What it is is a lot of paper, magic tape and head scratching! I have been mucking about with paper and Pattern Magic again, this time working on the “dress with draped design” pattern. I guess I had a little more working through to do because I am not using the block that comes from the book. As I am a million miles for the average Japanese woman in size and shape, there is pretty much no point in going there! So I have my trusty Winnifred Aldrich bodice block to fiddle with instead. It isn’t a hard pattern to make, just fiddly.
So this is how the front started off, bust dart moved to armhole, and lots of lines to cut up. The waistline is moved 7cm up (on the back too) and neckline drawn in with a slight dip. Then the fun started!! I needed an extra hand and an automatic tape dispenser.. 😀
The back was not that tricky and took about 5 – 10 minutes to adapt. Then there is the sleeve to consider. I like interesting sleeves, in case you hadn’t noticed by now. I just wasn’t sure how much fabric I had to play with, same old story!!
The fabric was sent to my by a very good friend who has relocated to Chicago. I recon if I make her feel guilty enough about leaving me she’ll send me plenty of care packages with fabric in… ;p Anyway, the fabric is a polyester georgette with a fabulous print on it. The colours are great and I really hope this dress turns out the way I see it in my head because I want to wear it to death in the summer. The plain crepe de chine is for lining the skirt section. I didn’t want the linings to be attached, so I am basically going to make a slip with the crepe and make a little cami with some turquoise silk satin I had left over from a previous project.
So before I got too carried away I placed the pattern pieces I had finished onto the fabric to see just how little I’d be left with… Not an awful lot to be honest. So out the window went ideas for a cowl drape elbow length sleeve and in came a shorter, plain sleeve. The twisted draped front will just have to do!
So the front and back are stitched, French seams throughout on this fabric, and all that is left to do are the sleeves and hem. And the cami. And the slip. In the meantime daughter no 2 needs a pattern for a prom dress she has designed, so I had better get my skates on!
By the way, I have to thank Burdastyle for making my Rise Above This jacket their featured member project of the week!! I was pretty amazed! 😀
THE COMPULSIVE SEAMSTRESS 
Stunning fabric!
My friend knows me well, I couldn’t not make this up as soon as I got it in the post! 😀
Hi Anne,
und was wird das jetzt? Ich meine das fertige Teil. Gerade habe ich interssiert diesen Post gelesen so gut ich eben kann… aber ich weiß nicht was du zu nähen beabsichtigst. Irgendwas aus Pattern Magic wird es wohl sein? Ich bin gespannt!
Grüße von Immi
Ps: Freut mich auch, dasss sie deine Jacke bei BurdaStyle gefeatured haben! 🙂
Hi Immi
Yes, it is something from Pattern Magic, I tried to scan the picture but it scanned wierdly. I am just finishing up the camisole and slip, so hope to have some pictures to show by Friday. I was really pleased to see my jacket on Burdastyle! 😀
Ja, es ist etwas von Pattern Magic ist, habe ich versucht, um das Bild zu scannen, aber es ging schief. Ich komme zum Schluss das Hemdchen und Slip, so hoffen, einige Bilder sind von Freitag zu zeigen. Ich war wirklich erfreut, meine Jacke auf Burdastyle sehen! 😀
Grüße von Anne
Wow, you are doing so much drafting, good on you. I’m very inspired (unfortunately my procrastination levels are sort of surmounting this though…XP plus its too hot to sew blahblah.. )sigh-alright I’m really off to sew something now! XD
lol! This whole thing is about drafting more and not using the ready-made patterns. I just hum through those in order to make up the massive stash in my cupboard (and the stuff that doesn’t fit in the cupboard), but it is not quite as satisfying as doing it all from scratch. Enjoy your hot days, I cannot wait for summer to arrive here! I sew in the garden in the summer, too hot indoors.