Sew Weekly: China Town

I made another dress!

Whaddaya reckon? (That's Australian for what do you think of it?) Husbie and I went on a Date Night, and then stopped off in China Town to take the photos. I'm in LOVE with them and he's done a brilliant job making the dress look lifelike and normal, but also wonderful at the same time.

The dress itself was really tricky. And stumped me as a seamstress, however it's still wearable and gorgeous. I look so slim in some of the phots I'm amazed! There's some discussion about the fabric over on the Sew Weekly post, as I thought it was silk, but others think it's 'brocade' which I've never heard of before, and then others think it's silk brocade.

It was what stumped me, but didn't stop me from finishing it up. It moved around when I sewed, but thinking back, I don't think I pinned enough so perhaps I could have avoided the slippery-ness that way. I also didn't make a muslin/toile so the fit is a bit off around the neckline, but I think I'll gather it up and make a sweetheart dip around the bust instead of a straight-across gapey neckline.

This week's theme for Sew Weekly was VIP fabrics from the stash, and Husbie had given me this (he'd gone especially to the fabric store to choose it) about 8 years ago. I really did want to be an experience seamstress before I sewed with it, and whilst I stuffed up a little, I feel I'm a lot more experienced now than when he gave it to me! Honestly back then, I shivered with even the thought of cutting it (of course I only used bedsheets for all my clothes back then) so I actually felt a little cocky making up this one.

For you pattern lovers this one is Very Easy Very Vogue (as opposed to 'sorta Vogue' or a 'little bit' Vogue, this one is VERY Vogue) 7796 and is from 1990. Which feels like 2 years ago, and is actually almost 22 years ago. WTF! It's very easy, like it claims, and next time I should use a size down in the top torso. I had to adjust the waist as well, because of my bombshell hourglass figure (the more trim/healthy I get, the larger the bust and hips, and the thinner the waist.) but next time I think using the smaller size, perhaps going for an 8 would be better. Oh the woes of petites. Remember I am only 4 eleven peeps! This is a normal sized woman you're looking at. Possibly five foot in these Melissa heels. Oh did you know I love Melissa's? WHO'D HAVE GUESSED.

Hope you've had a great weekend darling! xoxo

Sew Weekly: Unrequited Love

Hooray, I finished another dress for the Sew Weekly, and this week I'd given you a bit of a clue about the film I was chose, shot in 1999 but set in the 1970s, Khriste Be of Stitch It Up Stella got it right!

It's was the Virgin Suicides, a Sophia Coppolla film based on this book by Jeffrey Eugenides:

I just read his more recent book 'Middlesex' which was amazing. This cover of The Virgin Suicides also helped my styling (note my fave OK OK knee high socks!) but I mostly chose this film for the theme because it's such a great looking film and very mysterious. I love mystery: I wrote my thesis on David Lynch, the filmmaker, and it was ALL about mystery... what's NOT shown in the film is sometimes as great as the film itself. Anyways, my dress is very simple, but highly comfortable as our temperatures in Melbourne go up and down! Be warned, there are a lot of photographs today!

 

I give the garment a bit of an explanation on my Sew Weekly post , but it's a very quick and easy dress to make, and the material is op shopped and I've lost track when I got it. It is from the stash however, as I'm trying to use all second hand materials for the Sew Weekly (it'll be up to 50 dresses this year, and I don't have that kind of disposable income!).

 

It's a synthetic fabric, and we (thanks for your discussion too!) think it could be crape or crepe. I have no idea, and wish I could send you all a swab so you can feel it, as it's really soft! 

I wore it to work and didn't find it hot or itchy like some synthetics, so oh well! Now, for the photos: Husbie and I went to the local river with Doggie Darling, we often go for 'power walks' with her down there, but this time I dolled up and trotted down in my darling Melissa shoes at 7am instead of sneakers!

 

I'm still not super cool at having my photo taken like this and I move around a lot and feel a little awkward that I'm not really being natural. I think over the past year, I've become a little more confident but it's still kinda funny! The photos have come out looking really natural, so I'm really surprised!

Anyways, there's another theme for next week, and I'm determined to use Amanda's vintage patterns so I can finish up that challenge at the same time as the Sew Weekly challenge, so expect a little more vintage! FYI this is the McCalls pattern I used for this one:

It's a bit different maybe because of the light flowy fabric I used, but it was seriously a really quick dress to make, probably just under 2 hours to finish? So next week, I'll get out of the 1990s and find some nice 1960s or 1950s for you. This year, and hopefully through the Sew Weekly, I'll extend myself in the sewing room, and tackle some patterns I've put aside because they look too tricky.

Happy Friday to you! I better rush off cause this post is way too long now!