In the spirit of using what I already have, here is my
latest project. And I even managed to find every single item I needed for this dress in the sewing room – that NEVER happens!
Quilting cotton is easy to work with and, despite all the naysayers, can work great as an apparel fabric, provided your demands are reasonable (if you are hoping for a 1930s Jean Harlow look, steer clear).
These days, I end up making muslin mock-ups for a large percentage of
my projects. But sometimes it gets
tiresome staring at white muslin. There, I said it . . . sometimes all the prep work gets boring.
With Colette’s Parfait, I guessed that there were not going to be many alterations necessary, which is why I decided on a wearable test version of the pattern. Right away, I knew the length was too short for me, so I took a guess and added two inches there. The waistline is high, but I think it is supposed to have that look, so I just add ½” to the midriff pieces. That gives me 2.5" of extra length to work with.
My initial thought was to use another quilting cotton that has
been stashed away, but I was not sure I had enough. And then I remembered this quirky apple
print. It was purchased to make this skirt, but I still had enough to squeeze out this pattern using a multi-directional layout - not ideal in most cases, but since this print is random, it really does not make a difference. Oh, and I also made a blouse last year - three projects from one length of fabric - whoo-hoo!
The red grosgrain ribbon was already on my sewing table from this project, so I swapped the pocket embellishment for the ribbon trim.
Sure, I spent a bit more time on finishing than I would have with an actual muslin, but in the end, I have a new dress to wear!
This is really cute! Colette patterns don't usually speak to me, but this one might be whispering to me. Love it.
ReplyDeleteI also find quilting prints fun to work with, especially for summer dresses.
This is s pretty
ReplyDeleteSSB. https://facebook.com/sassysewingbees
the dress is soooo cute
ReplyDeleteHow adorable! I'm so in love with this print!
ReplyDeleteThe pins and tucks are so wonderfully done. What a gem! I admire all the extra finishing details. You should do a sew along and teach us your tips and tricks for finishing:)
ReplyDeleteThose gathers at the bust are just perfect! I have to get some of that seam binding...
ReplyDeleteLovely!! The detailing and bound buttonholes are perfect! I would never have bought this pattern from looking at the envelope, but now I'm considering it :)
ReplyDeleteSo pretty dress for spring !
ReplyDeleteI love it! This reminds me that I must sew my own Parfait this year.
ReplyDeleteI have this same fabric! I bought it to make a vintage dress from - I'm so glad to see it sewn up because it makes me more confident about my upcoming make!
ReplyDeletelove your dress!
That is such a wonderfully charming dress! Hell Bunny recently released some cute apple print vintage inspired dresses, and while I adore them, I like your version even more.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica