Monday, September 23, 2013

My Contest Entry--"ELEGANTLY FUNKY"

                            This is my entry to the 2nd challenge in the Fabric Mart contest. You can see the other entries and vote for your favorite at  FabricMart Blog. We were asked to start with a particular Salme pattern and add a one or two word title to describe our creation and personality.

This challenge was the perfect opportunity for me to make a "cocktail-type dress that I need to wear to a dressy function I will be attending next month.  The name "ELEGANTLY FUNKY" came to me immediately for the look I wanted. The funky part is really more the "real me" (and will be explained later in this post), but how in the world was I going to pull off "Elegant"??


I would not normally type myself as an "elegant" dresser but decided to "up the stakes" a little bit and try to achieve ELEGANCE in my garment using the following techiques:

1. My selection of fabrics: Brocade and Lace, both new for me and a bit outside of my "comfort zone"

2. By trying to achieve the very best fit possible---again not my normal look, which is flowy and loose!

3. By upgrading my sewing and finishing techniques.
                                                             
The last two will be achieved with the help of several  CRAFTSY online classes on "Fitting" and "Pattern Alterations" I have recently taken (can't recommend them enough!)  I was anxious to try some of the techniques I had learned.


FITTING

I wrote a previous blog post with my thoughts on this pattern and my fear of ever getting it to fit me. I really liked some things about the pattern, mainly the sweetheart neckline and decided to give a try to making the pattern as is (only bigger, longer, and with sleeves)
I started by trying to alter the bodice of the dress to fit me. I made muslins, MANY muslins, until I finally was able to fit my bodice (somewhat).   Here is the pile of different patterns and muslins I made (I didn't use actual muslin but a cotton twill that was nearer the weight of my fashion fabric)
                                                                        


Once I had a top that would fit, I needed to find out where my exact waistline was. To do this I put a piece of elastic around my waist and marked with pins the bottom of the elastic line.


I then checked that it was correct by cutting it at the waistline and sewing the muslin skirt on---It worked and you can't see the horizontal seam at the waist now.
                                                                             


                                                                            
I finally had a bodice pattern that fit at my TRUE waistline.  Here is the difference between the largest size Salme pattern and the final draft that fits me----oh my, a lifetime of too many cookies!




Even with the waistline at the right place, I still did not like the way the fullish skirt looked on me!!!



I happened to see an article in the latest "Real Simple" magazine about wearing the new brocades (I'm actually on trend!) and they suggested this silhouette for a person with a straight figure (that's me). So, I decided to go with a one piece body pattern, just extending my bodice pattern on down.  It still made a big difference in the cutting to know where my TRUE WAISTLINE was, so I am glad I went through that drill.

I worked on getting a good fit additionally by much tweeking of the dart and seam placements, and by making adjustments (recently learned in my Craftsy course) for forward-thrusting shoulders, rounded back and asymmetry in my figure.

I'm finally learning to fit my aging body!I am really pleased with the resulting fit and feel of my dress. It feels like it is just skimming my body, with no points that feel too tight or look too loose!



THE SEWING PROCESS

Because I was new to working with both brocade and lace, I had to do some experimenting with handling them both.     

The brocade needed to be treated almost like wool, using a substantial press cloth, and reacted to both moist heat and pressure (time to use my clapper) I found a microtex sharp needle worked best, going between the fine threads without cutting them.
                                                                                 

I used 2 layers of lace, a figured one on top and the above tulle-like mesh on the bottom for added strength. It also had this finished rolled hem that I was able to use on the bottom of my sleeves and skirt.

 The article by Susan Khalje in Threads title "Amazing Lace" was invaluable to me. She suggests several methods of finishing lace seams and the one that worked best for me was the "self-bound" seam.  You start with a 1" seam allowances ( I had four layers of lace fabric).Cut all but the outside layer of the seam allowance to 3/8". Then wrap this layer around the others and sew.   Kind of like a "Hong Kong" seam but you don't need an extra fabric strip.

Further techniques I used to upgrade the "elegance" factor were finished seam allowances (several different methods for brocade and lace edges) and a FULL LINING for the dress, both for comfort and appearance.



I carried out the "lacey" theme in my choice hem tape and did lots of hand finishing which I would have previously done by machine!



SO WHERE IS THE FUNKY PART?

you are probably asking!  Well, it's there, though not as obvious as usual.  I didn't mention but the event I will be wearing this to takes place on HALLOWEEN, so I added some SPOOKY touches.

If you look carefully at the figured lace, it has figures of bats on a background of cobwebs


The lacey ruffle at the bottom is actually part of a Halloween underskirt:

and of course my fingernails!  


Here are the finished pictures, both with and without the "FUNKY" underskirt:
                        
I'm not sure which I like best!

25 comments:

  1. Oh, that is SO fun, Peggy, and so YOU! I love it from the elegance right down to the funky, cobwebby lace!

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    1. Thanks---and you did a great job also! Isn't this fun??

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  2. Smashing, Peggy! I am so impressed with your new fitting skills. It's a lovely dressy dress, and the bat lace and Halloween underskirt take it to a new level!

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    1. Thanks so much Margy---and also for the wonderful example YOU set for us "senior" sewists!

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  3. I think it is fabulously you! Very pretty and should be perfect for your special occasion. Job.well.done!

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  4. I am so not in love with this pattern, but I do love what you did with it! The bat lace is genius. Enjoy wearing it on your special occasion.

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  5. Such fun! I always love it when there's a surprise inside. I absolutely love that petticoat :)

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  6. Wow! You put a lot of work into getting this dress to fit you! Kudos for that! I also think the words describe your dress perfectly. Great job!

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  7. Just WOW! You look gorgeous in that! I just love it. You took a very difficult challenge and turned it to your advantage. I also love all your jewelry:)

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  8. A perfect match up of elegant and funky! Great job!

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  9. Love the sleeves and changes you did to the shape, and the 'funky' lace at the bottom is great! I would definitely wear it that way!

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  10. Excellent take on this pattern! I love the dress on you, and the added flounce is also so "you".

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  11. Excellent take on this pattern! I love the dress on you, and the added flounce is also so "you".

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  12. Yes! This is fantastic! You really knocked it out of the park. Really good work here.

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  13. I had the same concerns about this pattern as you did. The style was not a good one for my 56 year old bod. You did a great job of morphing this pattern into a flattering and fun dress for you. I love how the underskirt totally changes the look.

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  14. Great job! I love the orange-cobweb underskirt--it's a hidden pop of color. The rose brocade is definitely elegant! Very nice!

    Rose in SV

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  15. I love the Halloween touches! I was looking forward to seeing how you would alter this pattern and you certainly made it totally you!

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  16. OK, I really liked it and was impressed with all your fitting and finishing skills - and then we got "funky" and I LOVE IT! Great job!

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  17. I love your dress! It is so elegant. The sleeve on the dress looks great.

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  18. I am a very big fan of your take on this dress. It is really inspiring to see how you adapted the pattern to suit you while incorporating enough funk to reflect your personality. Absolutely terrific!

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  19. Great job on the fitting and the transformation of that pattern to work for you!

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  20. This dress is lovely on you. I admire the amount of work you put into it and the fit you achieved. Great work!

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  21. This dress is lovely on you. I admire the amount of work you put into it and the fit you achieved. Great work!

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  22. This dress is lovely on you. I admire the amount of work you put into it and the fit you achieved. Great work!

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  23. This dress is lovely on you. I admire the amount of work you put into it and the fit you achieved. Great work!

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