SOSM: Challenge #2, Roller skate Dress

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to make several Oliver+S patterns, but this one is definitely one of my favorites.  If I had girls, they would absolutely live in this dress.  The pattern itself is simple (only 5 pieces, including the button loop guide!), but there are so many ways to put your own stamp on it.   

For this challenge, I headed to the fabric store to provide the inspiration and I found it before I even walked in the door, on the sale rack.  I've been eyeing this sherbet-colored fabric for ages and once I spotted it, I knew exactly what I wanted to do--chevrons!  The end bolt just said 100% cotton and "Made in Switzerland", but it appears to be a yard-dyed, sheer voile or something even more lightweight.  I bought 4 yards (a steal at $5/yard!), enough for two girls' dresses and an as-yet-to-be-determined something for me :) The coordinating lining is a baby pink cotton lawn and the contrast neckline is solid quilting cotton. 

To create the bodice and skirt chevrons, I cut the pattern down the middle of the front, and along one of the elastic stitching lines, adding seam allowance where needed. Then each piece of fabric was cut individually to ensure that everything matched up.  I used the same technique as I did here, overlapping the pieces at the sewing lines and drawing the stripes right onto the pattern pieces before aligning and pinning to the fabric.  Here's a close-up of the chevron-matching detail (below is the back seam).

This fabric is sheer!  Therefore, French seams were really the only way to sew this dress and I used that technique for both lining and shell (aside from the armholes and neckline, since those curved seams had to lie very flat).  Unfortunately, it meant matching chevrons twice for every seam, but in the end, the results were so worth it!  The back seam, under the button opening, I used what I refer to as an "after the fact French seam" (officially, a mock French seam) since I couldn't do a true FS there. 

You can see through it!

The French seam along the waistband was tucked into and sewn inside the elastic casing, which helped keep the elastic from being visible from the outside. 

Front of the dress

Back of dress

I wanted the v-neck to echo the chevrons of the bodice, so I altered the original notched-neckline to a more continuous V shape.  

Front neckline

Back neckline

I finished the dress with a simple double-fold hem for both the shell and lining.  My original plan was to use the same fabric as the neckline for a band at the bottom, but after pinning it in place, I decided I preferred the airy lightness of the dress without it.

French seams and hems on the lining and shell fabric

Since my model has a younger sister, I couldn't make a pretty dress for one and not the other, so Miss Maiya also got a (much simpler!) sherbet-striped dress.  I started and finished that one in a few hours; needless to say, not having to cut and sew chevrons made for a much quicker construction (although I still used French seams)!  I'll post more photos of the second version soon.

For some reason, this photo reminds me of a Wes Anderson movie. They weren't thrilled to have been taken away from playtime with my sons for a photo shoot!

SOSM: Challenge #1, Skirt drafting

Even though we were away on vacation for most of the allotted time of the first challenge, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to participate in the Super Online Sewing Match!  So, instead of 6 days to draft and sew an A-line skirt (using this tutorial at Craftsy by Deborah Moebes), I had 2.  And sitting in bumper to bumper traffic to get to Logan Airport and then multiple flight delays before taking off for San Francisco (due to the awful plane crash), I was certain that I'd never get home to even have that much time!  But thankfully I'm home, the skirt was started and finished in a single day, and I'm pleased with the result.

I've drafted skirts before, having taken Deborah's class via Whipstitch a few years ago, however I skimmed through the Craftsy videos at my mom's house in NY to start thinking of ideas.  Once I got to Boston for the second half of our trip, I was seriously feeling the stress of not having fabric in hand, so I visited the nearby Joann's to buy my supplies.  If nothing else, at least my fabric would be purchased and washed! At my sister-in-law's house, I made my bias tape and packed everything in my carry-on luggage.  You know, because if I didn't the airline would surely find a way to lose my bags on a direct flight!

Initial skirt pattern, before hacking it up.

First thing Saturday morning, after a late-night arrival home, I drafted my skirt pattern.  For my design, I chose to use a curved yoke waistband which eliminated the need for darts, and added front buttoned pockets.  The yoke is detailed with purchased bias tape, used as faux piping.  Instead of cutting the front and back pieces on the fold, I seamed up the middle of both to add another design element.    

I love hidden details, so the inside is finished with floral pocket bags and bias trim on the side seams. This was the first time I've made pocket bags with French seams, and I may never go back to serging or bias-binding them!

A little peek inside the pockets... 

The waistband facing was edged with the self-bias tape.  Not too noticeable, but I like using that instead of trying to turn a curved hem. 

In my opinion, invisible zippers are the only way to go.  This one was finished on the inside with bias tape:

The front and back seams are flat-felled and the skirt is finished with a standard 1" hem. 

I actually didn't end up using the main fabric that I purchased in Boston (it felt too stiff after washing), but instead used grey organic canvas (which is softer than it sounds!) that I had in my stash, bought at nearby Hart's Fabrics.

I made some slight fit adjustments after I sewed the side seams, but other than that, the skirt came together as I envisioned.  With so much time thinking and planning away from my sewing room, I had gone over all the construction details in my head and knew exactly what I was going to do ahead of time, so it all went super smoothly.  Quite unlike our late-night flight with a three year old...   

P.S. Many thanks to my two lovely sisters-in-law and my mother for their various roles in this bi-coastal endeavor, and my incredible husband who kept the kids occupied while I worked away in my sewing room.