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Mad Men Dress Challenge III: Sew Together

3/31/2014

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OMG! 
Tomorrow! 
It's DUE TOMORROW!  
Mad Men Dress Challenge III is due on April 1st.
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Little freak out there. Yes, I've been sewing all weekend. Between exercise and cooking, and a little sleep, all I did this weekend was sew. But I did get to enjoy the first episode of Jim Henson's Creature Shop (totally awesome & inspiring) while sewing, along with episodes of Doc Martin, Murdoch Mysteries, some Psych and found a cool Surfing play list - as in real surfing, yes.
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Dedicating time daily to my Mad Men Dress, Lily, by Wednesday of last week I had sewn up 
  • the bodice
  • pocket flaps
  • front pockets
Thursday I fit the bodice my form.  Then I took it off and marked each seam so the amount I took out would be even across points of the body - bust seams, side seams and back princess seams must be even because I'm even. Otherwise, the dress could twist or look lopsided. I'm having to take in quite a lot, particularly at the high bust and a little around the waist area. That's kind of nice. I'd much rather have a little room to ease out.
 
Because I want to get a feel for the finished look, I pinned several pieces to my dress form. Oh my! I love pinning the fabric to my dress form and seeing how a dress begins to take shape. 

At this point, as well as during the tissue fitting, I find myself standing back and staring at it, sort of drinking it in, rolling the ideas of it's completion around in my head and allowing visions of myself wearing it to formulate.  I will often begin to envision the dress in different fabrics during this and the tissue stages.  I hold this fabric up or that.  I sketch it.  It's really real. I'm actually going to make this thing! Yippie!
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I lost momentum and interest on the dress by Friday. The colors started to look drab and dull the way a word looks weird when you've been looking at it too long. Like when you think you've spelled, "the" wrong. Know what I mean?

I got all excited again after followed the link from my printed pattern back to the Coletterie Blog for the Invisible Zipper Tutorial. I watched Sarai's video on how to sew an invisible zipper. I've inserted zippers before, even invisible ones, but not like this. Her video was so simple and I got it right the first time that I got my momentum back and stayed up late sewing into the wee small hours of the morning.

How to Sew an Invisible Zipper from Colette Patterns on Vimeo.

I have a few more things to finish... 
  • Straps
  • Taking in the high bust yet again (this time I have to rip out the flap and take it in too!)
  • Adding a ribbon waistband
  • Hem
  • Skirt lining


Must finish tonight!
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Mad Men Dress Challenge III: Tissue Fitting & Cut It Out

3/25/2014

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Tissue Fitting

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After successful tissue fitting with Parfait, I decided that I'd tissue fit Lily. It's unusual for me to find a straight skirt with enough room in the hips. When I do the waist is usually 5-7" too big. Hello Darts! But, I was most pleasantly surprised when I tissue fit Lily and had NO darting necessary in the skirt. Holy what?!  Love it!  

I do however need to take in the bodices on both dresses. With Parfait, I had to lengthen the bust (a FBA was too much) and take in around the high bust and shoulder areas. With Lily, I will likely have to take in the bust or side seams a little, take in dart shapes at the high bust on most of the seams and lengthen the straps. To me, that's very little adjustment on a pattern. I don't have to make any crazy darts at the waist or mess with the side seam shaping. It's wonderful. 

Make Do and Cut It Out

Yay! I got all the pieces to fit on the fabric I have (including on the skirt panels from the frogged skirt - yes, I'm going to say frogged for seam ripping). The ONLY exception is the pocket. 

As you can see in the upper right photo, I just couldn't get the pocket to fit on the remaining fabric. So... take a big gasp of shock now ... I cut the top of the pocket on the straight of grain and the bottom of the pocket on the cross grain. There is a risk that the fabric will stretch funny in the pocket, but I think I'm pretty safe having it be at the bottom and only on the back half (closest to my body) of the pocket pieces.  If it's too wonky, I can always cut it out of lining fabric, but I prefer a sturdier pocket. 

All in all, I'm thrilled with the results of the cut out.
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    Gwen Gyldenege

    Author: 
    Gwen Gyldenege

    I'm a one woman circus.  
    I'm curvy and athletic.
    ​I am a dancer.
    My last name translates 
    to "Golden Oak". 

    I'm an artist, intuitive, engineer, seamstress 
    and performer.

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Except for sources otherwise stated beneath images or bottom of the page (Creative Commons), all images and works are copyright Gwen Gyldenege, all rights reserved.  Contact Gwen to request permission.
Photos used under Creative Commons from I Robertson, DoNotLick, Gustty, Jayson Emery, Nbepko, Gamma Man, I Robertson, Lars Plougmann, RowdyKittens, Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious, The Wandering Angel, VasenkaPhotography, quinn.anya, Léa Chvrl, Lost Albatross, Guttorm Flatabø, BEST PHOTO, RowdyKittens, allistair, BozDoz, tanakawho, Navicore, Bilal Kamoon, D-Stanley, Kris Krug, glasseyes view, essers, Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious, Alex Pepperhill, Found Animals, adactio, Office Now