Made this Kay Unger design dress Vogue 1241 for a Melbourne Cup luncheon and I have to say I'm crushed - literally and figurately speaking. The combination of teal linen and black stretch lace is a definite winner, but the plain linen at the front is not that practical for a sit down occasion. I look rumpled and please don't mention the barely modest neckline (the safety pin on the lining shot says it all). To be honest, I don't know how this happened. I followed the rules, made the muslin, did the full bust adjustment, but obviously didn't take into account the seam allowances at centre front. I do love the back, my new swayback adjustment worked well.
The Unger dress is interesting and clever from a construction point of view. If you are making this dress be sure to follow the instructions carefully or you won't be able to attach the lining.
My other new dress is a knit maxi from some lovely jersey from Tessutis. I used Simplicity 2217 Amazing Fit dress as a base. The main change I made was to fully line the bodice rather than use facings (I hate facings and always avoid them when I can!). The skirt is not from the pattern, but a simple wrapped tube style. I really like this for casual summer parties.
Next? I'd love to sew my Issey Miyake Vogue 1309 in time for a party this Friday night, but somehow I think that is even less likely than winning the $100 million in Ozlotto tonight. Meanwhile happy sewing.
Personally I find the slighty crushed look an indication that you are wearing something much more lovely than polyester. The dress is a great shape on you, and after lunch crushing quite acceptable ;)
ReplyDeleteYour more casual dress looks excellent, the stripe direction change is so nicely laid out.
Your dressess are lovely and you did an excellent job with the swayback adjustment. As far as the linen goes, well live and learn, fabrics have a mind of their own believe I knowwww.
ReplyDeleteBoth dresses are fantastic, but I think you look amazing in the Issey Miyake´s design.
ReplyDeleteI think you did a fantastic job on both of these dress. The sway back alteration works beautifuly. I love the association of black lace and a contrasting fabric.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait your version of Yssey Miyake's tunic.
The lace over the teal looks lovely, too bad about the wrinkling but it is still a very nice dress on you. The maxi is a winner!
ReplyDeleteThe dresses look great with great fit, but unless you are prepared to be wrinkled, linen will look like that. I do recommend underlining a linen dress like this in silk organza and lining it. It goes a long way to reducing wrinkling, but certainly not all of it. I don't know if you prewashed the linen, but that gives you a softer edge to the wrinkles. I like wrinkled linen too and I make linen pants without underlining and happily pull them out of the washing machine,hang them up and smooth the legs. I rarely press these summer staples.
ReplyDeleteLove your dresses. The teal and lace is gorgeous... linen will crease won't it!! It is lovely though and the colour of the teal is vibrant and very nicely teamed back with the lace. Love the maxi - gotta adore a border print.
ReplyDeleteThey're both lovely dresses. I love the maxi the best though.
ReplyDeleteLinen will do what it likes as will cotton. My Derby Day Peony was very wrinkled by the end of yesterday as well and it's lined too!
You know what its linen !! I think that its a lovely dress and if it was non crush it would just be ordinary so dont worry about it . Love the colours .Did you make any money on the bets ??
ReplyDeleteLove your linen and lace dress, it fits you very well, great sway back adjustment and after a days wear, that is what I would expect it to look like. I love my linen pieces and the "crushed" look is linen. Great maxi and so perfect for summer parties.
ReplyDeleteI love the maxi. very cute.
ReplyDeleteThey are both great dresses, and will stand you well in the coming social whirl :) Hope you had a terrific day at the races! and I cannot wait to see your Issey Miyake!
ReplyDeleteSo you didn't win the Ozlotto, how's the Issey Miyake coming along?
ReplyDeleteI love the colour combination of the black lace and teal - it is brilliant and just right for you. I too have a love/hate relationship with linen, love it's texture and breathiness but those wrinkles are very annoying. It's so hard to look crumpled in a fashionable manner!
We have all used a safety pin more than once;) Linen is alwaus going to wrinkle, but you can try a cotton batiate underlining. It will cut down on the wrinkles at least some. Love, love, love the maxi.
ReplyDeleteI love the maxi too. As for the Kay Unger, it's pretty but the linen is impractical I guess.The other fabric ic lovely. I have that pattern and want to make it in a stretch lace for an event next spring.
ReplyDeleteDo you know, I really don't mind the wrinkles! That's the nature of linen. I think it looks like a design feature! Such a shame if you are not happy with it though. You will just have to wear it to standy-up parties instead!!
ReplyDeleteI am catching up on blog reading. I love the look of the lace in the KU dress side panels, and the color combo. I wish linen didn't wrinkle so much too. Your maxi dress ... the way you used the strip and the floral border of the fabric is fabulous. I'll bet you have received a lot of compliments on that dress.
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ReplyDeleteGosh! You are so productive! I'm not sure which one is my favorite of these dresses, love the green and black dress ... it's classy, it's original and feels very well to your silhouette ... and knit dress looks so comfortable and youthful ... so I love both, definitely ...
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