Today I spent the afternoon sipping champagne, drinking coffee and eating lots of yummy things. It was SewcieTea!! And it was fabulous. Thanks the Melanie, aka Seamstress Poppykettle, for organising.
I had planned to purchase a new pair of nude pumps to complete this outfit but considering I am supposed to be wearing sneakers due to my broken foot, ballet flats was a good compromise.
I did manage to finish my dress. With 2 whole days spare! I made Vogue 8787 again in a wool blend floral print I picked up at the August Sewing Meet Up at Tessuti. I made the cowl version this time with the capped sleeves again. The first version of this dress was not a success. The black ponti knit was too thick for the style and I made it too big. I went down a size in the bodice but kept the same size in the skirt and waistband. Love the dress but do NOT like the sleeves. I cannot move my arms in this dress and had to drive to SewcieTea with my dress fully unzipped.
I will make this pattern again, without the sleeves, in a red wool crepe from the Alannah Hill outlet. I love the cowl neck and classic style of the dress.
I took a few photos of the dress on Florence as I really gain a lot from studying photos of dresses on the internet. Amanda's Adventures in Dressmaking in particular is a great resource.
Project Details
Pattern: Vogue 8787, view D, size 16-18
Fabric: Wool blend floral remnant from Tessuti Melbourne & goldliner lining from Clegs
Alterations: Size 16 bodice graded to a size 18 waistband and skirt in addition to a swayback adjustment (2cm above and below the waistband)
I couldn't find the right shade of green for the lining and had to settle for an olive green instead of a bottle green. A minor detail, but it drives me nuts!
I didn't follow the instructions for finishing the armholes. The instructions have you stay stitch the armholes, then clip and turn in before hand stitching. I find this method tedious and not very durable. I opted to finish the armholes with bias binding instead.
The fabric is lovely and not something I would normally wear so I thought it would be a good occasion to use it. A high tea surrounded by lovely people who talk in pattern numbers was the perfect occasion!
A few happy snaps from SewcieTea.
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| My friend Siobhan & I |
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| Lara (Thornberry), Anna (Blogless Anna), Rachel (Boo Dogg & Me) & I |
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| The gorgeous spread at The Gables |
L x
