Description
Pattern: The Wiggle Dress from Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing.
Fabric: Black double wool crepe.
Princess cut dress with a front boatneck and a back V-neck. The pattern comes with two waist darts in the front and four darts on the back. These darts help to encase the body pretty well to give the dress a close fitting shape and a sheath style. The peculiarities of this close fitted garment are its kimono sleeves and its underarms gussets reinforced with organza scraps. The gussets eliminate the draping formed under the arm so typical of the kimono sleeves. Also the gussets help to preserve the dress slim silhouette. The dress has a skirt vent on the back to facilitate walking.
The pattern instructions indicated to add a center back lapped zipper and front and back facings, no lining. My changes: added an invisible zipper instead of a lapped one and added a full lining instead of facings.
The trickiest part of this pattern is to sew the two pieces underarm gussets. I never sew gussets before so I read the instructions thousand times and actually used Gertie’s tutorial on her blog just because the pictures were better than the ones in the book (see tutorial link if you’re interested: http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/2012/01/how-to-sew-two-piece-underarm-gusset.html). However, what really helped was making a muslin and having the chance to practice sewing in the gussets. By the time I had to sew them to the dress bodice I was more than ready and the result was almost perfect. I’m happy. I had to do some fitting because the size I cut ran a little big more overall on the hips.
In conclusion is a very elegant and stylish dress very flattering for the curvy woman.
Material Notes
L230cm x W150cm wool crepe and lining, 45cm long invisible zipper, fusible o sew-in interfacing, organza scraps.
Difficulty
Intermediate
Dec 15, 2013, 06.39 AMby MissCorsetLizz
Wow!!! I Loooove it!!! Gorgeousness!!! :-D
Nov 20, 2013, 02.12 AMby nadia r
beautiful dress
Nov 19, 2013, 03.41 PMby liliv-1
I love this dress, it’s a perfect LBD!! I would like to see it on you, if you take photos please share them with us!
1 Reply
Nov 19, 2013, 09.14 PMby Helguchi
Thank you, liliv. Yes, definitely I should take pics with the dress on. Also I have to take pics of the gussets. I will!
Nov 18, 2013, 09.12 PMby Mary Athey
Great little black dress, the shape is lovely.x
2 Replies
Nov 19, 2013, 09.15 PMby Helguchi
Thanks, Mary. It’s very flattering. Also I’ve seen the great garments you’ve been doing. You are such an artist.
Nov 19, 2013, 11.17 PMby Mary Athey
Thank you so much for the lovely compliment x
Nov 18, 2013, 06.18 PMby cchristie
Great result. Very stylish
1 Reply
Nov 19, 2013, 09.16 PMby Helguchi
Thanks, Christie.