I made this dress on Joan, my 1934 enclosed cabinet treadle. I do not have an open-toe foot for any of my Singer machines, so when it came to attaching the centre front to the bodice sides, I couldn't use my normal method for doing the lapped seam. Instead I had to improvise a little with a zipper foot. It worked fine, probably helped by being able to sew slowly on the treadle.
 |
| Sewing the lapped seam |
As it turned out, I didn't need the extra allowance I had added in the side seams. What I did need, however, were some slight changes to the pocket. On the previous versions, the pocket bag has been sewn into the side seam, and held in place in the front waist seam.
 |
| How I've done the pocket on previous versions |
This version has no waist seam, so I reshaped the pocket to reflect this. Also, I have a high and pronounced hip curve, and because this version of the dress has no pleats at the front, I had to add this curve to the side seams to allow the skirt to fit properly. My versions of Vogue 2787 all have the same tight curve, and it works well, but any pocket in the side seam has to be placed below it where the seam is straighter. Finally, the cotton fabric is slightly fuzzy on both sides, and I was concerned that the skirt and pocket bag would stick together and cause the skirt to hang weirdly, so most of the bag front is made from a scrap of lining fabric.
 |
| How I did the pocket on this version |
Talking of lining fabric. The quality of shoulder pads really seems to have deteriorated in the last few years, with even the ones from the better brands getting twisted and mangled by the gentlest of washing*. So, in an attempt to prolong their life, I covered these ones with some more of my lining scraps. (Yes, I do have a box in my workroom labelled "spare lining bits", doesn't everyone?!) Placing the lining on the bias and making the underside slightly smaller also helps to maintain the curve of the pad.
 |
| Covered shoulder pad |
The one thing which this dress doesn't have is buttons. I wore the unfinished version for a #hatlarks picture a couple of weeks ago, fastened with a 1930s brooch, and really liked the look. I might add buttons at some point, but for now it's a good chance to use some of my vintage brooches.
 |
| Worn with Vogue 7694, view C |
So here is the finished dress. Last week I went to the preview of the Flower Fairies exhibition at the Lady Lever Art Gallery, and made the most of being a) somewhere other than my back yard and b) with a friend who could take photographs for me.
The back is unchanged from versions two and three, which have the waist ties.
 |
| Back view |
I managed to stand with my hands clasped in front of me in almost every picture, but it's just possible to see that the flared front falls into a very slight inverted pleat, albeit not nearly as pronounced as the envelope illustration suggests.
 |
| Front view, with (tiny) pleat |
The skirt is as full at the hem as the original version of 1777, so the lack of pleats is not obvious when you are moving. Nor did it feel especially different when I sat down. In fact, I think I actually prefer not having all that fabric in my lap.
 |
| #sewnshownseated at the feet of Art! |
When I was planning this project I came across this paisley print cotton fabric and thought that it would be perfect for the job, so I bought the exact amount I needed. Which means that the Stashometer bottom line is unchanged.
 |
| 3.1m in, 3.1m out |
Finally, the Lady Lever was beautifully decked out in greenery for the occasion, so I must include a couple of pictures from inside the gallery.
 |
| Leafy archway at the gallery entrance . . . |
 |
| . . . which we used for a photo |
* - I did wonder if I was imagining this. However, my first Simplicity 1777 is a favourite dress which has seen some pretty heavy wear since it was made in 2016. Despite this, when I came to photograph the pocket for this post, I noticed that the pads are far more robust and in better shape than those on much more recent makes. Cost-cutting is clearly everywhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment