Burda Style For people who sew

Description

This is my first Heidi Dress. I got the inspiration by surfing, while looking for an elegant, but simple dress to wear to a small wedding in Texas during February.

I have never made a muslin for anything I have fashioned and I have made some beautiful dresses, jumpers, slacks and blouses. I just treated myself to a dress form;her name is Matilda, because I love to dance. So, I did not make a muslin for this, either, but am treating it as the muslin. And, I might add, I am taking up sewing as an entertaining, satisfying hobby after more than 25 years away from it. It is just like riding a bicycle…..I just got a little tired of living in the comfortable top and more comfortable pants rut. I think this will be one of my favorite things to wear, during my other hobby, which includes shopping and playing the slots at Vegas Casinos. I have made a pact with myself to not purchase any RTW clothing again.

I used a size 36 for the top and went to a size 40 for the hips and waist. Fifty years ago, I was a perfect 32-22-32, but something happened. Now I am an un-perfect 36-32-38. The top is a little large and it fits fine as long as I hold the shoulder seams about 1 inch up in the air. So I will work on that part.

When I attached the waist and skirt, the skirt was too large for the waist, and I make the pleats larger, and somehow the pleats on the skirt got turned in the wrong direction. I made the bodice 3/4 inch longer and the skirt 2 inches longer. I am 5’6 1/2, and I like my knees covered.

The bodice is lined with a fine cotton I got online from a person who used to use it for making tablecloths and napkins. It is a nice weight for lining. I did not see the benefits in making a lining of synthetic fabric when I want to stay cool for our FL weather. I have found synthetics are fine during other times of the year, but not the middle of summer!

Material Notes

I made this of a Batik Cotton I got at a quilt/fabric shop. It was %40 off, so, I made the dress with $20 worth of nice fabric. It is not real Batik; I'm saving that for when I get this pattern tweaked. I thought a quilting cotton would be too thin and soft, but this fabric held it's own after washing and drying. I did not line the skirt, because the cotton fabric has so much body.

Categories

For

Women

Garment Type

Dress

Style

Casual, Classic

Material

Cotton