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This week I’m working on the bride’s dress. However the travellers have returned with my previous dress, and hopefully i’ll have some pictures of that to post. (Providing my broadband is back online by then).
Last night I fitted the lining into Gill’s dress and fell stitched the lot.
I’m apparently mad because I love the hand stitching. I like making the stitches, spacing them evenly, making sure as little shows as possible, and there’s just that idea of luxury. I could have used the method for attaching the lining as per the pattern instructions, but the outside of the garment wouldn’t look anywhere near as swish. Nor the inside.
There are only two things left on this dress – the narrow hems for lining and outer layer, and the final pressing. Then I have to find a nice garment bag and some bubble wrap so I can wrap it to send over to Gill with my father.
I’ve started dreaming about working on it. Which is kind of cute.
In other news, yesterday Mary-Lou and I found her fabric at the Braybrook Spotlight. It’s a taffeta-like silk, red shot with black. I haven’t seen it at the Moorabbin store, so we got it on the spot. It’s rustly, like taffeta, but without the ribs. The texture is smooth with a sheen, it will suit the dress well. Dupion was another option, but it’s often a bit fuzzy, and the slubby texture wasn’t quite right.
I couldn’t figure out quite why there was no lining fabric in the pattern I am using for the sister of the groom. Then I realised that it was self lined.
The lining instructions have you interface the lining sections, the bone them. I don’t quite approve of this method, not the least as they have you apply the bones up the seams. I am going to have a look at Susan Khalije and check what she says about bones.
Main changes so far are that I am using taffeta for the foundation, to which I will apply the bones. This will go between the outer dress and the lining so that the bones don’t show on the outside, but are not in the lining. The pattern directions have you interface the lining – I’m not really a fan of iron-on interfacing on silk satin. I think that would be a) icky and b) stiff. The taffeta has enough stiffness to substitute for interfaced silk, and I use it a lot as an underlining where more structure is required. It doesn’t stretch, move or do anything unpredictable.
This pattern also has TWO side zippers – one for the foundation and one for the dress. This might have something to do with the outer dress being cut on the bias. If I attach the zipper for the foundation and lining to the dress, it might ruin the floaty effect of the outer layer on that side, effectively anchoring it to the side of the body. I suspect I will go with the two zippers just to keep it as free as possible.
I had to buy another rotary cutter this weekend. I haven’t been able to find mine, and I’m also missing a box of long dressmaker pins. This lends weight to my theory that I have taken them somewhere for a project, and haven’t unpacked my bag. I couldn’t face cutting out all the bits required without the cutter.
I found skinny pins that are a little longer at spotlight, but am going to have to make another expedition into RJ whasisname to get more pins. What a shame. I’m interested to see if they have silk thread in more colours – there is Gutermann silk at Clegs (in the display) but only in a limited range of colours.
Tomorrow I will work on the bride. I need to piece the bodice parts to make a toile pattern – there’s a contrast section around the top and it needs to be grafted onto the lower section to make one piece. The front is undergoing some reasonably heavy modifications.
I think I found her fabric – the style suits a stiffer fabric, but I am not sure about Dupion – I’m thinking something smooth and perhaps a little weightier. I found a delustred Cathedral satin at Spotlight – not my usual source of specialty fabric but heck… It’s about the right colour and the right weight and stiffness. And not horribly expensive. I am not sure I will be able to find the colour we’re looking for in the right weight of silk satin, and the other option I would consider – cotton sateen – seems to come in a stretch variety but not in a regular. It might not be quite special enough for a bride either.
Back at work. For some reason I am much better motivated and get more done when I am at work. Better at managing my time when I have less of it perhaps?
It never rains but it pours.
It started with a wedding dress request. Which resulted in a matron of honour for the same wedding.
Then another dress for a wedding in Toronto. My frocks go further than I do…
jojof frocks 