Burda Style For people who sew
Description
I made the dress from a soft rayon challis. It has a wonderful drape and I love the color, but when I started making it from a 1980 Simplicity pattern, I didn’t realize the skirt was cut on the bias (me and my seam ripper got tight this weekend!).
In addition to the two darts around the collar that the pattern called for, I removed the lapped front and added three darts along the shoulders for more soft folds, which I love.
But I had some trouble with the skirt. The zipper in the back puckers and one of the pockets doesn’t lay flat. And this is all because of the slippery nature of the bias cut. I’ve since ripped out the zipper (about six times) and am going to reinforce it with fusible web to see if I can fix the ripple problem. I’m also going to tackle that errant pocket (yet again!) before I wear this baby out.
I added a bias-tape belt with two D rings.
I’ve got a little diagram on how I altered the bodice on my blog:
Difficulty
Intermediate
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Nov 17, 2011, 06.04 AMby sandrasews
Divine!
1 Reply
Nov 17, 2011, 03.40 PMby daughterfish
Thank you!
May 8, 2011, 04.36 AMby smallone
I never would have given this pattern a second look…but i love your version, most especially the shape of the top part.
1 Reply
May 8, 2011, 10.43 PMby daughterfish
Thanks! I know, the pattern is actually pretty ugly. But I saw promise in those pleats around the neck. I saw something like them in a much older pattern (from the 40’s on eBay) and thought I’d give it a go! Thanks again!
May 4, 2011, 04.35 PMby wendymichelle1015
Ive heard to always interface the zipper area on slippery/slinky fabric so there won’t be puckering, your fusible web should work :)
1 Reply
May 4, 2011, 04.46 PMby daughterfish
Great! Thanks for that. I’m going to try it soon! Thanks!
May 3, 2011, 09.10 PMby janul
this is so lovely and you look gorgeous! the color is very nice too… good luck with all the ripping! :)
May 3, 2011, 08.11 PMby frkbustad
The shoulder darts are really flattering! Nice dress for spring.
May 3, 2011, 08.04 AMby EllaLeoncio
Gorgeous! I hope you work out the zipper because it would be a shame not to wear it. Great colour & shape. I ran into similar problems once & decided to slash a deep v back.
1 Reply
May 3, 2011, 12.35 PMby daughterfish
Thanks! Yeah, I hope I figure out the closure too! I love the shape and feel of the dress, and would love to make more bias-cut garments, so I’ve got to figure it out on this one!:)
May 3, 2011, 05.12 AMby sewsweetviolets
This is a really beautiful dress, much better than the original pattern. great job!
The taking the zipper out and redoing it will not probably work. In college I worked for a alterations shop. The woman who owned it has all her mothers and grandmother’s sewing books, she had from the 20’s and 30’s when bias was really big. there were no zippers at the time, so they used to make plackets and them buttons or snaps, since the placket is not on bias you have less rippling. Try making one on a scrap of the fabric and see if it will work better. Believe me, I have hand sewn, invisible zippered, and plain zippered many bias garments and I never like it. Plackets work better and look so nice, they just take more time. I will try and find one in one of my old sewing books and post it if I do. it is why so many of them now are not made to fit smoothly, but have elastic instead.
1 Reply
May 3, 2011, 12.34 PMby daughterfish
This is great information! Thank you so much! I have suspected the entire time making this dress that a zipper was not going to work. I bought the lightest weight invisible one I could find and it still buckled. I actually altered the bodice so that the back seam, where the zipper should have been, is sewn from the neckline to just above the waist, and then inserted just enough zipper so that I could get in and out, but it still rippled. I’m going to try this placket idea, and I’d love to see any info you have from one of those old books. Great idea. Thanks again!
May 2, 2011, 10.27 PMby carlachan
simple and beautiful dress, I love the shoulders darts :)
1 Reply
May 3, 2011, 12.51 AMby daughterfish
Thanks! Yeah, I think I’ll try incorporating shoulder darts more. My new favorite!
May 2, 2011, 05.28 PMby Testosterone
Kudos for being daring enough to tackle bias!
The shoulder darts are an enhancement.
The skirt must move in a lively manner. Wear it with abandon, it’s beautiful!
1 Reply
May 3, 2011, 12.50 AMby daughterfish
Thanks! Yes, I felt sort of brave (and a little silly) tackling a zipper with such a thin fabric on the bias. Thanks again!