Burda Style For people who sew
Description
A little bit Mad Men, a little bit like something Elizabeth Taylor might have worn in Butterfield 8, and a classic bombshell color thrown in. I’ve been in a bit of a late 50s/early 60s mood lately; mostly it’s due to all the early 60s films I’ve been watching over the course of the summer. Being so taken by the vision of a bombshell style dress in my head I made a few sketches and I decided to spend my holiday weekend working on a dress to capture what I envisioned. I had a gorgeous green linen blend in the stash (it was actually earmarked for a 40s three-piece playsuit, but I actually like it in this usage much better!), and used a sloper I drafted from Winifred Aldrich’s Metric Pattern Cutting. I was a bit gutsy–no foolish–and cut out the dress after drafting the pattern, without making a muslin–something I do not really recommend. The pattern wasn’t perfect at first–I basted the dress together twice before I got the fit through the waist and hips just right. However, it was a fun learning experience–and thankfully did not result in some massive mishap! I also used a lot of more detail-oriented techniques on this dress: hand picked zipper, stay tape (empire waist, armsyce, back zipper edges), thoughtful interfacing (meaning since I wasn’t following a pattern, I had to really analyze where I’d need the extra structure!), and a few other things I hadn’t used in a long time on a garment. Be sure to stop by my blog post to read more about the dress!
Material Notes
linen
Difficulty
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Sep 7, 2010, 06.48 PMby dabura
very original and stylish. like it a lot.
1 Reply
Sep 12, 2010, 11.22 AMby elegantmusings
Thank you!
Sep 7, 2010, 05.31 PMby eugeniaofthewasps
Really amazing. Job well done!!!
1 Reply
Sep 12, 2010, 11.22 AMby elegantmusings
Thank you! :)
Sep 7, 2010, 05.26 PMby michelle ><><><
very well put together.
1 Reply
Sep 12, 2010, 11.22 AMby elegantmusings
Thanks! :)
Sep 7, 2010, 12.18 PMby skeeler
This is brilliant!
1 Reply
Sep 12, 2010, 11.22 AMby elegantmusings
Thank you! ;)
Sep 7, 2010, 11.42 AMby frkbustad
It’s gorgeous, and the fit is very good. I guess the way you made this dress (without muslin or instructions) is a great way to learn and analyse how a garment is put together!
1 Reply
Sep 12, 2010, 11.23 AMby elegantmusings
Thank you! Well, as I said: the not making a muslin thing was probably a bad idea. I’ve done that before and the project has been a total wreck! But muslin-making aside, this project really did make me analyze the construction process a lot more—which is a good way to learn some new techniques! ;)
Sep 7, 2010, 11.16 AMby janene
I think this must be my favourite dress on Burdastyle to date. Love everything about it. So stylish. And that colour is amazing!
1 Reply
Sep 12, 2010, 11.23 AMby elegantmusings
Aw, thank you ever so much! :)
Sep 7, 2010, 11.16 AMby carolinam
i love the bow in front, makes a classic dress more special but still elegant.
1 Reply
Sep 12, 2010, 11.23 AMby elegantmusings
Thank you! :)