About a week ago, I was looking through my old Japanese magazines and came across a dress a model was wearing that caught my eye. I was looking for inspiration for some design ideas and this particular one lingered in my mind. I decided to try drafting my own pattern. I wasn't sure it was going to work, but I had a pretty good idea of what each pattern piece needed to look like. I chose the brown linen that had been sitting in my closet for years. I thought this dress style and the linen would go together.
The finished dress is a bit different than the dress in the magazine, but the concept and the feeling is pretty close to what I had in mind. I love how it turned out! Only thing is that 100% linen wrinkles so easily. I am looking forward to making the same dress with a more light weight fabric such as lawn, crape or voile next spring.
As I keep going with my own "sew my stash challenge", I feel like more ideas are flowing into my mind and I am more willing to take risks. Sure I might make mistakes, or my plan won't go as I hoped, but I won't improve my skills unless I try, right? Thank you for visiting to see how my projects are going and leaving comments, I appreciate them very much! I have more sewing projects lined up and I can't wait to continue to share them with you!
This is so simply lovely! Are both the neckline and waistline elastic? Could you point us in the direction of some basic directions for how you developed the pattern? Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you! The waistline is with elastic, but to have a more fuller look, I decided to cut the fabric wide and gather the fabric to match the length of the top then shrunk it with elastic. The neckline is not with elastic, I simply gathered it and finished it with thin bias tape for a more delicate look.
DeleteI don't have any proper education for pattern drafting, but I made so many clothes in the past that I have a pretty good idea for the anatomy of some simple clothing. I just used a top that fits me as a base for the body and went with it. Add extra width in the middle of the front and the back top pieces, so you have enough fabric to gather. :)
Sachiko, you are so inspiring. AND you are a fashionable model as well. I am very pleased with your garment sewing. I love wearing dresses, but rarely do. I might want to rethink that.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your encouraging comment. I just love dresses and skirts. That is pretty much what I wear most of the time. :)
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