The reason I bought Butterick 6582 was that I was going to be in a dance routine that meant dressing like a 50s housewife. The routine hasn't happened yet, but no matter. I've gotten 3 pretty dresses out of the pattern: the Easter Parade dress (still to be blogged, because it is still to be lined), the Diner en Blanc/Fake Prom dress, and finally the long-planned dancing dress.
I had wanted to make this in a white cotton with large repeating flowers, preferably red, like this vintage fabric the Selfish Seamstress had three years ago, or even something like this at Spoonflower Then the ladies at LGRAB posted this and I thought: I need to make this dress in white with beige polkadots.
The problem is that white with beige polka dots is not to be found, not even at Len's Outlet Store. They had white with red, orange, yellow, blue, green, and multi-coloured polka dots. And several of those colours with white polka dots. No beige though. Neither could I find any white with large repeating geometric flowers.* I was sad.
The DC convinced me to make it up in white with red polka dots. So I did.
I got this fabric at the same time as the white dress and made the same mistake in yardage, so I cut them out at the same time by pinning the fabrics together. Unlike the white, however, where the sheerness added to the look of the fabric, the sheerness of the red and white by itself was not a good look. I was originally going to leave the bodice unlined, and realized that any self-facing would show through to the front, so I cut the facings in plain white cotton.
And then I left it. It's been sitting on my side table for over a month; Lucy was using the fabric as a comfy cushion until I protected it with a layer of stuff.
I bought some more white cotton to underline the bodice this past week, and finally got around to sewing the thing up. And despite the fact that this was the third time making this bodice, I made so many mistakes -- like basting the interfacing to the wrong side of the facing, like sewing the armholes to the wrong dot marker, like catching the main fabric in the understitching... There was a lot of picking out of stitches, and some rather unlady-like language on my part. Fortunately I caught myself pinning the skirt to the wrong side of the bodice before I actually sewed it up!
However, it is done. I'm pleased I underlined the bodice, even though it makes the dress a bit warmer to dance in. I didn't lengthen the waist on this or the white dress even though I'm long-waisted, and the white dress sits a bit high. For this version, I sewed a 1/2" seam at the waist instead of the 5/8" seam. It's still a bit high, but it's less annoying.
And it's very twirly when I spin.
After 3 dresses, I think I'm done with this pattern for a while. Although it would be interesting to make it in one of the suggested, drapy fabrics, rather than cotton. And I'd like to try lowering the neckline a bit. But not for a good long while.
*I love that poppy fabric but I didn't see until a week or so ago and anyway it's too expensive to buy 3 yards of that stuff although it would be lovely as a present.**
**Hint, hint.***
***Speaking of which, I love love love most of the fabrics on that site. The geek section alone! The pi circle skirt, the equations, the math doodles****... I wish I were more of a chemist, because I also really love the orbitals.
****In case anyone is searching for gift ideas. The fact that you can design your own fabric is giving me an idea, actually...
The problem is that white with beige polka dots is not to be found, not even at Len's Outlet Store. They had white with red, orange, yellow, blue, green, and multi-coloured polka dots. And several of those colours with white polka dots. No beige though. Neither could I find any white with large repeating geometric flowers.* I was sad.
The DC convinced me to make it up in white with red polka dots. So I did.
I got this fabric at the same time as the white dress and made the same mistake in yardage, so I cut them out at the same time by pinning the fabrics together. Unlike the white, however, where the sheerness added to the look of the fabric, the sheerness of the red and white by itself was not a good look. I was originally going to leave the bodice unlined, and realized that any self-facing would show through to the front, so I cut the facings in plain white cotton.
And then I left it. It's been sitting on my side table for over a month; Lucy was using the fabric as a comfy cushion until I protected it with a layer of stuff.
I bought some more white cotton to underline the bodice this past week, and finally got around to sewing the thing up. And despite the fact that this was the third time making this bodice, I made so many mistakes -- like basting the interfacing to the wrong side of the facing, like sewing the armholes to the wrong dot marker, like catching the main fabric in the understitching... There was a lot of picking out of stitches, and some rather unlady-like language on my part. Fortunately I caught myself pinning the skirt to the wrong side of the bodice before I actually sewed it up!
However, it is done. I'm pleased I underlined the bodice, even though it makes the dress a bit warmer to dance in. I didn't lengthen the waist on this or the white dress even though I'm long-waisted, and the white dress sits a bit high. For this version, I sewed a 1/2" seam at the waist instead of the 5/8" seam. It's still a bit high, but it's less annoying.
And it's very twirly when I spin.
After 3 dresses, I think I'm done with this pattern for a while. Although it would be interesting to make it in one of the suggested, drapy fabrics, rather than cotton. And I'd like to try lowering the neckline a bit. But not for a good long while.
*I love that poppy fabric but I didn't see until a week or so ago and anyway it's too expensive to buy 3 yards of that stuff although it would be lovely as a present.**
**Hint, hint.***
***Speaking of which, I love love love most of the fabrics on that site. The geek section alone! The pi circle skirt, the equations, the math doodles****... I wish I were more of a chemist, because I also really love the orbitals.
****In case anyone is searching for gift ideas. The fact that you can design your own fabric is giving me an idea, actually...
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