in our hot climate it's good to have a cool dress that covers the shoulders for sun protection even if it's not much. Just for some colour I added some flowers to the bodice but these are with a clip and normally in my hair. I matched perfectly to the back drop purely by happy coincidence.
The last thing to post about (I think) is the dress I made for the Spoolettes High Tea 2022.
I love this dress. Cut on the bias, the beautiful sleeves and the neck tie. This pattern has had a few iterations in Burda in more recent issues, but this one is from the above mentioned pile I got given. I don't have the date of the magazine at hand.
The fabric I used is actually stretchy. I used it to test the pattern but I love the colour and the stretch make the sleeve band easy. The pattern actually has a buttoned band but I didn't have time for that. I need to take a tuck out of the V front but I will make this again soon. I wore the wrong bra with this dress so it looks small in the bust but it's not.
So that's it for now. Finally caught up I think. It's good to actually document what I've made because I feel like I haven't made much, and it's not much, but at least I have enjoyed my hobby.
I still love reading blogs and miss the sewers I loved who blogged a lot. I don't do instagram but I'm glad to see some more people blogging again. I'm doing my bit... what do you think about blogging?
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