Friday, June 6, 2014

A Chair is Still a Chair Dress-Butterick 5982

Wow, what a week!  I was convinced that I would have this written by Monday and here it is already Friday. I'm still in a whirlwind of preparation, getting ready for the arrival of The Little Miss. I also have been neck deep in pattern testing. It's my first time testing and what a learning experience. I can't wait to share, but for now we have this dress. 




Readers, I LOVE this dress. It's super fun, surprisingly comfortable, and probably my best fitting garment to date. I'm actually wearing it for the first time today and still loving it. I'm not sure if there's much that beats a fit-and-flare for instant femininity. I feel like such a girl. 



You'll probably recognize the fabric. It's once again a part of my $2/yard haul. I just can't get enough of those chairs!  I purchased nearly 5 yards of it so I still have plenty to play with. I'm thinking TLM will soon have a matching skirt. 


The pattern for the bodice is Butterick 5982. This pattern is great because it comes in multiple cup sizes so no full bust adjustment, yay!  The bodice is lined with what I think is muslin. My mom sent me nearly a full bolt of the fabric so I decided to use it. It's not fancy but it's nice and breathable and feels good on my skin. I'm really happy with the zipper insertion. I've only done a couple of them. I had to do this one twice because I used my zipper foot backwards!  As much as use that thing for non-zipper things, you'd think I'd have figured it out by now. 




My fabric was incredibly narrow, around 42" after pre-washing so I had to abandoned the lovely bell-shaped skirt. Instead, I did a self-drafted dirndl skirt. Can you call it self-drafted when you took 2 rectangles the width of the fabric and sewed them together?  Hmmm...seems sketchy to me but I'm going to do it anyway. I self-drafted the skirt.  


I don't have any pictures of the inside but believe me, it's a thing of beauty. Not an unfinished edge to be seen. The hemline and zipper are all encased in the lining. The hem is once again hand stitched. I'm a little over hand stitching for a bit. I've done MILES of it thus month. Both skirt seams are French seams. I love French seams. They are so pretty and that extra touch makes me feel professional. 


 

I've got some fun things on my docket including my first Moneta by Colette Patterns. You guys, I'm so pumped to get my fabric. It should arrive tomorrow and it's awesome!  There's also some small girl's projects that may or mayy not show up here. Join me again soon and happy sewing!




35 comments:

  1. Very cute dress! I can't believe that you're already sewing lined dresses after only having been sewing for a few months!

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    1. Thank you Michelle! I kind of just jumped in head first. I love it so much and have learned so many things from the incredible online sewing community.

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  2. Great job on the dress and even better job modeling!

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    1. Thank you so much Carmen! It helps when I have a fun photographer like Mr. R. :)

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  3. what a great summer dress and fantastic plaid matching - which warms my heart :) and I also can't believe you are a newbie, very nicely done. looks great on you.

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    1. Thank you so much Beth! Your kind words mean so much.

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  4. Lining? Matched seams? French seams? Zippers? Nice work! You must have been a seamstress in a previous life.

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    1. Haha Rachel, maybe that's it. I've tried really hard to make quality items instead if falling into bad habits early on.

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  5. Hi! I stopped in from Show off Satirday, and have enjoyed visiting your blog. Well done on your sewing. Keep it up and enjoy!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Cary! I'm glad you enjoyed it and hope you come back soon.

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  6. Beautiful dress! I need the pattern we are about the same size and it looks beautiful!

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    1. It's a fun dress. I've made it twice already. I had to grade up the hips a bit but it comes with cup sizes that make life so much easier.

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  7. Heather, this is a brilliant dress style. I think I may have to go and hunt it down. I may have to add some short sleeves cause its a bit chilly here at present but love it.

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    1. The great thing is the pattern comes with a short sleeve style!

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  8. Hi Heather. Just saw you feature on SewCanShe-knew your name and face looked familiar then the light bulb said: that's the same Heather that posts on various face book groups. Congrats! Had no idea you've only been sewing since Feb! :-). My time has gotten so swallowed up in recent months. :-) Keep up the good work (I'm JC Smitty out there).

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    1. Good to see you over here! I love how small our little corner of the internet is.

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  9. I can't even tell you how impressed I am that you've only been sewing since Feb. and you're coming out with stuff like this! And doing the quality finishes! Great job! I can't wait to see what you do next. :)

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words! I can't wait to show off my next creations.

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  10. Awesome job Heather!!!!!! Love the dress....keep it up.....

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  11. Really gorgeous and looks amazing on you.

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  12. For many years I was a seamstress and I am happy to say you have done a professional job on this garment. You can make garments that fit you perfectly, wear for a long time, and be proud to admit you created them. Bravo!

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    1. What a lovely compliment! I am incredibly proud of the fit on this dress. Thank you for your kind words.

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  13. You know what I love about self taught newbies? THEY ARE FEARLESS! Lined garments? Sure! Zippers? Absolutely! French seams? Are those hard? You go, with your fearless self! I love the print, I love the dress! Great job!

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    1. Thanks! I do have a tendency to jump in head first. I love learning new techniques with each project.

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  14. Great Job Heather, looks good!

    Heather

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  15. What a perfect fun summer dress! I am also new to sewing clothes. I've made some skirts and shorts. Working my way up to a dress. Nice to meet you (found your site whilst browsing sewing blogs)

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    1. I'm glad you found me! My first big projects was a (ultimately ill-fitting) dress. Nobody ever told me I was supposed to work up to dresses lol.

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  16. Absolutely adorable, you are in this dress! I love it! And what a score that fabric was. Well done!

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    1. Thanks Sue! It's one of my favorite makes. I ❤️❤️❤️ Your blog!

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