Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Vogue 1499 - White striped dress in embroidered cotton

Whew! I'm rushing to get this posted so that I have at least one entry on this blog for August. It has been a super crazy month with all three of my kids starting new schools. The baby is a wild child and is constantly into everything. I'm hoping for more sewing time this fall during his nap time. We shall see.

Anyway, here is my last garment for summer. It's Vogue 1499, an Anne Klein designer dress pattern that came out this past summer. I really liked the changing stripes on the bodice and thought the width of the skirt would make a good day dress. The fabric is a black and white striped floral cotton from MoodFabrics.com. Shortly after I bought the pattern they posted it to their website. I needed a thin stripe to show off the design and thought the embroidered flowers a fun textural element.


I washed and dried my fabric prior to cutting it out and the embroidery crinkled up a bit. It's kind of like a seersucker fabric now, which I quite like for a casual summer dress. Wrinkles do NOT show, and this white is totally opaque. Consequently I decided to forgo the lining.


I cut a straight size 12 - my typical Vogue size - and ended up taking the side seams in a little over an inch from the armpits tapering to nothing at the waist. Early on I knew I wanted to leave off the little cap sleeves. Something about the angle of how they connect to the bodice just bugged my eye. Instead I wanted to add a sporty cut-in sleeve element, so I raised the front and back neckline and used a RTW shirt to guide my scissors as I trimmed out new armholes.


I cut all the pieces out singly and matched the embroidery pattern across the center back bodice and skirt. I also took care that the side panels and skirt were stitched together so that the black lines were perfectly straight. The zipper was probably the most time consuming part of this project. After it was inserted and all the stripes lined up across it I took a gusty sigh of relief.


The neckline and armholes were finished with bias tape. All the inside raw edges were finished with my machine's overlocking foot. It's a nice weight of a dress - not too light to wrinkle or see through but not too heavy to be hot during the summer.  


Dressform pictures:





I have a ton more summer garments planned but of course never am able to sew it all up. Life is too busy. And now I'm tired of looking at my summer wardrobe and I'm ready for a change of color and of fabrics. Bring on the silks and the wools! I'm sewing for fall and winter from here on and already have a cardigan finished. Just have to get some pictures!

Note: This fabric was purchased with my Mood Fabrics monthly allowance, as part of my participation in the Mood Sewing Network.

37 comments:

  1. that is really cute - I liked that pattern but you know - too many dresses. and sleeveless works well, good idea. also, you are the pattern matching queen, so skilled!

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    1. Thanks Beth! I know, there's too many patterns and too little time. ;)

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  2. So nice - and boy, you're busy with 3 kids in school!

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    1. Haha, yes I am! They all have multiple activities too. But we are all home for dinner together and that's the thing that's especially important to me. Thanks Coco!

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  3. I ditto - you are the pattern matching queen! Karen

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    1. I'll take it! Who doesn't want to be the queen of something? Lol. Thanks Karen!

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  4. Oh my goodness, that pattern matching! A++++ work. I really like how the flowers add a different aspect to the pattern compared to the pattern envelope.

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    1. I'm always looking for the little something extra, although I really like the envelope dress too. It would be really easy to accessorize. Thanks Slobhan!

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  5. This is gorgeous on you. Perfect weight for summer.

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  6. Beautiful dress and awesome job!!!

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  7. Perfect, dear Amanda! I just finished yesterday my last summer dress for this year - autumn is already knocking on the door, at least here in Switzerland!
    I'm looking forward to your new projects ... and don't forget to send me an Email. I do not know where to send my swiss fabrics.... Greeting from Switzerland! Enri

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  8. Very pretty! I really love this dress!

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  9. Oh, this little dress looks so fresh and cool and breezy! The interplay of stripes and embroidery is lovely. The change in direction of stripes lets the design lines shine. Well done, o good and faithful sewist.

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  10. Lovely. Love the stripes and what perfect matching.

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  11. Your perfect matching is inspirational! I love everything about this dress. Another awesome home run! :-)

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    1. Thanks Lisa! I always enjoy the challenge of it.

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  12. The dress is great but I love your hair! I tried growing mine out but it became too tangled.

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    1. When I started working out regularly a year ago, I just couldn't maintain flat ironing it every time I had to hop in the shower. It's taken this whole time for my hair to start curling in spirals again. And it's definitely tangled, but I don't brush unless I'm braiding it or combing it after washing.

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  13. So pretty for summer. And I always admire how beautifully finished your work is.

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  14. Beautiful work!
    I wonder howw you find the time, but I do remember the more I had going on the more I could manage to squeeze one more thing in! Now I'm retired kids are grown and I have less time to myself and sewing! My how times change!

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    1. I have a fear of being swallowed up by my fabric stash lol. I squeeze it in here and there whenever I have a small block of time, and I set goals. Like, today I just need to put the hem in, or sew the side seams, etc. Thanks for your comment Linda!

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  15. Love your dress. As always your workmanship is superb. You matched the stripes beautifully and you have achieved quite a nice fit. I like the style changes you made to the dress as well. Gorgeous!

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  16. So gorgeous! Love your rendition, such perfect stripe matching.

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  17. Three kids in school? Now I feel really bad complaining about my only child, sigh!
    The dress turned out spectacular and fits you like a glove! I love the fabric!

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    1. It's the one at home that is most of the trouble around here lol. Thanks Tany!

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