Red Velvet, Part 1

This crushed velvet has had quite the journey.  I purchased what was left on the bolt from Beverly’s before my local store sadly went out of business.

I used it to make a cute little purse for a Christmas gift years ago.  And then I found the perfect cocktail dress for the fabulous fabric, or so I thought . . .

My idea of what the dress was going to look like and the reality were, well, extremely different.  Here is the painful proof.

This is/was Vogue 2943.  I had grand plans, really I did. 

Somewhere along the line I lost all interest because the pattern/fit/choice of pocket interfacing just was not working properly.  Oh well.  You just can't win every battle.

I did have a yard of material left, plus some large and small scraps.  But it was not enough for a dress, no matter how clever my cutting layout might be.  A skirt was a possibility, but I really wanted to be completely ensconced in velvet.  

That poor excuse for a dress was going to have to be sacrificed for the cause.  (Can you tell I have been reading Gone With the Wind?)

Surprisingly enough, it was not all that painful to rip the dress apart.  I was expecting a few tears, but it was somewhat liberating to admit that the UFO was never going to be finished.

It probably comes as no surprise that I love Gertie’s Butterick pattern line (I sincerely hope we will see more designs in the future).  And the dress pattern should look wonderful in red velvet.

Next step . . . muslin.  With extremely limited yardage, a muslin was absolutely necessary.

And as much as I love a cocktail dress with tiny sleeves, they are not very practical at this time of year.  A sleeve substitution was necessary.  

Of course, the brilliant Gertie has mentioned that she is working on a three-quarter length sleeve tutorial!  But I just could not wait.  (Although I am very curious to see how she goes about adding length to the sleeve.)

I pulled out an old pattern with three-quarter sleeves.  Well, I got very lucky, because the sleeves happen to fit the dress pattern perfectly – almost as if they were meant for each other.

I am just hoping that this fabric is not cursed and that the project will succeed.

So, for now, it is back to the sewing room!