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!

Summer Dress Challenge 2011 - Sewing and Fitting PT IV

First, thanks everyone for your comments on my recent sewing projects. As always, I appreciate your kind words.

This weekend I sewed and did a preliminary fitting of my Dress Sew Along project. I know I'm already seven days past the deadline, but that's all right. The dress looks good. And I wanted to share my progress.

I really like the way this dress is coming together.  Sewing silk is a dream.

I must admit, sewing the underlining to the fashion fabric was not my favorite part of this process.  My stitches are looonnng. Lol

As I was fitting the bodice, I kept forgetting that I made larger seam allowances to help with the fitting.  The lower armholes crumble in my armpits.  I will trim off the excess before I add the sleeve caps.

No zipper yet.  I thought I had one.  Yesterday I picked up a sage invisible zipper.  May be I'll put it in tonight.

Here's a full front view of the underlining.  It gives the dress a little more body.  The silk is a lighter weight dupioni.  Holding it to the light, I can see through it.  So the underlining and lining will make the dress opaque.

Parting Shot:  My friend, Patti Ferguson, gave me this beautiful 4-ply silk charmeuse.  The Haute Couture Club has a "Sew Red" challenge this fall.  I'll use it for that challenge.  Thanks again Patti.

By next week I should have the zipper and the sleeves in.  May be I'll have the lining sewn together as well.  Until then, Happy Sewing!
C

Summer Dress Challenge 2011 - Marking, Aligning and Basting Part III

I think the today is the last day for the Dress Challenge. I'm no where close to finish. Oh well..,

The next step in the process of underlining is marking it. The underlining is the canvas for marks to guide stitching. I cut the underlining first leaving the seam allowances wide to allow leeway in fitting and design. Pictured below is the front bodice, which is cut on the fold. I apologize for the lighting. The markings aren't clear, but I hope you'll get the general idea.

Mark all stitching lines. They can be referenced from a muslin that was used to fit the garment. Then copy every detail:  notches, grain line, and circles.

The next step (not pictured) align the fabric and underlining. Match the grainlines. Be careful. Make sure nothing gets trapped between the layers. Next pin in the seam allowances. The pins should be perpendicular to the stitching line. Finally, smooth the layers. Check and repin as necessary.

Baste the layers together.

After the alignment process is finished carefully baste the layers together by hand. Do not machine stitch. Hand stitches gives you better control in keeping the layers from shifting.

Use rayon or silk thread. It goes in smoothly and pulls out easily when it's time to remove it. Use new thread for every line. You want one continuous line of thread for each seam. Go pass the points of intersection to give yourself a clear indication where the seams cross.

After all pieces have been carefully marked, aligned and basted, sew everything together for a fitting.

Other Considerations -

• Let bias cut-layers hang before joining. 
• You can shift color with underlining.  Off white organza is unobtrusive.  But a pale pink matched with chocolate underlining changes the color to rum pink.

My fabric has a boarder print. I'm not using it in the dress, but I will use it for the sash. My next steps are to sew the dress together for fitting. Maybe I'll have it finished by the end of the month.

Happy Sewing!
C

Summer Dress Challenge 2011 - Selecting Underlining Part II

I decided to underline my garment when I purchased the fabric.  Underlining in some cases provides stability.  But underlining also can play other roles in a garment depending on the effect you want to achieve.  You have to consider what you want the underlining area to do:  drape, stand up, or fold.  For a fitted, boned bodice your may use flannel to camouflage and muslin for strength.  Silk organza would be perfect to add lightweight support in a skirt or sheath dress.

For my Summer Dress, I decided to use silk organza because it's stable and easy to work with.  It's a perfect match for silk dupioni. In any case, you want to cast the correct underlining.  Here are some options to consider:

Lofty - single or double faced cotton flannel camouflages construction details.
Heavy - Cotton broadcloth, muslin, crinoline, and twill offer firm support.
Drapey: Silk crepe de chine and rayon maintain movement.
Light - Silk chiffon is gentle; silk organza, crisp.  Cotton voile or cotton batiste add soft support.

Pretreat your fabrics.  Steam the fashion fabric and wash any cotton underlining in hot water.  Do not wash silk organza; it won't shrink.

Fabric and Underlining Combinations -

Silk Chiffon and Silk Chiffon Underlining
Linen-Silk Blend and Muslin Underlining
Four-Ply Silk Crepe and Silk Crepe De Chine Underlining
Silk Dupioni and Silk Organza Underlining
Wool Crepe and Silk Organza Underlining

That it for the installment. Next Marking the inner layer and Aligning the underlining and fabric.

Happy Sewing!
C

Summer Dress Challenge 2011 - NL 6824

Finally, I decided on the dress I will make for the Summer Dress Challenge 2011. The challenge is from June 1st through the 15th. I'm using silk dupioni (Fishman's), silk organza and cotton muslin (New Rainbow) to make the pink view with scoop neckline (NL6824). This will be the forth time around for this pattern.

As part of the goodie bag (PR Weekend in Chicago), I received the May issue of Threads magazine. It's loaded with techniques and tutorials that will help improve sewing skills. Susan Khalje's article on underlining gave me a whole new prospective on underlining garments. I'll incorporate some of her principles into this garment.

This, of course, will be one of many posts about my experience. I hope it's interesting and helpful to you. Thirteen days to go. Hmmm.., We will see how it goes. No doubt I will finish the dress. By the deadline, that's questionable. Lol

Happy Sewing,
C