I think there is something about making a true finished item for myself that has always seemed to scare me. There are so many different curves that we need to learn for our bodies to get the perfect fit. But then I realized that there is only one way to get better, and that is to practice, practice, practice.
With the recent addition of my serger, I no longer have any excuses. So I decided to dust this pattern off and give it a go...
I decided to modernize it a tad by using denim, thinking I could really have fun with the accessories. I wanted a lighter-weight shirt material denim, but couldn't find that at the store...so I went with this darker wash that had a really nice soft feel to it.
I think it came out...ok. I am not in love with it, but I know that I can really have fun with some belted accessories to give it a punch.
Just as I was wondering what I was going to wear with it for the Photo Shoot, I got a super fun surprise in the mail from the lovely Sachiko of Tea Rose Home...
A denim brooch! How perfect is that?!!
So while I may not think this dress came out with the perfect fit, I do think I am one step closer to making fabulous fitted creations for myself! Its just about learning how to cut patterns for the right measurements (because I am not your typical 8, 10 or 12 - I am more like a Size 12 bust, size 16 waist, size 18 hip...especially in vintage patterns! YIKES! lol - you get the idea though).
With that being said - tell me. Do you have any good adult woman patterns that you want to share? I would love to get some feedback for good ones to keep learning on!
Thanks so much for stopping by, and until next time...
Happy Sewing!
It looks great in the photo. Maybe just needs to be a bit tighter in the waist cause you have a tiny little waist.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that is LOVELY!
ReplyDeleteYou should go and have a Oscar Party with this dress.
Or go and grab some Cocktails.
Great Job, love it!
Hi Jessica,
ReplyDeleteWhat a flash pattern to practice on!! Well done!
I think you sum up how so many people who sew (including myself) feel - we are ready to tackle any sewing project for our kids but are less confident about clothes for ourselves. I suppose that really our children are little barrels and well... we're not!!
I have learned by several sewing failures that I definitely do not have a Japanese woman's body shape. Anyone who has ever met me would be laughing right now to think that I ever even considered it! I really knew all along but I just love the aesthetic so much.
I have read many great reviews about the Miz Mozelle dress by Jamie Christina Designs. I have half finished mine and then got caught up with sewing gifts for Christmas. You have inspired me to pull it out. I will let you know how I get on.
You look beautiful! Using denim was ideal to get lots of wear from it. It is almost time for yard sales around here, and since I live 3 blocks from Joann's there are always patterns being sold. I will bookmark this and when I get some collected, I will let you know. Thanks for sharing your fabulous dress!
ReplyDeleteoh it is great and you look so pretty! it does look like a fun one...a twirly one. i have only made myself 3 dresses, all from the same pattern. i think it was from simplicity, but i will have to check on that. for some reason this pattern just fits me perfectly, or it did before i put on a few extra pounds:) how about a mini series for sewing for the woman? you would be great at it.
ReplyDeleteI agree! We should do something fun like that!
Deleteyou guys crack me up! I need to get better at it before I would feel confident teaching anyone else :)...but maybe a learn together series? or a, i will show you the mistakes i made and we can learn together series???
DeleteI think a learn together series would be fun! I was just mustering up the courage to try make myself a dress I'd tried on instore but it didn't fit me quite right, bought the fabric and the pattern and all that, and then I went and got pregnant so I've been using that as an excuse to chicken out. But I could totally do an empire waist dress and just put extra fabric in the front, I'm just jumping on the excuse out of fear. And the moral of the story is, I would love to read along on a series of learning to sew for yourself, and I might even gather the courage to do something myself from watching along! I have done things for me before, but always knits because they're more forgiving to the curves.
DeleteIt looks lovely on you! And I feel the me way. To help learn about sewing for me I've purchased the "Sew Retro bombshell dress" class by Gertie over on craftsy.com. It looks like a dress and class that will really help me understand how to sew for my curves. Hoping it helps because I'd not have a typical pattern or clothing sized figure either!
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely! It fits nicely!
ReplyDeleteColette patterns are a dream to sew up because of the detailed instructions and vintage styles.
Ahh! It's soo beautiful! I feel the same way - sewing for the littles is much less daunting. You did an amazing job on this!
ReplyDeleteI love it! You need to have a mad men party -it would be perfect. Although I would wear that anywhere!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I have a similar vintage pattern that I have been sitting on, you might have convinced me...might. It's just so much dang fabric!
~Destri
I'm coming out of the woodwork here because I have been following you and somewhat copying you since Project run and play. I love your sewing and how you intrepret it with your kids and it has inspired me so much as I am a beginner and need boosts of confidence. Anyway.... this is exactly what I have been struggling with lately. I feel confident enough to begin sewing for myself, but truly scared off by fit and sizing and such. I've been reading blogs where the sewists sew for themselves and you will never believe it - truly most of women who look absolutely fit and fabulous and skinny in their pictures are sewing a size 14-16 which is what I am. And they look amazing in their creations!! You are on the smaller side - don't be afraid by sizing of the patterns because you are right there in the small range - seriously!
ReplyDeleteNext thing - that dress is really fabulous and I'll tell you why. It's totally unexpected - I mean, a denim dress in a vintage eveningwear pattern? Love it! Coral is hot hot hot this coming season and I can see that dress with a bright coral cardi or some sort of coral belt - or a coral buttondown shirt belted over the waist - I would buy and wear that denim dress in a heartbeat so don't sign it off just yet!!
And last, like I said I'm a beginner sewer to women's fashion and I've done two of Lisette patterns by simplicity (buy them when Joann's has their fantastic pattern sales I got mine for $1 each!) Anyway, the cutest cutest dress is Passport dress and the itinerary dress (only don't do the contrasting yoke - just sew it in one modern retro print!) I bought the continental dress pattern and waiting to find the best fabric for a summer dress - it looks really cute.
Anyway, good luck and please mail me that dress if you hate it because I love it!
thank you so much for the Lisette tips, you are the second person to mention them in the last couple of days - and before then I had never heard of her! So excited to hear of a new pattern designer, I need to check it out. And those two patterns look perfect - easy, yet sophisticated. Love it!!!
DeleteAnd thank you for the compliments :) - you are so sweet!!! I am so happy you like the blog and follow along!!!
Lisette is the Oliver & Co adult line, isn't it?
DeleteGreat job on the dress. I am very much a beginner sewer. I am still working on being able to sew clothes for my daughter who is 3. But I am determined this summer I am going to sew more to get some more practice. Hopefully I will work up to sewing for myself. I am a 14 -16 size woman too. I can't even begin to imagine how to shape clothes for myself or any average size woman.
ReplyDeleteI can empathize with you on all this. I bought two retro dress patterns a couple of weeks ago: Vintage Vogue, v8788 (redo of a 1954 design) and a Retro '52 Butterick, B4790. Both were mentioned on Gertie's blog. I, too, need to bite the bullet and just get going.
ReplyDeleteWhat I really need to do is to make one of those duct tape dressmaker forms. My top, middle, and bottom never match any pattern!
I used to buy pattern sizes by the hip but I have learned to go one size down and grade up the rear end, because otherwise I had lots of extra fabric in the front LOL. I think the great thing about sewing for yourself if that you can get the fit perfect, which makes any outfit look so much better. Keep at it!
ReplyDeleteOk - Love this post and love all the comments too!! I have a stack of patterns that have been taunting me and I keep making excuses- but now after seeing your fabulous dress I just need to get going. I LOVE how it turned out - so classic. And it will look great dressed up so many different ways!
ReplyDeleteMy top patterns to try are a couple of Lisette patterns - so I'm excited to see that other commenters have had good luck with them. Her style is so retro and fun. Ok. Going to dive in!! Thanks for the inspiration Jessica!
I think that it turned out great. I haven't had great success using purchased patterns, and they really intimidate me. Fit is really difficult, because even if you are a standard size, the way they fit the dresses seems to be a bit different than I would fit them to myself. I love the denim dress, and way to sew through your patterns.
ReplyDeleteWell, Jessica, you've inspired me and terrified me all at the same time. I have been wanting to try something for myself for a while, but I'm too scared. Your dress turned out really CUTE, but I didn't process the the whole patterns may not actually fit my body concept. I think I'll start with a skirt....
ReplyDeleteI also bought some lace today to start staring at...hopefully, I'll give it a try sometime soon.
Thanks for all the great ideas....as usual! And keep wearing that dress and be proud!!!
What a gorgeous dress Jessica!! You look lovely!! :) I have tried two purchased women's patterns and had to cut out different sizes for different parts (and they were sized like ten or twelve sizes bigger than my off the rack sizes now) and I could never get the fit just right so I switched to knits, which are more forgiving. :)
ReplyDeleteLooks great! I am trying to muster up the courage to sew something fitted for myself (I have done knit dresses and shirts but that's a bit easier) and kudos to you for making such a curvy dress!
ReplyDeleteOh, Jessica, your dress turned out great and thank you for adding my brooch to your lovely outfit!
ReplyDeleteI have had good luck with McCalls patterns...a great tip is to pin the pattern pieces together at the seamlines and try them on. You will be able to see if anything needs to be added, removed, etc. It is called tissue-fitting.
ReplyDeleteOnce you have a basic pattern that fits you well, you can use it as a guide to help other patterns fit. I am about to dive into some sewing for myself too!
I think it looks awesome and it's so good to have a good basic that you can pair with cute belts and accessories! Do you think having a serger is the key to making most handmade clothes...I always hesitate, because I want whatever I spend my time on to last and I don't have a serger! Just wondering!
ReplyDeleteI thought this was such a good question - that I wanted to reply here instead of e-mailing you back (which I normally do for comments with e-mail turned on).
DeleteThe serger question...I was just contemplating this the other day. I really love my serger, I cant imagine not having it. But it took me a long time to actually buy one because I was so scared off for a long time.
In retrospect, I probably could have gotten one sooner - but I am glad I didn't! I am glad I waited. I really feel as though during the wait time, I honed my skills to a point where I was really good at the sewing machine. Once I had that down pat, and felt like I could do just about anything with it...I THEN bought a used serger to try out first on Craigs List. I started out with a very old Brother, the thing was like a tank. But it worked. So for $50, it was worth dipping my toes into serger-land.
When it finally gave out, that was when I realized how addicted to my serger I had become. I immediately had to buy a new one to replace it, because I couldn't imagine sewing without one anymore. I love it.
I do not think they are necessary AT ALL! There are other ways to finish seams, whether it be pinking shears, zig zag stitchs, french seams. You name it.
But I do think they are nice to have, making things quick and easy.
Just the random thoughts I had floating around in my head a couple of days ago about the whole serger/non-serger debate. Lol
Love that pattern! I have been wanting to make it forever! Yours came out great, and you've got me wanting to dust mine off now! I even have some pretty pinstripe denim that someone gave me, that I have been trying to decide what to do with it.
ReplyDeleteI think just about everyone has the same trouble with sizing. I use pattern paper or for a cheap alternative, you can use exam table paper to trace the pattern. Start out by tracing the size you are at the waist and bust then you can use a tailors curve (or just eyeball it which is what I do) to connect the lines. I also measure myself and the pattern piece before tracing to see if they match up when the pattern is supposed to be fitted...just don't forget to factor in ease. This usually means I don't have to do alterations once it's all together. I usually do about a half inch total for the waist and bust, and one inch for the hips. Just my little bit of knowledge... maybe it will help in the future...although, I think you did a pretty great job with this one!
Also wanted to mention about the serger, I have a sewing machine that has lots of overcasting stitches, so I have hesitated to buy a serger. I can also use my overcast foot to do a rolled hem...it takes longer than a serger (my sewing machine does just under 800 stitches per minute, and I think sergers do over 1000...don't know much about them since I have never had one), but it could be a good option for someone who is just starting out and really wants to use their machine for clothing, they could look for a machine with overcasting stitches...You can get them for fairly cheap. I think Brother's $150 model has them, but I know for sure the $300 model does. It would be much less than buying a sewing machine and a serger together. I would like to eventually get one, but for now it's doing the job and I can put that money toward more fabric! lol
PS the Broach is super cute too! Looks great with the dress!
Hi, I just wanted to say I love your dress & after seeing what you did on PR&P I can't believe you have any sewing doubts, you're amazing! I've become a devotee of Vintage Vogue 8728, as introduced to me via the A Dress A Day blog. I need size 8 bust, 12 waist & 14 hips but the style of these vintage dresses generally means I can leave the skirts as a 12 also. I make any new pattern for me in a cheap fun print first, tweek the fitting & work my way up to more expensive fabric from there.
ReplyDelete