I finished my dress just in the nick of time! I wore it Wednesday night to perform with my country music class. I hope I did Loretta and Tammy proud.
This is vintage Simplicity 4414.
I made the skirt slightly less full (it already took 8 yards of chiffon, guys!) and shortened it a bit.
Oh, I also omitted the cummerbund because that look just never works on me for some reason.
Instead: rhinestone trim!
My favorite thing about this dress is the fabric. It's silk chiffon with a coordinating silk charmeuse underlining/lining.
My second favorite thing is the cowl in the back.
Hand picked lapped zipper--but I put it in on the wrong side! Whoops.
Because of time restraints, I did the hem on the serger with rolled hem function.
I used
Polyarn thread in the loopers (a poly version of woolly nylon, a textured thread that makes pretty rolled hems). They don't make the exact color I needed, so I ended up using a light green in the lower looper and darker green in the upper looper--it worked perfectly! I also did the overskirt seams with the rolled hem and it produces a really nice finish on sheers.
On to the next project: a blue velvet Christmas dress!
This is gorgeous! Maybe your most beautiful one yet!
ReplyDeletegorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThis is gorgeous! I literally gasped when I saw it.
ReplyDeleteStunning
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, as always. LOVE the ombre effect!! And the rhinestone trim is a glamorous touch. Well done!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous!
ReplyDeleteLovely lovely!! I can't wait to see what you have to say about sewing with velvet. its such a bugger.
ReplyDeleteYou are queen of the fabulous back!
ReplyDeleteSuper LOVE!!! Where did you find the Chiffon???
ReplyDeleteThe hem looks really good, and that colour is so nice with your hair! Pink and Green should always be seen.
ReplyDeleteVery Midwestern Hayride! I remember that show when I was a kid, Dolly Parton (who is my fav!), and of course Loretta and Tammy. Porter Waggoner in his sparkly suits. We only had black and white TV, so it was just the shiny stuff that we could see. It brings fond memories and looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty dress!!!
ReplyDeleteIt is lovely! You look like Tinkerbell. Fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThat dress is sooo pretty. It makes me wish for spring with its gorgeous green ombre !
ReplyDeleteThis looks great! I love the fabric, and I think the waist trim is perfect--it was one of the touches that I really liked. I think the hem looks fabulous, and I agree on the cumberbund thing. I always think those types of things or belted shirts or whatever will work on me, but it may not be the trend for me, if you know what I mean.
ReplyDeleteI cannot WAIT to see the blue velvet Christmas dress. That sounds perfect! I always want a new outfit and always have trouble finding/making/thinking of one. As soon as you said blue velvet, I thought, "Pefect!" Thanks for sharing your projects. Your blog is always inspiring and informative--the perfect mix.
The rhinestone band is perfect.
ReplyDeleteso pretty!!!! Great job, chiffon still terrifies me.....
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!!!
ReplyDeleteWoah... this is amazing! I agree with Tera, chiffon is pretty terrifying - so good work! I bet all eyes in the audience were on you at your gig, you look stunning. Now I can't wait to see your blue velvet dress - sounds gorgeous x
ReplyDeleteLove it -- and the rhinestone trim is a great touch!
ReplyDeleteThat dress is so very "Helen Rose: The MGM Years"!
DeleteBeautiful. I agree with you about the back cowl. Love it.
ReplyDeleteLove the dress, but the right-sided zipper especially caught my attention. Both of the projects I've made so far from your book (the portrait blouse, as yet unblogged; and the scalloped-waist skirt, recently blogged) I've accidentally put the zippers in on the right side. I think you might be sending out subversive zipper insertion vibes.
ReplyDeleteIts a stunner, bet it is all 'swishy' when you move...?
ReplyDeleteI love that.... always makes me feel like a grown up!
bestest Daisy j x
Absolutley stunning Gertie.
ReplyDeleteReally cute!!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see what you are doing for your blue Christmas dress. I've been dying for a navy blue velvet Christmas dress since I saw some perfect jewelry at Kohls.
Oh this is so amazing! The green of the dress and pink of your lovely hair make me long for summer again!
ReplyDeleteWell done! And such a fresh look in the middle of winter.
ReplyDeleteYour courage is obvious -- taking on a short deadline and making it perfectly. Oh, and posing outdoors in the New York winter. Kudos.
Looking forward to the blue velvet project since I have a blue silk velvet in my stash, stewing there for years.
Wow! That was quick and very lovely! It must be a dream to wear and swoosh around in. I love the cowl in the back, so elegant!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! I absolutely love it! Silk is my all time favorite fiber (what weirdo had a favorite fiber? this weirdo). I would probably prance and flounce everywhere I went in it.
ReplyDeleteThat's not weird at all! My favorite fiber is also silk. I'm addicted.
DeleteThis is such a lovely dress, I adore the colour! x
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing! I love the cowl at the back too!
ReplyDeleteThat green is certainly your color. It just shows off your complexion and makes your pink hair simply pop! I always marvel at your construction too. Great job :D
ReplyDeleteThe fabric is gorgeous. It looks fantastic with your hair, you look like a flower!
ReplyDeleteThe dress is beautiful! But tell us about your country music class-- do you play an instrument or sing? What kind of class is it?
ReplyDeleteWow, so Patsy Cline! You need a much larger hair-do, though. Remember the old country saying, "the higher the hair, the closer to God."
ReplyDeleteI just started following your blog, I love everything you have posted, and confident sense of self you exude! Funny, sometimes you look for one thing to inspire you, and find another!
ReplyDeleteLove the color and especially love the way the back came out.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, what beautiful fabric! Reminds me a little of spring onions. Scrumptious.
ReplyDeleteoh such a beautiful dress! I really want to make something similar to that, the model is so flattering!
ReplyDeleteI love that gorgeous draped back!!! I'm drooling!
ReplyDeleteI think this is my favorite dress yet! So beautiful, and incredibly unique. You are such an inspiration :) Happy holidays!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Gertie! I'd love to see it made again with the dark green at the top!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, for all you stateside fans, here's a little Christmas treat for you…
The Christmas special of…
The Great British Sewing Bee!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb8ByV_76HQ
I love love this dress!! I do have a couple of technical questions. When looking at the pattern and then your dress, the front darts appear to be much shorter on the pattern front, did you lengthened them? if so why? Did you encounter any problems gathering and attaching the silk chiffon overskirt? One of the things I love about your blog is your attention to details.
ReplyDeleteI notice that too about the darts, they seem to go all the way to your ahem "bust points" rather than stopping an inch away. Is that deliberate, or maybe your vintage bra is in the wash? I don't mean to be critical, I just really want to know cause I figure you know what you're doing...
ReplyDeleteThe dress is beautiful, and you look great in that color.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the cumberbund, and this may tie in with the dart comments by Anonymous at 12:06am and Pearl Cardigan - I suspect for the cumberbund to look close to the pattern illustration would require foundation garments to give the space between bust and waistline. Both to hike the bust up and to pull in the waistline. I'm not sure adding the stress of wondering if you can breath to any recital pressures would be wise. Also, illustrations aren't always known for their depiction of reality, for either the pattern details, or for human porportions.
Just Gail,
DeleteYou may have answered the comment I JUST placed below. I was saying how I wish I could envision a finished piece versus what the pattern envelope shows.
Thanks for what you wrote.
I'm in the minority on this, but while attention grabbing, this is not a look that flatters. Your eyes have dissapeared between hair and the the undulating green waves of the dress. The darts at the shoulders are also not restful. I think the light pink dress from the top of the site is more complementary.
ReplyDeleteThank YOU. This is the first time I read someone now singing praises!
DeleteI meant "not", duh. Couldn't edit the post.
DeleteI hadn't noticed the shoulder darts, but now, looking again, I think I'm going to opine that this bodice is intended to have "the girls" hiked up until the bust point is even with the underarm crease, no lower than the bottom of the armscythe. Vintage patterns look so great in the illustrations, but they often are drafted for wear with the undergarments of the time. It's just something that needs to be taken into consideration when using them.
Deletethe holiday/grown-up version of thinkerbell! I love how the green sets off your hair and tattoos
ReplyDeleteI've only found the cummerbunds to work with me when they're sewn in, rather than worn over, unless they're set about 2" below the bustline and no more than 2 1/2" wide OR I drop the waist of the skirt and just modify the heck of out the pattern to get a little dropped waist action (I like to pretend I don't have a super petite torso this way). I must have an even shorter waist than most petite patterns allow adjustments for (which is why I've never even tried making pants more complicated than PJs)
I wish I had the talent to view finished garments versus the artist rendition on the pattern envelope. For instance, I love 50's looks like this dress but the envelope makes the skirt look voluptuous (did I spell that correctly?) and I shy away from the project due to having huge hips.
ReplyDeleteNow, look at this dress on Gertie . . . the skirt size is fine, but look at that envelope . . . . gargantuan. Perhaps underpinnings makes the difference? If a big petticoat is worn, yeah, it would be big like the envelopes.
I think this dress looks great. Your back cowl seems nicer, deeper and more drapey than the original illustration. When examining the original pattern, there is a feature there that sends up a big red flag for me: shoulder tucks or gathers on sleeveless bodices. I just don't think these work. On anyone. An early encounter with the popular Butterick 6582 retro pattern introduced me to the frustration of trying to get a nice drape from a shoulder gather. It should have draped down towards the bustline, and not get pulled open or puffy across the upper chest. The only way to deal with this tuck/or gathers is to make them deeper for more 'drape' or pivot them out (I vote for the latter),. (with B6582 I had to hand sew the drape from the gathers in place so they wouldn't spread open and distort the neckline, not exactly what the pattern maker had intended)
ReplyDelete