Happy Wednesday! I'm excited to finally be sharing a recent finished garment today! I have been doing a lot of garment sewing lately, but the weather hasn't been nice enough to get photos of any of them. This past weekend it was in the high 70s, perfect weather for some grilling, and a few photos!
I purchased the Emery Dress Pattern by Christine Haynes almost two years ago. I am not a huge dress person, but dresses are my go-to when I need to get dressed up for something. I've slowly learned what types of dresses work best for me. One style that has consistently been good to me is fit and flare style dresses. If it's got a retro vibe, even better. This pattern is exactly that!
I don't know exactly what took me so long to finally try this pattern out. I was a bit nervous about the bodice, with all the darts, lining, and invisible zipper. Turns out, I had nothing to be nervous about. I did a quick muslin of just the bodice (and lining), without the zipper. The size I chose (based on my measurements and the finished garment measurements), was a perfect fit! Lucky me!
It was a nice change of pace to work on a garment with no bias tape. It's a fine seam finish, but sometimes it's nice to have a bit of a break from it! The bodice on the Emery is lined, which is really neat. I even took the time to hand stitch the lining where it meets the skirt, as instructed. I'm often prone to skip these types of things and do it by machine. I'm glad that I took the time to do it right, it was worth it.
The fabric I used is from Wild & Free by Maureen Cracknell. I bought enough for a dress after seeing this skirt made by Rachel. I hadn't really thought about the print much for garments, but that skirt is so cute, I had to buy some of that fabric! I was a little nervous the dress would end up looking like a tablecloth, but I decided it was worth the risk. I lined the bodice with some white Cambridge Lawn, it's a great lining fabric.
One of my favorite TV shows is Agent Carter, a Marvel show set in the mid/late 1940s that follows Agent Peggy Carter. Peggy has some really killer outfits in the show while kicking some serious butt. This dress feels like something she would wear! So, this is my Peggy dress!
I am so happy with how this dress turned out, I am looking forward to making many more. Next I'd like to make one from a vintage sheet! I think sheet fabric will have the perfect amount of drape, and I have a stash of pretty prints to choose from!
Happy Sewing!
Look how nice you lined up the plaid on the back zipper! Super cute dress. Well done!
ReplyDeleteI love your dress!
ReplyDeleteYour Peggy Dress is very flattering on you!
ReplyDeleteI love that you named it your Peggy dress. I love that show too. You did such a wonderful job on the lining and hidden zipper. Zippers are my nemesis. I think a vintage sheet would be great using that pattern.
ReplyDeleteYou look stunning and very hip all at the same time. What is sheet fabric and how is it different from the fabric we purchase on a bolt? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Anne, thanks! It's simply an old bedsheet! Most of the ones I've collected from the 60s/70s are 50/50 cotton polyester blends and they have great drape, perfect for garments!
DeletePerfect! I love it!
ReplyDeleteWell done, Jeni!
ReplyDeleteYou look beautiful♥️
When I was in high school (early 60s), I made a lot of my clothes. We had to wear dresses. No pants for us...lol. I made myself a lot of shirtwaist dresses. They were comfortable and fit my body well. And I enjoyed making them. That dress and you go really well together! Keep up the good work. 8-)
ReplyDeleteLook how adorable you are!!!
ReplyDeleteYou absolutely amaze me!
Ellie
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