Monday, May 12, 2014

Anglomania Knock-Off Striped Jersey Dress: Version 2.0

Read about my first attempt in my previous blog post.


I got it right this time around! Learning from my previous mistakes, I made sure to double, triple, and quadruple check to make sure that the ruchings went on opposite sides from each other.  I've also sized up the top half of the tunic pattern in order to get the slouchy fit just right. I can't say it's 100% identical to the actual Anglomania striped dress, but it looks pretty damn close enough.

Fabric is navy blue and silver peony striped jersey fabric from Girl Charlee. Said fabric has surprisingly little stretch for a knit fabric, but it still fits me well enough. It's a little sheer, so I will need to use a slip underneath.
  
On a closing note, I must stress that I do not condone making knock-off designer clothing and accessories for profit. The dresses pictured above and in my previous post were created strictly for personal use and nothing more, as I was unable to find the actual designer dress to purchase.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Butterick Retro 60s Pattern B6582 (Dresses A & B)

Pattern can be purchased here.

A while back, I've mentioned that I was on a quest to replenish my pitifully bare wardrobe with new, self-made cute clothes. To date, I've since made several more pieces of clothing, with two of them featured below.

Both of the Butterick 6582 dresses, thankfully, did not require any modification to the pattern, making the process more expedient. Unless you're using a heavyweight fabric, I highly recommend adding a lining for durability. The included step-by-step instructions were easy to follow.

Dress A was made late last autumn, using navy floral print cotton fabric that I snapped up on clearance the from Equilter. It's lined with black medium-weight crepe fabric I already have on hand.

With Dress B, I splurged a bit and bought some gorgeous monarch butterfly wing cotton sateen fabric from the talented C'est La Viv on Spoonflower and lined it with red lightweight silky fabric I already have in my stash.

Overall, the fit feels fabulous for both dresses. The vertical darts on the front and back, in particular, gave the illusion of hips to my rectangular body type. I highly recommend this retro dress pattern for spring and summer wear!


Dress A (back view)

Dress A (front view)

Dress B (back view)

Dress B (front view)

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Vogue V1378 Pattern (Jersey Top Portion)



(Please note that I was not, nor ever, endorsed by the McCall Pattern Company to blog about their patterns. I'm just one of their many customers who enjoys sewing.)

This pattern gave me a great excuse to finally use the ivory jersey fabric I had in my stash for several years...yes, yeh heard me. Several. Years.

The top looks much better when actually worn than on the dress form, I swear. With McCall Company's patterns for stretchy fabrics, I always go one size down than usual for a better fit. The only alteration I made in this pattern was that I made 3/4 sleeves instead of long sleeves, due to the fact that I didn't have much of the fabric left over.




The top is quite flattering and looks fantastic paired with leggings or skinny jeans. My only complaint is that the surplice wraparound neckline is somewhat loose, which can cause some potential wardrobe malfunctions if worn alone. The issue was easily fixed by wearing a tank top or camisole underneath. At some point down the road when I get the motivation, I'll sew on some snaps to keep the neckline secured.

You can buy Vogue V1378 pattern here.