Summer Dress Challenge 2011 - Finale PT V New Look 6824

Finally, I finished my Summer Dress Challenge.  I started making this dress early June and six weeks later it's finished.  I've made at least two other dresses, several tops and bottoms in the course of making this dress.  Why did it take so long?  After accepting Faye's invitation to the Summer Dress Challenge, I decided I wanted to do something a little different and "challenging". So I pulled out ole' faithful (NL6824) and some beautiful silk dupioni from Fishman's, and decided to follow Susan Khalji's underlining technique.

If you follow my blog, you'll know that NL6824 is one of my TNT patterns.  This is the forth time I've used it and it has helped me produce four nice dresses. Can't say which one I like the best, all of them fit well and suit my taste and figure.

Following Susan Khalji's technique was a learning experience and was a bit of a challenge when it came to all the hand stitching and transferring of ALL the markings onto the underlining. It was certainly worth all the effort though.  This approach is not for the faint at heart, it takes a lot of patience and time.  The hours I invested were equalient to the amount of time that I spend making a prom dress, wrap and purse.    And as I hand stitched the underlining to the dress, I decided I wouldn't do this type of work for pay unless someone had a lot of money to spend and to pay me. Lol. It's an undertaking to say the least.

Some might say, now where would you wear this type of dress?  My daughter's friend, Joanna, married on Saturday.   So I thought this would be a good occasion to wear it.  And of course, I'll wear it to the captain's ball while on vacation.
 
Since this is the forth time around, do I really need to give the description and size?  I guess so for new followers.
 

Pattern Description: Misses dress with various neckline, sleeve and skirt options.  You can design your look with mixing and matching pattern pieces.

Pattern Sizing: 8 - 18; I used 14 with modifications.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?  Yes. Similar to the coral view on the pattern envelope.

Were the instructions easy to follow? This time around I didn't look at the instructions. I chose this pattern because I was familiar with the instructions and I had already worked out the fitting issue. It was the perfect pattern to use for this projects. My focus was on getting the technique down pat.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?  I love this pattern.  You have so many options for designing your dress.  I could easily use it four more times and get four more looks that work for me.


Fabric Used: Silk Dupioni (Fishman's); silk organza and china silk (New Rainbow).  Originally I thought I would use silk charmeuse for the lining, but the china silk worked best for the weight of the dupioni.


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Oh boy,  many changes and alterations.  Above all else, I did my usual FBA, sway back, prominent should blade, a few inches to the length of the skirt adjustments.  All are illustrated in previous reviews and on Flickr.  The other changes are related to follow Susan Khalji's technique. That information can be found here PT 1, here PT 2,  here PT 3, and here PT IV.

Lining attached to the hem.

Lining skirt and bodice lining sewn to waist. Lining hand stitched to invisible zipper.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Like I said, "This is one of my TNT. I will probably make another version within six months. And Yes, of course, I do recommend it to others.

Conclusion:

Follow Susan Khalji's underlining technique was a great experience. I learned how the color of the underlining affects the color of the fashion fabric; the underlining can also affect the drape of the garment; how to baste the underlining to the garment pieces, and how to ultimately create a better dress. Note on the pattern: this is one of my go to patterns. It has good bones and I've worked out the fitting issues so that make the whole process fifty percent easier. Try both the pattern and the technique. Both are worth your while.

Jewelry; bold and simple.

Shoes from shoesonline.com, J. Renee.

Parting shots: Here are a few photos from the wedding. The bride and groom were graciously beautiful.

Happy Sewing!