Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Fall for Cotton: I finally made a start!

I can't believe the month is half over and I started planning this back in August!  Where has the time gone???

Anyway, just to refresh, this is what I'm making:

I'm recreating the vintage dress I saw at the Rose Seidler House fair with this amazing border print cotton that I purchased at the same fair

For the bodice I decided to use a blouse pattern that I've made a few times before (that I've done a FBA on) that fits really well - this one:

I'm just going to change the shoulders so it mimicks the inspiration dress

So I got out some fabric scraps and roughly made up the blouse.  Then I attacked it with a texta to get the right shapes for the waistline decoration:

I know the photo isn't the best, but you get the idea

And I had to make up what happens on the back, because to be honest, I don't remember what the back of the inspiration dress looks like...

I went for the bands continuing around the back

Then I cut up the stripes so I could make pattern pattern pieces from them - pretty straighforward huh!


Have any keen eyed people spotted the rather large error I made? 

I didn't either, until about 2am Sunday morning when I woke up thinking two things - a) gee my throat is sore; and b) bugger!  I got that wrong yesterday!

Yes, I sewed up the left side and left the right side open.  Derr.  I should have sewed up the right side and left the left side open cause vintage dresses zip up on the left!!!!!

Its ok though, I can just fix the pattern pieces, I don't have to do the same thing over again thank goodness!  And I would have already taken care of it if I hadn't come down with the flu (after not being sick once all winter!)

Last weekend I also went and purchased the bits I will need to make the piping to decorate these pieces.  It was slightly more complicated than I thought.  A tutorial I read here used premade bias tape as a short cut.  "Brilliant" I thought, cause you guys know how much I love a good short cut!  BUT all the bias tape that Spotlight stocks is poly-cotton. Sigh!  Can't use that in the Fall for Cotton Sewalong now can I!!!

So instead I purchased some quilting fabric in a lovely shade of dark royal blue, and some cotton piping cord.  I will be making my own bias tape and then wrapping it around the cord to make my own piping.  I'll use some more of my home made bias tape to make a tube to form the bow.

I'm aiming to do that this week so that when the weekend comes I'm ready to tackle the dress.  I'd LOVE to get it done this coming weekend.

So in closing, has anyone else had a 'derr' moment like I did?  Tell me your horror stories and make me feel better!

Beccie
xxx

17 comments:

  1. Hi Love, I follow your blog and just adore the things you make. It is so fun to catch up on your latest makes. I am wondering though where you found this magnificent fabric. I have looked everywhere and can't come apon a source. If you do not mind please let me know. Blue roses match one whole arm of tattooes on me and I am just smitten by this design.Rarely do patterns graduate in size this way. So cool.Anyway, have a very good day.You are so talented!XO

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    1. Hi Amber! The gorgeous fabric I'm using in this project is vintage cotton from the 1950s. I purchased it from a dealer and this length was all they had. So, sadly, I only have bad news for you. I know what its like to fall in love with something thats vintage and NEVER be able to find the same thing again... HOWEVER have you heard of Spoonflower? Its a website that prints your designs onto fabrics. I haven't tried it yet but I know people that have and loved it. Perhaps you could get someone on there to design something similar for you???

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  2. I have don't that exact thing before, lol. And once I even ripped the stitches out and did it again (late night sewing, you know). I've also sewn sleeves in wrong side out, and once got so frustrated that I put a nightgown in unfitted drawer like that, and it's still there, lol. I also once sewed piping in the wrong seam on a 1940s maternity dress with princess seams. My great grandma used to say, "He who sews, shall also rip.". I think she's right. It's just a part of sewing. Can't wait to see your finished dress!
    Sarah
    www.betsysbaby.blogspot.com

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  3. I absolutely love that dress, you are so lucky to have found such similar fabric. yours will for sure look just as beautiful. I will be forever jealous.

    as for doing something totally stupid in sewing, earlier this week I was trying to help a friend put a zipper in differently then we normally would . she had never put one in like that before and I hadn’t in a long time. so neither of us really knew what we were doing and had no instructions. after a few tries I finally remembered how to do it , and it looked really good, except..... I had put the zipper in backwards! yep I had the zipper pull towards the inside. so embarrassing. but fortunately I was working on scrap fabric with a different zipper since we were too scared of ruining the delicate fabric on the dress if we had to take the zipper back out. in the end she got her zipper in beautifully and we had a good laugh at my backward zipper.

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    1. hahahahahaha I think there is a tendency to overthink things sometimes, and that sounds exactly like what you did here! Thank goodness it was only a trial run!!

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  4. derr moments alllll the time! i just finished half a sleeve on a sweater i'm knitting on a deadline and this morning went doh!!!!!! i forgot to decrease at the end of every row :/ ! riiiiip
    and i am ahhhhmazed at your crazy good drafting skills

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    1. oh goodess that would be so frustrating Rebecca!!!! And so sad to unravel all your work and start again...

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  5. This looks very promising, Beccie! You're really amazing, how you just manage to find the right base pattern to create this dream dress!

    I once wanted to sew some trousers for my little daughter of an old shirt of mine in a lovely pastel yellow silk-cotton. At a certain point I realised I made two left legs. And there was not enough material left anymore... :(

    It may be makes you feel less bad, I have the flu as well and a broken toe in addition.

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    1. hahahaha Doris! I have a pants making phobia (well to be honest, I made pants earlier this year to bust my phobia and they came out really well, but I'm still unsure about them...) so I would also worried about making two left legs.

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  6. Please post how you go with making corded tubing! I TRIED to make it but its not as easy as making regular cording. The stuff that goes between seams doesn't need to be turned.
    But the corded tubing DOES - and somehow you gotta get that cord in there while you turn it.
    Instructions I've seen are to sew the seam over some twine/string etc and have the cord attached at the other end (the end you start)...and then you're supposed to pull the cord through by pulling on the string but ITS REALLY HARD! It just wouldn't turn. I gave up.
    So if you have success, please show me how!
    Can't wait to see this dress too!

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    1. Oh Esz it was SOOOO EASY!!!!!!!

      I'm going to put a post up today about how I did it so I'm sure you will see it :)

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    2. The one you just posted? That one I know how to do - its the one where you have to have the seam on the inside - right where the cord goes too. Thats the one I cant figure out

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  7. You know, I am so enamored at you sewing divas that do all this FBAing, zippers on the right side, no oops left side, top of this bodice to the bottom of that skirt . . . WOW! I am so proud of you and don't even know you, girl.

    Thank you for sharing your wares with all of us. The eye candy is awesome and the inspiration to take my sewing and the wardrobe remake project I have going to a higher level is awesome.

    Peace,

    Lyric
    http://www.sewandcro.com

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    1. It just makes me smile that I inspire people Lyric, so thank you :)

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  8. I'm so inspired by your tenacity and creativity! You are fearless when it comes to attacking your creations and that is what I want to rediscover in my own sewing.
    The dress is coming along beautifully. Can't wait to see the birth of this dress!

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  9. For some reason hanging out with your sewist divas of my heart, I am developing an obsession with piping. I have pins on how to make it on my board, I drool over it when I see it. It's such a simple, pretty thing; do you feel me?

    It is with eager anticipation that I begin to use it in my sewing. You know I'll write about it when I do! ;-)

    Lyric
    http://www.sewandcro.com

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