Finally!

Yahooo the velvet dress is finished!  This has been 'slow' sewing at its best, as in the slow cooking movement as an enjoyable process to be savoured.  And I am thrilled with the final result, it is exactly as I had envisaged.  Go me!

To recap the intial design was from Winter 2012 Ottobre magazine which was frankenpatterned using a Burda Pattern. I altered the sleeves to allow more bicep room and then carefully cut out my velvet having made both sides of the patterns for all pieces.  I tried to make sure that the pattern was placed strategically to avoid spotlighting but it was a squeeze as I had failed to anticipate lenghtening the skirt (very short on the original).

Apologies for the photo!

I had a great debate with myself, Elizabeth and sbev from Stitchers Guild about interlining and interfacing this and after checking out a few designer versions decided to fully line the garment but did not interface or interline.

Constructing the dress had its tricky moments as anyone who has sewn this type of fabric would attest to. I marked all seams tucks and darts with a very soft short staple cotton thread (this means that it was easy to remove from the completed seams) which I'm not sure where it came from.  It is absolutely no good for sewing anything but great for this.

The darts and tucks were simple and easy to sew without moving - what was all the fuss about this fabric!! But it was lulling me into a false sense of accomplishment as I moved onto the waist seam and slippage.  Disaster and it was put aside for a few days. Unpicking and basting the seams worked a treat with controlled slippage this time LOL.

Not content to rest on my laurels of taming seams I decided to challenge myself and inserted an invisible zipper just to make removing the garment easier.  Thanks to Foot 35 it was an easy job and look how invisible the seam is.

Sleeves and hems were done by hand, first I sewed some black satin bias to the velvet and then catchstitched all the hems - I need to take to dry cleaners to have it carefully steampressed and it will be ready to wear.  I had wanted a dress that could be dressed up or still worn out during the day and I think I succeeded. What do you think?  

When I asked the teenage son no. 2, he asked whether I really wanted to know his opinion (of course I did) and then said it looked like some grandmothers' curtains and rather old fashioned!!! 

But that is what I like an almost 20's vibe!!