The Classic Wrap Dress

I have been wanting to make another version of Vogue 2000 ever since I made one in a Halloween themed print in 2024.

The only thing stopping me was finding the right fabric.

I am convinced that the right knit fabric will make or break this design.  As was used for the true vintage versions from the 1970s, a non-spandex textile is really best for this style, and will give the most flattering result.

The pattern is also a bit of fabric hog, so not only did I have to find fabric that I liked, but hopefully something that wouldn't break the bank.  Turns out, someone at the most recent fabric swap that I attended left this fabric behind.  It was out on a table at the end of the swap, at which point we were free to take anything that looked interesting.  I had spotted the print earlier that day, but dismissed it as a bit too much for my taste.  But the more that I looked at it, the more the graphic print looked like the perfect choice for a seventies style wrap dress . . . and so the fabric came home with me.

There were only 3 yards to work with, and the shortened version of the pattern requires almost 4.  But this fabric was 64" wide, and I knew that I would want to shorten the skirt slightly so that it hit more below the knee than mid calf.  It was also possible to cut this in a multi-directional layout because the print doesn't seem to have any specific top or bottom that I could find.

The serger hasn't had much use lately, but it is certainly nice to have around for knit projects to keep those edges from curling.

My one complaint with the instructions is the way that the side opening is handled.  I thought that I would try something a little different for this dress.  I did test it out on a scrap of fabric first, though.

Instead of just leaving a section of the side seam unstitched, I created a mini-facing for the opening.  This fabric is perhaps just a tiny bit thick for this sort of thing, but in the end I am pleased with the results.  And the ties themselves completely cover the area, so while my top-stitching isn't quite perfect, no one but me will ever see it.

Per the instructions, the front neckline is stabilized with seam binding.  And I just love any excuse to pull out the rayon seam binding!

I did have a small kerfuffle with the sleeve cuffs.  From working with the pattern previously, I knew that I wanted to narrow the sleeves considerably . . . which means that the cuffs also need to be narrowed.  No problem.  Or at least, it shouldn't have been a problem.  

Even though I removed what I thought was the same amount of fabric from the sleeve hem and the cuff, the cuffs somehow turned out at least an inch too narrow.

Lucky for me, those pieces are not that large, and I was able to cut out another pair.  I am still baffled by how or why they turned out a different circumference than the sleeves.

Facings were interfaced and finished with a serged edge.

And the front neckline was top-stitched as suggested by the pattern instructions.

Coincidently, I can confirm that this top-stitching mirrors the top-stitching on a true vintage version of the design.

And here is where the dress begins to really take shape.

I do love a classic wrap dress!

I do not, however, love how my serger reacts to a single layer of knit fabric.  But I do have a roll of fusible something or other that is cut on the bias and is about 1" wide.  My solution is to cut that product in half and apply it to the hem edge.

This gives a nice finish and a bit more oomph to the bottom edge of the skirt.

And even though there is a fair amount of visible top-stitching, I do prefer the look of a hand stitched hem.

The final touch is to add buttons to the cuffs to simulate the look of a cuff link.  While I have boxes of buttons, I someone only had two possible options that worked.

In the end, the two-toned buttons were my favorite.

And that's a wrap!

A Silk Slip

I have been meaning to make myself a silk slip for a very long time.  There are a few ready-to-wear options in rotation in my wardrobe (and they get quite a bit of wear, especially during the colder months), but another color/length is always nice to have as an option.

I tend to avoid PDF patterns because I don't enjoy the extra steps necessary to print and then tape a bunch of paper together.  But I was curious enough to see how I liked this design from Charm Patterns, so I decided to forge ahead.

The silk fabric is from a bolt that I found at a garage sale many years ago.  It has served me well, most recently as the lining for this coat.  Since I have a fair amount left, I figured I wouldn't be heartbroken if I didn't love the results of testing this pattern.

While I didn't think that this particular fabric would drop too much on the bias, I like to get that drop out of the way for a project like this.  If the bias were to drop after the side seamlines are stitched together, the remaining hem will bag out but the seamline will not, which looks odd.  Letting the individual pieces hang before sewing any seamlines resolves that issue.

I went with a French seam for the skirt pieces, and used a narrow zig zag as my stitching line to add an extra bit of give to the bias seamline.

One of my least favorite things to do is turn a fabric tube right side out.  This one wasn't terrible, but I still try to avoid the process as much as possible.

The pattern calls for bra findings to make the straps adjustable.  I pondered the idea of using a single strap cut to the proper length, but since I have a bag full of bra findings that I have harvested over the years from retired bras, I decided to make use of them.

So, while I don't think the adjustability is necessary for a slip made for my specific body, it was a fun technique to try out.

One of the reasons that I chose this particular slip pattern is that the bodice is self-lined.  Many other designs that I have seen use facing pieces to finish the upper edge.  I do like the clean finish that the duplicate bodice pieces provides.

Everything went together as expected.

And there was even an opportunity for a little hand sewing (my favorite!).

More hand sewing also means more time on the sofa with a happy pup.

Archie loves to oversee my projects, even if he appears to not be paying attention.

Overall, this project turned out great.

There is a length of dark red silk that I have been saving for quite a few years and I think it would be perfect for a slip.

I don't plan to repeat this project immediately, but I have a whole lot of dark red dresses that I wear in the winter, and I could definitely use another silk slip . . .

Oversized Florals and Petticoats

Every once in a while, a project comes together in a way that feels as though it was meant to be.  This was one of those projects.

I had the pattern stashed away for a couple of years, waiting for the right fabric when I found this Waverly print.  It was a remnant and had been cut in two pieces, so I wasn't entirely sure that I would have enough.

Well, not only was there enough yardage, the oversized print almost seems made for the pattern draft.

The skirt front is cut in two and pleated down, and even though I didn't really have any extra to fudge the pattern placement, it just worked out.

I did have enough extra to make sure to pattern match the back bodice, even though it meant "wasting" a bit of fabric.  But then I was able to use those partially mutilated motifs to make myself shoe clips and hair combs.

The skirt pleats gave me a bit of grief, and I was unable to perfectly match where the pleats come together on the bodice front at the waistline with the skirt pleats, but the design calls for the addition of a ribbon.  I ended up using a piece of fabric to make the "ribbon" which also hides the slight offset of those two pleat apexes at the waistline.

I also love that I had an excuse to pull out my potted plant purse - it almost looks as though I made it just for this dress.

This outcome is perhaps more "day-dress" than the initial intent of the pattern design due to my use of a non-polished cotton textile.  But I do love all of the extra special details that went into making the dress.

Is this feasible for ready-to-wear garments made today?  Absolutely not.  

But I do think that the more we get away from the completely disposable and almost unwearable trash that gets manufactured today that won't last more than a wear or two, and get back to purchasing or making clothing that is meant to last, the better off we will be!

I was thinking about how I no longer look forward to going to resale shops like Salvation Army or Goodwill (not just for questionable business practices) but even the smaller local thrift stores now are overrun with low quality items from fast fashion retailers.

It is a reminder of how lucky I am to be able to make my own wardrobe.  The thought of having to choose garments from retail establishments give me a sense of dread.

Thankfully, I have a sewing room full of fabric and patterns that should keep me busy for the foreseeable future making my own wardrobe.

Dress:  Made by me, Vogue 100
Shoes:  American Duchess, "Ginger Pumps"
Hair Combs and Shoe Clips:  Made by me
Necklace:  Grandmother's

Crafting in the Sewing Room

After spending so much time making this dress, I was feeling as though the dress needed some extra accessories.  I was also pondering my shoe choice for the debut wearing of the dress and decided that my new heels from American Duchess would be the obvious choice.  Those shoes came with their own matching shoe clips (a leather heart) which had me thinking about shoe clips . . .

I also had some leftover fabric, although not enough to make another garment.  And it's always better to do something with the scraps instead of folding the remnant bits up and putting them away.  Years ago, I remember seeing photos of a vintage dress (possibly on Xtabay) that had self fabric appliquéd pieces along the neckline.  The detail stuck with me, and I remembered the idea while trying to figure out what to do with the leftover floral motifs that I was working with.

I knew that I would have to finish the edges of individual flower motifs in some way, so I tried a couple of things before settling on cutting a large seam allowance, backing that piece of fabric with a second piece of fabric, stuffing a bit of leftover cotton batting inside, and then using a zig zag stitch to "finish" the edge of each individual flower.

After the stitching was complete, I used Fray Check to seal any raw edges, let that dry, and then trimmed close to the stitching.  That left me with a bunch of little flowers.  I played around with them for a bit before deciding that I also needed some greenery to make things look right, so I did the same thing with a few of the ivy motifs.

Those finished motifs were paired together and applied to the shoe clips and some hair combs that I broke into smaller sized combs.  Felt was added to the top of the combs so that I could stitch the floral bits to the comb.

And two of the groups of flowers were applied to some blank shoe clips (also with the help of a small piece of felt).

I am rather pleased with how this project turned out.

Shoe clips are accessories that are often overlooked, but add a bit of whimsy to an outfit.  I am going to have to remember that for future projects!