Birthday Dress - 2022 Edition

 For years, I have made myself a birthday dress. Sometimes we go away, sometimes we go out to dinner, but mostly these days I have to work.  

Anyway, last year I made Style Arc Naomi and it was a bust. There are no photos, it just wasn't a good style for me. BUT the sleeves are amazing!  So - I laid the True Bias Southport bodice over the Naomi and traced naomi's armscye, front and back. I also raised the front neckline on Southport a little bit.  

The skirt is folded over the hanger bar inside the bodice in this picture, but can you see the potential? This was going to be soo good!

Other than adjusting the armscye, I made a small swayback adjustment.  I use Nancy Zeiman's method from Fitting Finesse. It looks like this book is no longer available, however after talking to Nancy at Sewing Expo many, many years ago, she indicated that Pattern Fitting with Confidence was basically the same and that you didn't need both.   

Honestly, the dress is growing on me. I think it just needs the right styling.  The fabric is a beautiful sunflower challis bought at FabricMart sometime in the summer of 2021

I could really see this dress shinning with dark tights and brown boots and a scarf. I will always wear it with a belt as shown. Which reminds me of the last change I made: this dress has elastic in the waist rather than the drawstring that southport has.

And since that's all there is to say about this True Bias Southport/Style Arc Naomi Mashup/Hack I'll leave you with some more photos.

This is the last dress that Carolyn took pics of when she came to visit in May! I will do my best to take my own (however dorky) photos and keep the blog alive. Thanks for sticking with me through the quiet years.

Rifle Paper Southport Variation

 As so many of my recent sewing projects have been decided, this one started the same with.  With an email from Carolyn.  It said, "Do you want to buy that Rifle Floral to make a garment and then blog it?"  Do I?  Of course!  I started drooling over the lovely Rifle Paper Les Fluers as soon as I saw them hitting instagram. 

However, I am not buying fabric right now, and Carolyn is acting as my personal Susie Orman and she has been denying all of my purchase requests.  In fact, she had denied this when I first ran it past her (I'll provide the background in the next week or so).  

So - when Carolyn emailed and asked if I wanted to buy it - I was all over it.   This was my first order with Stylemaker fabrics and hope there are more 'approveds' in my future.  The site was easy to navigate and I really appreciate the Michelle sells her fabric in full yards as many small online only shops seem to sell in half yards.

Once the fabric was in my hot little hands, it went straight into the washer and dryer.  I have 3 dogs and I need easy care clothing.  Then I spent 3 days trying to figure out the perfect garment.  I was torn between a Southport and a shirtdress.  So, based on a email with Mary of IdleFancy, I made the Southport/Shirtdress hack.

First - I took new measurements and re-traced my pattern (and this, my friends, is why I don't cut my PDFs!).  I think this time I cut a straight 16 - I can see it needs a full bust adjustment in future - but honestly it's fine.  It didn't pull at the buttons.  When I traced the skirt - I added the same amount of width at the center front as the bodice for button bands.  I used the skirt pieces for the maxi and added 5" at the lengthen/shorten line and called it good.  Everything else I did the same.     

  

Construction:  I fully lined the bodice with white batiste, but not the skirt.  To do this, I sewed both bodices together at the shoulder seams, then put them right sides together and sewed up the neckline and armholes, turned the bodice rights side out, sewed up the side seams and serged the center front edges. Interfacing was added to the button bands before finishing that front edge.  Interfacing was added to the center front of the skirt, then it was folded under and topstitched just like the bodice.

To highlight the pale pink in the fabric - I used a pink ribbon at the waist and pale pink buttons.  I also added some buttons to the waist tie (which is way too long and needs to be shortened by about 12" on each side).   

This fabric was a dream to work with.  Michelle was lovely to order from and shipping was prompt.  I think this is fastest turn around in fabric history for me - it was sewn up within a week and has been hanging out waiting for it's photoshoot!  

Carolyn - thanks for "Approving" this purchase.      

Floral Southport - Behind the Seams

Way back in May - I talked hubby into tacking a week in New Jersey to the end of our vacation.  This was two-fold, we got to spend some time with The Princess and Carolyn had a very un-talked about birthday party.  At that party, I got to meet Kelly and she was wearing a maxi-Southport.

It took me awhile to get on this bandwagon.  I have loved every version of this dress that I have seen.  

In the middle of August, JB was gone fishing for a bachelor party and I spent an evening, trimming, gluing and tracing Southport (right after I made my favorite breakfast for dinner!)

 I have come to the conclusion that I just am NOT good at putting PDFs together.  I'm always just a smidgen off when I trim them and can never get the pages to line up perfectly.   

I pulled 2 pretty floral rayon challis from the cupboards and then sewed up my least favorite of the as a wearable muslin.  I was actually ambitiously hoping I could sew up 2 versions of this dress while The Princess and The Sports Writer were here on vacation.

The truth is - I was lucky to get this one hemmed.  

Last year - I went on strike because I couldn't get either JB nor The Musical One to help me hem garments that weren't already level and needed more than a simple, evenly turned hem.  While JB still won't help me (eventually - I'll just quit cooking for him and pack nothing but PB&J in his lunchbox - that should do the trick!), The Musical One will.  

It was The Princess' idea that pictures of this process happen.  I have flats on and am standing.  She is sitting on the floor with an industrial t-square (generally it's a yard stick) and a pin bowl.  She puts pins in every 3" around the hem where the hem should go - she does not pin it up - if that makes sense.

Next time - I'll show better photos of me wearing the dress.  And I'll try to be back sooner than 2 weeks!  Happy Sewing Everyone.