Friday, July 29, 2011

Grey dress done!

The grey dress to go with the pink jacket was done and worn yesterday.  I had a few "fitting issues" - nothing major, but I just had to be in the right frame of mind to deal with them, so I took some breaks, as you well know.  I used Simplicity 2473.  The fabric is a silk noil.  I've used silk noil before for casual pants, and once those pants started going through the washer and dryer on a regular basis, they started looking "worn" and slightly "fuzzy", which is all fine and good for casual pants.  Not the look I would want for this dress, so I didn't prewash the fabric, thinking that I would take this dress to the cleaners.  Not very practical - light colour -  summer dress - very comfortable, therefore will probably be worn all day.  Now I'm wondering whether I could just hand wash and hang dry to avoid the "fuzzy" and "worn" look.  Anyone with insight - please let me know.
My fitting issues were, as usual with a SBA.  I pared down the "bump" of the side front piece, as well as taking in at the side seam.  The other "issue" was the part between the waist and hip, or at least where the hip is on the pattern.  I jut out from the waist, instead of sloping gradually, so on some patterns it turns out to be a tight fit at that point.  With the midriff band and the gored skirt, it needed some finessing to make things look right.  When I take a deep breath and work through this slowly, it all works out - I just have to be in the right mood.  (At least now it's all figured out for the next time I decide to use this pattern!)
Let's add one of the back view, what the heck.
I underlined the top and the midriff band with batiste.  No interfacing on the midriff - I figured the underlining already took care of that issue.  Then I got rather carried away with the topstitching and forgot to sew in the skirt lining at the appropriate time.  Never fear - handstitching to the rescue!  I backstitched the skirt lining first, then pinned the midriff lining and sewed that on with a fell stitch.  It all worked out in the end.  No lining on the bodice - there are already two layers there - and do I need a layer of polyester on my upper body?  The dress went for its debut yesterday - a grey, humid, though not too hot day.
Here it is in action with the pink jacket.  Bonus - I have yet another outfit to wear with my pink shoes!  (Why did I buy pink shoes?)
(Note to self - really must learn to stand up straight, and not look so uncomfortable.  Maybe I should practise modeling poses - may-be not - then the dog will definitely think that I'm crazy.)

9 comments:

  1. What a nice outfit-I'm happy to see the pink jacket out in public! I kept a photo of it from your jacket post and I drool over it from time to time. The grey dress is totally nice. As for modeling poses, my husband often clicks away when I am not "ready" and we do get some nice shots when I am unaware of the camera.

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  2. It's a beautiful outfit and I love the pink shoes!

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  3. That's a terrific dress. Very pretty. And I love gray and pink together. It's such a nice combo. And it looks wonderful with your hair.

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  4. Beautiful dress! I love that pretty shade of grey - it's very elegant.

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  5. This is definitely my kind of dress, simple, stylish, chic, and a lovely light neutral shade... beautiful! Does your machine have a gentle cycle?

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  6. Irene, The dress is beautiful and perfect for summer. I wouldn't wash it to keep the fuzzy away. Dry cleaning sounds like the best option.

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  7. What a simple but stylish dress. Love the pale shades - you are creating a really versatile collection.

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  8. Such a classic dress, Irene. Beautifully made. Go for dry cleaning...you don't want to take a chance with your hard work!

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  9. Absolutely stunning! Beautifully made, it fits you perfectly. Love the colour on you.

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