Maybe this sticky heat can be better endured if I think of winter. I mentioned in that post about my intended Christmas Day dress that I'd also made the pattern up earlier in the year as a winter knit. There are no pics of me wearing this dress, and there is absolutely no way I will put it in this stinking heat, so maybe this is the right time to unveil my new assistant:
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| front view |
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| inside out front view |
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| how I'd wear it in winter - layered, perhaps also with a long-sleeve black t underneath |
This stripey knit is a rather transparent material that I found lurking behind more recent rolls of fabric in Tessuti Fabric's York St, Sydney store. The dress turned out to be too see-through so after the fact I cut a slip from grey lining fabric, on the bias, to line up with the facings I'd already sewn. It took a bit of hand basting to get the bias-cut lining and and straight-cut facings matched up and hanging properly, but thankfully I'd given myself generous seam allowances.
My new assistant is this helpful figure:
My mum went to a friend's house for lunch recently and spied the Sew Easy box outside her friend's front door. Her friend said she was chucking it out! Amazingly it's the right size for me (well, as good as I could have hoped for, although my partner Stu noted that it doesn't have a stomach paunch - compliments, compliments, that's what I'm hearing). I'm finding it such a treat to be able to hang a muslin in the dress form and play with the fit - so much easier than sticking pins into myself. Unfortunately the stick had been separated from box but it's been found and will be coming in a few weeks.
BRRRRRRRRRR am I cold yet? I can't wait for this heat to break!
Very cute dress. And what a major score to find that dressform! It looks completely unused. Having a dressform is wonderful - so many things become so much easier, like hemming and you don't have to keep trying it on. It also looks a lot more sturdy and of much higher quality than some of the standard brands you get at Lincraft and the like (I say that from bitter experience of having bought a flimsy brand).
ReplyDeleteGabrielle,
ReplyDeleteYou inspired me with your Underwater Dreaming dress. The most lovely fabric. I contacted Tessuti and purchased the remaining fabric. Why am I buying fabric from Tessuti,half way across the world, when I visit the garment district in NYC twice a year and have access to online buying in the US? Because I am a Sydney sider, living in the US and this dress (fabric) will be my Sydney Dress.
Any tips or suggestions you may have for working with this fabric?
Thank you,
JoanneM matildasydney@yahoo.com
Hi Jacquie, the dress form is still quite light weight but I really like that it's so adjustable - I am definitely getting lots of use from it already. I guess I'll soon find out if it's sturdy enough for me, and if not I'll get back to to ask for recommendations!
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne, Oh wow, thank you! Good luck with your Sydney Dress. The NYC garment district must be fun - lucky you!
ReplyDeleteThe fabric is a lovely silk with a bit of weight to it but still of course quite slippery to work with - more slippery than a silk twill but less than chiffon. I found it tended to pucker on longer seams so I should have done more fiddling with machine tension etc. Um and I lined with regular lining to make it feel even more slippery and special on, but no need to interline or anything like that. Actually I didn't even use any interfacing.
Given it's such a striking big print I also wanted to keep it simple to show off the fabric. I did an image search for inspiration and found lots of silk shifts that I liked, so that's what I went with.
I would love to see what you make from this- I am sure it will be stunning!