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.

Floral Southport

 This is truly my most favorite-ist dress currently!  I love it.  

Looking at the photos - I can honestly say - it's not the most flattering thing I've ever made.  But I would quickly follow that - by it's so comfortable, I really, really don't care! 

The fabric is a rayon challis bought from Hancock fabrics some years ago.  I added a little football shaped sleeve so I could take my cardigan off when I wear this to work.  

It was pointed out by a co-worker (and I agree with her) that I could size down with this pattern.  I think I made the largest size available.  I made no alterations - except maybe length - I honestly can't remember now.   

The Southport in rayon is floaty and feels cool and fabulous to wear.  It moves without making noise and just seems to float around my body.  I feel dressed up and like I made an effort when I put this on.  I want to figure out how to wear a sleeveless maxi dress all winter!  That being said - I think the short version of this dress as designed (without sleeves) would be fabulous as a jumper over a button up, with tights and boots for Winter.  Wonder if I'll have time to get to that.  

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.