Recently I saw this dress from DownEast Basics
and decided that I could TRY to make one similar.
I wanted to change the top half though, because that whole criss-cross bodice does not work for me. It always looks saggy and "unfulfilled" ...ifyaknowwhaddamean.
So I wanted the top half to be like this shirt instead:
I really liked the way this example shirt fit me, and it looked easy enough to sew. (See how there is not a separate sleeve that's attached, it's just all one piece? Nifty.)
Lucky me, there was some knit material on the $1.50 table at Wal-mart the other day so I was all set. Granted, it's not the most sophisticated SHADE of purple, nor does the whole thing give off any vibes of awesomeness with it's plainness, but it would do for practice because it was cheap. And I do love me some purple.
So here is the finished dress!
Please excuse my fuzzy hair and awkward posing. I don't have years of modeling and pageants to fall back on. Crying shame.
You might think.... not bad. I'll admit, it's certainly NOT the Theo-Huxtable's-sister-makes-him-a-knock-off-disaster that I feared it would be.
But let's look a little closer...
The shirring turned out pretty well. That part is really not HARD, though it never shrinks up as tightly as I would like. But this looks good.
The neckline is ALL sorts of loosey goosey! Not hideous, but certainly not right. You can see how the little "gathers" at the front/center look nothing like the original shirt. I'll have to figure out how to do that better next time.
The worst part of the neckline is this edge that I put on to finish it off. It doesn't lie flat (or tight) against me. See how with my hair out of the way, you can see it standing up? Weirdness.
If anyone out there knows how to prevent this, or do it better, PLEASE SHARE!!!
10 comments:
You are SO awesome. You're brave for trying in the first place. Oh, and obviously I have no advice for you when it comes to sewing. :)
Seriously awesome first attempt. Especially without a pattern. Especially with a knit which moves and stretches so much.
The only suggestion I can think of is to try to find some tutorials online about knit dresses. It won't be the same one as yours, but the neckline thing might be addressed. Of course, you might have already done this. :P
I sewed a pillow once. You got skillz. And you're awesome for attempting something new. I think it looks great.
Sticky-uppy collar aside, this looks great! I am mucho impressed (though not that surprised) that you did this without a pattern, you super skilled lady :)
How hard was the shirring? I've had four different fabrics that I bought an age ago to make some skirts to fit my pregnant self, and while I did find a tutorial that uses an added stretchy panel (a la' maternity pants) I would LOVE to do a shirred waistband instead! SO much more comfy AND the potential to wear it post-maternity. Shirring scares me though. It looks so technical and difficult. Maybe I can trade some babysitting for some shirring?
very impressive! Knits are tough--and I pretty much avoid them at all cost. So you're a ROCKSTAR in my book!
Beautiful job! Cheers to you for attempting all that, looks great
About the neckline... Cut a strip of fabric on the bias 1" wide and a little longer than the length you need to go around the neckline. Fold it in half so it is 1/2" wide and press it. Gather the neckline the way you want and stitch the folded stip to the front side of the fabric (all raw edges together) Turn the fold to the wrong side and slip stitch.
OK, I've just re read that and it's probably as clear as mud...so your neckline is great!
awesome job. I should take a lesson from you in being brave and trying things even if I'm not 100 percent sure on how to do. I always figure if I don't know how then I don't try. And if I mess up, I don't try again. I know it's lame.
Amazing. Simply amazing. I am so inspired by your willingness to try something new... and to refashion. Wow! I wish I was just inspired enough to neglect my kids long enough to spend more time sewing...
Great job! Seriously!
i didn't notice any flaws in the far away photo.
Aaaawww, I finally get to check blogger! My computer keeps freezing anytime I get on blogger now. My computer is slowly dying. Anyway, nice job! Did you do the shirring yourself, or did you buy it premade (I'm guessing you did it yourself to get the right color?)? Maybe you could put fabric around the neckline to hide the bunching of the fabric. It's not that bad, but I'm sure you notice it b/c you made it (that's how I am). You did a good job. Time to add to Etsy??? :)
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