A Tapestry of Blue

Last year, I made this dress out of some really heavy duty upholstery fabric.  And here are the finished photos (we can just pretend that I am in the Southern Hemisphere and falling leaves of changing colors are weather appropriate)! 

I started with a bodice that I knew would work well.   I have used Vogue 8701 on numerous occasions, and I suspect I will use it again.  The fit works well and it is a great place to start, whether or not I end up making significant changes.

This time around, I knew that I wanted the sleeves because the weight of the fabric seemed like too much for a sleeveless garment.

I also knew that I want to add a capelet.

For the skirt, the fabric decided for me that a circle would be a little too much fabric.  This one is not quite as full, but it allowed me to cut a tea length skirt without have to piece anything together (especially helpful when print matching is necessary).

Yes, I made a muslin to check how everything went together, but the most challenging part of this project was deciding just where to put the oversized motifs, and doing my best to match them wherever possible!

As is usually the case, the extra work is worth the extra effort.

In my opinion, the finished dress turned out wonderfully!  I love the blue and cream color palette, and the silhouette is almost exactly what I envisioned when I was first given the fabric.

I just love it when that happens!

Dress:  Made by me, self drafted with a little help from Vogue 8701 and Simplicity 8458
Shoes:  Remix "Babydoll"
Fascinator:  Made by me