Vogue 1265- That Little Black “Party Dress”

There is that one dress that I would wear for any event, and maybe just to feel good. I have now moved it to the front of my wardrobe.  I wore it for my 50th birthday party,  a masquerade bash my daughter and sister master-minded while I was out of town on a Palmer-Pletsch Training in Portland, Oregon (more on that in another post).

The two of them called me to inform me that I needed a dress just a few days later for a "special engagement party and dinner" for my son who is getting married.  It was known by me that the engagement party was fast approaching, however, I had no knowledge of the whereabouts and details of the dinner.  So, when they continued to ask for names for invites and such, I didn't put two and two together, since my birthday had already passed the week prior.  I had already resolved that I wouldn't be having a birthday party because of my traveling schedule and all else which was going on in my life.  You see, right before I left town, some jerks robbed my house!!!!  So, partying was the last thing on my mind.  But I abliged and set out to get a dress made while out of town.
Since, I was at a fitting workshop, it just seemed right to use this pattern for my fit lessons.  Just so you know, after the first day of lessons using the required McCalls/Palmer-Pletsch patterns, we were free to use "any" fashion pattern of our choosing.  In my case it was this Pamella Roland design for Vogue #1265.

The description says:  Loose-Fitting, partially interfaced, lined, pullover dress (fitted through bust) has collar, collar band, side front, side back seams, front hemline slit, flared, pleated lower back, invisible side zipper and cap sleeves with bias armhole binding.  “Whew!!!”  That’s a lot of details!!!!
Let me just go over some of these beautiful details the pattern has to offer, and offered up exquisitely, might I add.  All the details made for a lovely dress indeed!!

Loose-Fitting- I would say so for the bottom half of the dress.  It offered up just enough room to dance, and move, yet still gave that beautiful sheath look from the front, and just skimmed over the waistline to look fitted, yet room enough to breath.

Partially interfaced- The entire front is interfaced with fusible.  I used the Palmer-Pletsch brand “PerfectFuse Light” which is for underlining fabric or fusing to textured fabrics. It worked like a dream.  It comes in 3 yard packs for right at $7.50 per yard of 60” width. (It is on sale right now for $19.00)
Fabric and lining- The fabric is the nicest linen, cotton, rayon.  It has raised dots with a fine thread of gold going through it.  I wouldn't call it a pique because of the underside being flat.  For the lining, I used a luxurious 100% Bemberg rayon lining from Fabric Depot in Portland, as part of their "ambiance collection".  Feels so beautiful on the skin.  Becky of Beccabeck Stuff, recommended it highly.  So, when I got to Portland, that was the first thing I looked for.

Pullover fitted through bust-  Yes, Yes and Yessss!!! The fit through the bust is awesome.  I was worried about the neckline, so I sewed it up two inches for modesty.  I don’t know your definition of modesty, but mine was tested to its limit in this dress.  However, when I got to moving around during the night, I never dealt with any wardrobe malfunctions or peek-a-boo bust. 

Alterations I made:  For this size 14:  I did a 1 3/4” full bust adjustment, 1/2” broad back, cut off 2 inches from the hem, gave myself 1/2” on the sleeve width (should have done 1.5”).   Did a 3/8” sway back adjustment, and made the center back seam curve in to my back by 1” at the waist.

 Collar, collar band- are wonderful details.  The collar stand is actually a wedge shape that causes the collar to lift at the back, giving it that 1980s stand-up feel.  I love how it doesn’t just lie flat at the back.

Side front, side back seams and “FRENCH Dart”-  Love, Love, love and love this feature.  Because of the drastic transition to from my waist to bust, these details made for easy fitting.  I curved the dart at the bust as suggested by Marta Alto, with Palmer-Pletsch.  It is recommended for full bust to curve the dart “around” just a tad when approaching the prominent part of the bust.  I curved mine slightly further for visual affect.  It turned out great.

Front hemline slit- At first I was going to leave that closed, however, after looking at it, it just did not look good, and it cause the dress to pull forward.  I didn't think it would matter since the flounce in the back had the walking room needed.  But the skirt is very straight, so it still needed a little slit.

Flared, pleated lower back-  Can I just say, this is the best feature of all.  I felt like a princess with my almost double full circle inset hanging of the back.  It didn't weigh the dress down or cause it to drag.  The length is longer than the front just enough to make it almost feel like I have a tea-length dress on, yet the front feels like I have a sheath dress.  The flounce has 4 very large double pleats to give it the volume it needs yet still fit into the back curved seam right under the buttocks.

Invisible side zipper, cap sleeve with bias binding- The zipper up the side is my favorite detail in any dress.  It just makes since.  I thought about putting the zipper up the front, but choose to stick to the beautiful planned detailing of the pattern.  It seems the dress had enough going already.  The cap sleeve is just that, a cap, and it doesn't leave much room for above shoulder arm movement.  So, get your hair and face taken care of before you put it on.  The lining is sewn unfinished up to the sleeve and then the binding finishes it all off.

This dress would be great in anyone's wardrobe arsenal. One thing that would make it right for absolutely any occasion, is to just redo the roll line on the collar so that it will close higher in the front.  Other than that, this is an absolute terrific dress.

And I would be remiss not to share this parting shot.

THE END.

Until next time.  Enjoy.

The Velveteen Rabbit...now realized.

Hello all, this is a special day for me, I have come to realize what it means to me to be a designer.  As I was clearing my picture drives I discovered photos of fun times past.  Often times I like to name my creations, mainly, because it sometimes feels as though I have given birth to a part of myself as I create.  Thus, as each creation takes shape and comes to fruition, after all the long hours of designing, stitching, ripping and re-stitching, from one iteration to another, the final product or garment is a beauty to behold. At least for me.  Creativity takes a great deal of effort and time for a perfectionist such as myself.  The execution for me is absolutely minimal.  It is the "creation" planning, and developing stages that are my handicap.  But watch out, when I finally figure out what is to be done...it's on!!! 

Fashion show entry, The Velveteen Rabbit

I made this Velveteen Floral Bustier and gave it the name "The Velveteen Rabbit" from a children's story about that age old wish that most stuffed animals in children's storybooks wish for...real life.  This rabbit, at the time this picture was taken, had not been finished, thus, it was not REAL.

I loved this story so much so, that when I made this bustier out of the brown velveteen I bought off a clearance rack, it immediately made me think of the velveteen rabbit.  Why, you say, because no one wants a velveteen anything anymore.  At least it was so at the time I made this outfit while in fashion design school.  Some fabrics just are not welcome in the fashion seen, unless of course the "really" big names make it so!  Think about it, if a "Big" name were to start using polyester again, you all know it would become the best thing since sliced bread.  (Is sliced bread "really" the best thing?)   "Whatever!"

Well, here you see my model trying on the outfit before completion and the fashion show.  So the hem is still stringy.  My goodness it sure looks good on her... I wish I would have made it in my own size.  However, in design school you are required to make all things to the size specifications given by the instructor.  This makes it easier to find models.  (Whatever!)  This is why I am not a designer in that since.   When I sew, I want it to fit me!!! Waste not want not, right.  I can be my own living, breathing, walking fashion show. "Laugh Out Loud" NOW!!!  HeHe.

Dior Flowers done in organza.

The flowers took some long hours to hand stitch and shape into the roseduds and blooms that I hand stitched to the very thick velveteen. The flowers are not real in the since of natures way, but they are real to me, after all, my blood went into them.  The garment hasn't really  come to life, or has it?  When do things become real? Is it when it is posted online for all to see?  I often wonder like the Rabbit. Is my stuff real if I don't enter it into a fashion show, or put it online for all to see?

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

“I suppose you are real?” said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled.

This is an exert taken from The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real is a children’s novel written by Margery Williams and illustrated by William Nicholson. It chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit and his quest to become real through the love of his owner. The book was first published in 1922 and has been republished many times since.

Because this dress is so real to me, I love it, I don't want to loose it, and thus, this explains why I have not sold it to anyone.  Yes, there have been many young ladies who have asked that I sell the outfit to them for prom or party or whatever, but NO! I say, it is my toy!!! And it if REAL to me!  This is why I am not a designer in that since.  I want to keep all the toys I birth, I want to love them now and in the future.  If I birth a garment for someone, it must be something that they feel strongly about, something they would cherish for ages to come.  That is the absolute sentimentality of it all. I am a sentimental type of OCD kind of perfectionist person.  I REALLY don't need to sell what I design and sew in order for me to feel like a REAL designer.

Details for you to see how much REAL fun I had....
The skirt was made with the same velveteen as contrast to the really smooth and shiny cotton sateen.  The pattern used for the skirt was a Rachel Comey design, for Vogue patterns. (Vogue1170). And of course, there is the fancy trim that I have no recollect of what it is or where I got it, so don't ask. Lol

 The beauty that I see when I look at something I created is deeply comforting and ethereally satisfying. I love what I do, I love all things creative.  You all must forgive me, but this is a deep desire for anyone that designs and sews.  There is that feeling of satisfaction and endless joy gained from the pursuit of that final garment we create with our own hands.  Am I right??? Please tell me there are more of us out there than this small monitor or glimpse of the blogisphere can reveal to me.  Talk to me people.

 The details are always fun to share.  I do it because I know how much I appreciate seeing the how well worked a seam or sewn detail is completed by my fellow sewing person. (some say sewist and some say sewer) Whatever.

 As for sewing with the velveteen against the slippery sateen, it was murderous to say the least.  And ironing and pressing is to be done on the velveteen using a velvet pressing board.

BTW...the skirt hem is actually finished with a band sewn to the inside and then flipped out to the right side and stitched down using a top-stitch thread.

"She charged me $6.00." That's highway robbery!!

Of all the things a woman would be upset about.  Lets see, someone stepped on her new shoes, maybe a bird got her just in the right spot, or perhaps she left her passport at the airport. These are things that warrant being upset!!! Absolutely, I would be for sure.  But Noooooo!!!  This woman ranted on about something else.  Of course she had no clue who she was speaking to.  You see I never meet a stranger. That's right, I don't have a problem striking up a casual conversation with anyone. On this day it was about sewing. Yes, my favorite subject. However, this time it wasn't about me and what I do. I carefully held my interest in sewing my little secret until I allowed her to give me her thoughts. Her thoughts were exactly what she gave me, in all its glory.

I'll need to take you back a bit to a time when there was that little ole lady that lived down the block, or was a Sister in the church that sewed.  She wasn't actually a seamstress for all.  Just that little ole lady we all came to love and call upon to do our mending and sew up the choir robes, or usher uniforms or to sew on the patches for our newly deserved high school letter-mans jackets we wore so proudly.  Maybe she made a few really nice designer look alike for your prom or a friends prom or party, maybe she became so good at her craft that she became acclaimed by many far outside our like circle.

Stay with me now....., this is good.  After all this little ole lady's experience and her well earned expertise and how revered she has become, and after all the accolades of today and how you would "go tell it on the mountain"...."over the hills" and everywhere, you tell everyone: SHE is "GOOD!!" The woman is REAL GOOD!!!!

But wait!.. she is not good enough to charge you $6.00 to put a few darts in your jeans.

This was the conversation I endured with this stranger.  My lady (the little ole-lady), she says, charged me only $3.00, how can this new woman think what she is doing so great that it warrants charging me $6.00.  Man I can do that myself!  

To that I say, get a machine, take a class, if you trust the teacher and do it yourself!

I love teaching folks how to sew.  In my humble opinion, I believe two things regarding skilled services.  When it comes to schools and education, each parent should be required to be put in the teacher's shoes for one week in order to respect what they go through, and the other is, anybody that wears "women" clothes should learn what it takes and what goes into producing what they wear from inception to display.  There is a great deal of work that goes into skilled services, and unless artisans and customers are educated, there will continue to be this kind of disdain and low respect for a well earned good days pay.