Been getting caught up in a lot of riff-raff, so I haven't had time to really sit down and sew.. But I had the day off today and dedicated it solely to thinking about this blog post and finishing my latest garment!
First off, hope you enjoy my new site! Got a domain, so don't forget, it's now http://www.AnthonyCarmenDesigns.com/ !
So, I'm very happy with what went on in my room today, a great piece produced!
Along with showing my new garment, I'm also going to talk about prints and shirring; two poignant ideas that went into making this dress.
Let's just dive right into the garment, here it is :
I think it's very cool, colorful, fun, vibrant, and earthy.. Needless to say, I like it!
I enjoy the neckline.. It's less owl-y than I would have liked, but I think the almost-off-the-shoulder V-neck looks quite good.
Project #27 Stats:
Supplies to make this dress : Patterned Rayon Silk, black elastic thread, black thread
Total Cost to make this dress : ~$4.00
Total Time to make this dress : ~3-4 hours
Okay, so let's get more in depth with this dress.
A NOTE ON PRINTS:
To me, nothing says 'summer clothing' like a great vibrant print!
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When I first designed this garment, I hadn't picked out the fabric. While shopping, I stumbled upon this print and thought it was very cool and liquidy.. And just had to try using it!
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Sometimes when looking at a fabric, it may seem so wild that you can't even find a natural pattern. Not all dresses will pin point a pattern, and create a garment off of that, but I have enjoyed this lately.
It may look like a disaster, but you can find where you want to cut pieces from and construct.
Once I do, I like to cut, lay it out, and pin where I think the specific part of the print best fits on the body. In this case, I cut out two pieces of fabric that were identical, and used one for the front, and one for the back.. I think it really came out great this time.. They match up quite nicely on the body.
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This cutting may waste money if you have to cut odd shapes out of the fabric, but I think it's well worth it for an interesting end product.
A NOTE ON SHIRRING:
This is a first for me! I've been really wanting to use elastic thread, and shirring, and this was the perfect dress to try it on, due to the bell draped sleeves. I really enjoy these sleeves.. they're interesting and playful.. Just don't hold them over a flame!
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Shirr - 1. To gather (cloth) into decorative rows by parallel stitching
[TheFreeDictionary.com]
So, for shirring, the first thing you need to do is put elastic thread into the bobbin ONLY. This way, you keep a normal, thin thread on top, which is shown, and the thicker elastic thread is underneath, and hidden.
How I measured my parallel lines was.. putting the presser foot on the previous line I sewed, and followed it.. It gave about a 1/2" between each line.
Once I did my shirring, I sewed up the sleeve, connecting each side.. Keeping the bell shape at the end.. and the elastic shirring where the wrist is. This could be for a higher placement of the sleeve, as well.. It might be cool to have the bell end around your elbow too.
So yes, this project was fun, and a first for me. And I think it's very summer!
Watch out for my next project, though.. Fall is definitely coming early!