Thursday, April 25, 2013

Shifty

Hey look!  I made a dress!  It's not a Laurel, but it sure looks like one, doesn't it?


This is Simplicity 2054, which I've made twice before.  (post here)  A super simple knit shift.  I wanted to make up a few of these for spring, and decided to start with the fabric I liked least - you know, just in case.  But it turns out, I really like it! 


This is fabric from Girl Charlee, of course.  It's called "Pucci Swirls' - about as close as I'll ever get to anything Pucci!  I tried to link it up for you guys, but it looks like it's no longer available.  It's been several months since I bought it.

When I made the dress on Monday, I took special care to center the print and make sure it fell straight vertically.  I even made sure the design was centered on my binding.


And I matched the horizontal lines at the sides as best I could:


Here's my "come hither" look, trying to show you the side seam:


As you've probably noticed though, the print does not line up horizontally at the hemline.  I was going to blame that on the design being printed off-grain, but I think the truth is that despite all my apparent care, I did cut the dress on the fold.  I really should have cut it flat.  I guess I'd better keep that in mind for the next two, which are both going to be made from striped fabric.

But no matter - I still like it, and it's fine for me as an easy dress to knock around in.  The fabric is really soft, so it's very comfy.  I did a 2" hem with a zigzag; I like the extra weight the wider hem gives and will do that on my next two dresses as well, if the prints don't show through the fabric too much.


Have any of you tried this pattern?  What do you think of it?

26 comments:

  1. Very nice and perfect for spring. As you know, I'm about to try this pattern... if I can get that fabric on grain today I may even have my very own by the end of the day. Here's hoping it looks half as good as yours.

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  2. It looks very Laurel-like! The print looks fab, and you've done a good job of matching it.

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    1. Thanks, Sam! I really liked the fabric as fabric, but wasn't sure how it would translate as a garment. I like it though!

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  3. I am so in love with this dress. Anything Pucci-esque is heaven in my book, and you did such a phenomenal job. Such a happy spring frock.

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  4. such a happy dress! i could really use a few like this in my life. love it!

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    1. You'd look so cute in this style! Seriously, it's like wearing PJs outside the house. I will say though (because I forgot to mention it earlier) that this fabric is quite thin, so I'm wearing a full slip here.

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  5. very cute! and so perfect for Spring.. You're right about avoiding cutting on the fold when you have such bold prints, it takes more time but is worth the effort!

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    1. Thanks! You can bet I'll be doing it that way on the next 2!

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  6. Yep, Laurel-like, but in a KNIT which is awesome. Adorable dress! It's funny, that print-I-only-kinda-like-but-sewn-up-I-like-it-better thing happens to me ALL the time. So there's really no down side to using it from what I can tell -- your meh fabrics leave your stash, then become thumbs-up fabrics in your closet!

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    1. Well said! I agree completely. And I'm glad I did this one first - I would really have been bummed if I made this wonky hem mistake on either of my other fabrics. But here I just feel like it's quirky!

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  7. Love it. The fabric is so fun - I bet it's comfy too? Very good matching up of the pattern and I'm totally sold on the zig zag hem. Fab.

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    1. Super comfy! This fabric is very silky. It would have made excellent PJs!

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  8. OMGosh this is so fun! I love the Pucci inspiration. It totally flatters your lines so well. You need heels, a big, white straw hat, and big white sunglasses with a big handbag to sashay down the street.

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    1. Hehehe! I wish I could still sashay in heels! It's been so long, I can hardly walk in them any more!

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  9. I love it. It is so fresh and perfect for spring.

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  10. The first thing I noticed was the neckline binding - you did such a great job of using the print to good effect there! I look forward to seeing the next ones!

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    1. Thank you! I did move the pattern piece around to get a section I liked for the binding on the neck. I just wish that attention to detail had continued all the way through the project! Stupid ADD!

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  11. The time you took working out pattern placement really paid off - super dress :)

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  12. This is darling! I love it so much-- it's got a sassy '60's vibe that is so cool!

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  13. You look fantastic! I love that print, and you deployed it perfectly. Don't worry about wearing heels - the stylin' late 60s were all about low heels and flats.
    -- stashdragon

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    1. Thank you! I really quite like these old sandals with this dress because they mimic the swirl design :-) And I imagine wearing this dress for walks in the park and maybe even a picnic.

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  14. What a bright, wild dress! Looks great, very 60's.

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