Cocktails and Peplums - almost done!

And when I say almost, I'm so close to finishing I could pretty much say it is done.  All I've got left to do is sew in the shoulder pads and make a belt.

But I'm jumping forward.

When I last talked about this make, I had just put the bodice together and had hand rolled the peplum pieces.  The obvious starting point was putting in the sleeves.  Every time a pattern calls for setting in sleeves, I always do everything I can to the sleeve piece before I set it in. Especially the cuff/hem.  Doing that bit when its already attached to the bodice can be fiddly because there is so much more fabric to manipulate.

And yes, I should have taken a photo, but I didn't...

I must say though, I've had a bit of trouble setting in sleeves with the past couple of patterns.  There has been too much fabric to gather into too small a hole.  Not this pattern however!  This one went in like a dream!

Not a wrinkle or a gather in sight!

I noticed once I had the sleeves in the bodice that the sleeves were way longer than the pattern envelope gave me the impression they would be.  Now, we all know that pattern envelopes are notorious for lying, but I really liked the look of the shorter sleeves, so I folded the hem up as short as I could and left it at that.

Then I worked on the skirt.  Which meant working on the peplum first.

I pinned and sewed the gathers, and ironed them and was very happy with how it looked.

These two peplum pieces are attached to the front skirt piece before the skirt is sewed together.  One is sewed at the waist, and the second one is sewed in a diagonal line about half way down the skirt.

I pinned the lower piece so the raw edge would be underneath the peplum with the dress was being worn, and I pinked the raw edge to stop it unraveling.

I then sewed the skirt front and back together (easy) and sewed the completed skirt to the bodice (also easy!).  And I had a dress that was pretty much finished when you ignored the fact in needed a lot of hand sewing!

But I realised this dress was going to need two things to really be complete - shoulder pads, and a self covered belt.  A while I ago I bought 10 vintage self covered belt kits on Etsy that I have been hoarding for very VERY special projects.  This is a very worthy project, so I broke out a kit and set the belting aside to flatten out - its been folded up for a very long time.

I also broke out a pair of commercial shoulder pads, but they are really ugly, so I covered them with some of the leftover fabric.

It was really simple - I cut circles of fabric, wrapped them around the shoulder pads, and stitched so the line of stitching caught the edge of the shoulder pad, and finally pinked the raw edges.  Ta-daaa!

much less ugly!

Then I took everything down stairs and outside onto my sun-lounge to enjoy the day and get my hand sewing done.  I had to:

• Hand pick the zipper
• Roll hem the neckline and stitch down to the back of the neck and at the V
• Sew down the hem of the sleeve
• Sew the hem of the skirt
• Sew in the shoulder pads

That is a lot of hand sewing!  I got almost all of it done, just the shoulder pads to go.  And the belt, which I will get done this weekend.

It was so relaxing!!!

I'm going to a sewing group meet-up interstate on the 3rd of May, and I've decided that I will debut this dress at the meet-up!  As well as having lunch we are having a pattern and fabric swap, so I'm really excited to go!  And because its interstate, I'm going to a vintage festival the following day - Garterbelts and Gasoline - so I'm planning on making an outfit this weekend to wear to that.

I'm going to use this pattern, which I just realised is from 1938!

I'm going to make the version on the right (with the two different fabrics).  I recently impulse purchased some amazing flamingo print RAYON at Spotlight, and went back to find a contrasting rayon for the bodice.

I posted this photo on my facebook page to ask which colour I should use, and the response was really divided.  I had hoped (like I always do) for a clear answer, but I didn't get one so I'm still one the fence a little bit.  So I figured I would ask here too! 

Pink or Blue?????

I can't guarantee I will make what you choose, but I will listen to all your arguments!

Beccie
xxx