The thing I love most about sewing is the eternal learning curve. I will always be on a joyful journey of discovery because there is no chance I will ever learn it all in my lifetime but with every little milestone I reach I get a little buzz of excitement which propels me to the next level and this little dress is prime example of my progress.
It might not be the most ground-breaking, couture class garment you’ve ever seen but its mine, all mine – an ooobop original
I dreamt it, I drew it, I drafted it, I sewed it.
For sure, I’ve sewed and drafted for other people but never as successfully for myself. I’ve been bouncing between lessons on Craftsy’s Blueprint and instructions from various pattern-making books but it transpires the reason it took me longer to fit myself was my own dishonesty. Denial of my actual measurements. Reluctance to accept the differing pattern shapes to the examples given. Even cheating my measurements knowing it would look better if I nipped in certain stats. Desperate. IKR!
And it just goes to show that you can’t cheat at maths. On the fourth attempt at a moulage (a close fitting blue print from which one adds ease to create a master sloper ) it bloody worked! I was so happy . Literally danced around the room in nowt but a pair of pants and the moulage for a good half hour. And then it dawned on me all the possibilities.
But first I had to add ease to create the sloper. Another milestone reached as I’m getting much quicker and more efficient at drafting in Adobe Illustrator. Luckily I use this programme for my job as a graphic designer and can justify the substantial Adobe Creative Suite subscription. But it makes it all the more satisfying that I am getting untold extra benefits from its use. My space is so limited at home and the prospect of getting out and putting away all the giant drafting materials is exhausting in itself, before I’ve even put pencil to paper. Drawing patterns using my laptop and being able to store them digitally thereafter is literally life changing, for me!
Once I’d drafted the sloper, the only other piece left to draft was the turtle-neck collar. That was a case of simply measuring the neckline and cutting a bias rectangle piece to that length and 6″ wide. It was sewn like a bias binding around the neckline. I left the back edges open to insert a zipper to the top of the neckline then folded the facing part of the collar to the inside and finished by hand.
I had originally planned an extravagant bishop-style sleeve but I didn’t think I’d have enough fabric for such indulgence, so I settled on a slightly flared sleeve instead – slashing and spreading my sleeve sloper from wrist to sleeve cap.
And while on the subject of fabric, let me tell you how I came by such a perfectly suited piece. Every now and then I venture out on a little sewing people meet-up. One of my favourites is organised the London Stitchers Meet Up. The last one I attended was held at The Blue Boat in Fulham and involved a fabric swap. Such a great idea to downsize that stash and to swap a piece or two that might not have plan attached, for something that triggers an instant course of action. Interestingly enough I had no plans on bringing any fabric back home. I’m trying to use what I have and not buy/acquire anything new but the stars instantaneously aligned when glanced over Giorgia’s shoulder to see it sat wantingly in the corner. It was a beautifully soft baby needlecord (I think) with a vintage style montage print. I always maintain I’m more about texture than print but there are always exceptions to the rule. Thanks so much to Lauriane Loves Sewing for bringing it to the table. I do hope I’ve done it justice.
So why am I creating so much more work for myself when there are plenty nuff awesome patterns in the world? Each stage of sewing this dress confirmed what I good idea it was. The notches aligned perfectly. The bust darts hit where they were supposed to, the shoulders finished on my shoulder line. And I confess I stood and I stroked and I marvelled at how well they did, for quite some time. No puckers, nuffink.
Add to that the waist sitting where it is meant to, no pooling in the small of my back and Bob is definitely my lobster! Gotta love it when an invisible zip becomes super evasive too!
Well I think that’s just enough of me blowing my own trumpet and time for me to big up the talents of my super lovely, supportive husband, Daniel. I’m always the first to run out of steam, just knowing there’ll be a hundred good shots even if I am pulling a stupid face in 50 percent of the contact sheet. But he always want’s just one more. And its always for good reason and I thank him from the bottom of my heart.
And he’s available for booking. He loves an event. So good at capturing those off the cuff, journalistic poses. So if you have an upcoming event and in need of a trusty photographer please do check out his portfolio here or contact him at danieljamesphotographic@gmail.com.
Thanks for swinging by. Your readership and comments mean the world to me and add so much to my journey. Wishing you all a gloriously productive weekend. xxx
What a wonderful dress , and i am very jealous of your digital prowess !!! Wowwee also fab picture and i love ‘just one more’ xx
Thank you so much Jax. High praise coming from such an expert. I had to find a way to make it work. Still not very fast at it but hopefully it will become second nature if I stick with it. xxx
Oh Janene!!!!!
What a lovely post. Just read it after seeing the dress on IG a couple of days ago.
We were talking about measurements and not lying. I tend to fudge them up a bit because I’m afraid I will make things too small.
The way I’m learning you take measurements but there are other factors involved that prevent cheating.
I am about to start (after Christmas sewing is complete) the bodice part of my journey. It is based partly off the skirt sloper I have already done but I need to refit that because my measurements decreased since I did it. But I don’t want to decrease it’s size because I feel like it’s easy to take it in – however I know for the bodice sloper to look right I need to make everything accurate so…. I will refit my skirt sloper.
The other thing I want desperately to do but can’t quite figure out how to do is build a custom dress form. I know there are lots of ways but again with the changes in a body over time you would be left remaking a skin over and over from a moulage – which I think is ultimately the best way to do it but it is not really changeable. Whereas a padded one is. But the padded ones I have attempted before did not really look like me… Question for you… do you think I could go from custom sloper to custom dress form skin by removing ease?
Lovely dress… isn’t it thrilling to discover that we can make whatever we want to fit us the way we want???
Thanks so much Lori. Good luck with your bodice adventures. Its definitely a test of patience but so rewarding when it finally works out. I’ve never made a dressform so I can’t really advise but I had such a good chat with @sewrendipity at one of the sewing meet ups and she has has mastered the custom mannequin through trial and hilarious error! Seriously she had me in stitches. Here’s a link to her blog post. https://sewrendipity.com/2015/01/11/a-custom-made-dress-form-part-1-casting-the-mould/ Hope its helfpul. But I’m pretty sure what you are suggesting should work as well. And yes, absolutely. I’m so excited by all the possibilites! x
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