Tag: stylish dress book

Summer dreams

emilyWoolsLeave a comment
I made Stylish Dress Book Dress I with some beautiful Anna Marie Horner Loominious fabric. I made it before we went to NZ as a summer weight, shapeless dress for those super hot days when nothing that is form fitting is bearable to wear. It was lovely for the trip, and now that its 90 degrees out and very very humid at home, it is getting the job done now. I lined the front and back bodice with some of my leftover owl-print voile, and made a contrast neck band with that blue silk that keeps on sneaking its way into projects. I added inseam pockets, although they are too low to comfortably put my hands in them. Oh, well. It is nice how forgiving these Japanese dresses are to make, but it spoils me because each one I make turns into a workhorse of a dress, and I don’t even have to work that hard to make it fit nicely.

Thank you, Anna Salamon for snapping some pics during our picnic today.

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Stylish Dress Book, dress I from above.

 

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side shot of the dress. note the saucy pose.
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accidental stripe matching on point.
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I used the wrong side of the fabric for the waistband.
emilyWoolsLeave a comment

i haven’t been posting but I’ve still been making…

I made Stylish Dress Book dress “E” this week, and I am loving it. The size guide advised me to cut the 10 (or even the 12) but I cut the 8, and added 1/2″ seam allowances. I added 2″ to the skirt length after reading how others made this dress, and I didn’t want to end up scheming ways to lengthen later, as I had on a previous Stylish Dress Book dress (WOW that was awhile ago!).

I used a Pickering hemp/wool blend from Spool, and its very toasty. Its the beginning of November and the forecast says 75, so I didn’t wear it to work today. The touches of Liberty are from a remnant I bought in Portland this spring. I had thought it was too dark and muddy to use a lot of, but instead I lined the patch pockets, made the facing, and finished the sleeve hems with it, and I think it looks lovely, and not muddy or dark at all!

I contemplated lining the bodice and/or cutting the back from the Liberty, but ended up not doing it. If I make this again (which I would like to!), and made it sleeveless, I would line the bodice to hide all those pinktucks and back skirt gathering. I french seamed throughout (even the sleeves!) and although the pattern didn’t call for it, I had a MUCH easier time fitting the sleeves when I did some gathering on the shoulder caps (duh?). I hand-sewed a 2″ hem and I am glad I didn’t machine it, it only took about 45 minutes.

My only fit issues so far is the shoulders are sort of tight, making it a little difficult to take off. I love the drapiness of the Pickering hemp/wool, though, and I think it will be a great wintery dress.