I've become a convert to making multiples of one pattern. There are plenty of bloggers out there showing how efficient this approach can be. You can tweak fittings and refine techniques. So I'm up to make #3 of Simplicity 2648, the Amaziing Fit dress. This time as a little black dress. I found some mechanical polyester at Spotties. A nice mid-weight fabric.
It's also "Frankenpatterning" month of the 2015 Make a Garment a Month. Given that this is make #3 of this pattern, I thought I would change things up a bit. So I've taken the shell of S2648 and the neckline of a free pattern available from craftsinstitute.com, the 1950s party dress by Jeanne Spaziani, to make a high boat neck dress with a v-back.
I had lots of fun drafting the bodice pieces. I had already copied the pattern pieces onto tissue paper. This meant that I could easily overlay the pieces to draft the correct lines. More of a challenge was figuring out what to do with facings. The basic pattern has both neck and armhole facings for the sleeveless version, but when the neckline was changed, this made too much bulk at the shoulders. So I had a go at combining the facings into one facing for the front and one for the back.
Honestly, this has not been an easy make. The fabric has been difficult to manipulate. Ironing seams needed lots of steam and a heavy duty pressing cloth. I top stitched the princess seams to get them sitting flat. Some how I managed to get the princess seams on the front bodice and skirt pieces slightly misaligned. So I have to wear a belt. Oh well, I think that's the way I'd wear it anyway. Getting the zipper to line up at the bodice seam was a real pain too. The fabric has some stretch - enough to be a hassle. Ripping seams on black fabric at night time is no fun at all. It took three goes to get it in right. Argh!
I had to get inventive making up the facing seams too. I read the party dress sewing instruction after I had drafted the pattern pieces and cut out the fabric. Luckily I read them before I started sewing. The seams allowances are 1cm (compared with 1.5cm in the Simplicity pattern) (note to self: READ ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU DRAFT PATTERNS AND CUT FABRIC). I just started with 1cm seams at the shoulders and graded out to 1.5cm at the back zipper.
I did have to think about how to sew up the all-in-one facing. And yes, I did get all the way through to trying to turn the facings before I realised that wasn't going to work (sigh - more unpicking!). I discovered two approaches - turn with open shoulder seams, or turn with open side seams. I chose the shoulder seams as I had done so much sewing but next time I do this neckline, I'll try the side seams approach as it was tough pulling through with such a narrow shoulder seam.
But in the end, I finished (one day late for MAGAM whoops!). And, I'm really happy. I wore the dress to work today and had two compliments, including "it looks like something you'd get from Cue" which I took as a complement 😊
Bad mobile shot in a work mirror...
Off to plan my Mad March MAGAM.
