Party!

“Haaaaaaai, I made my dress!” I wanted to tell everybody at the party that I attended 2 days ago. But I didn’t. But I wanted to, soooooooo badly! This dress must be one of the best makes of mine so far, and I am just so happy about how it turned out. Well, IT did not turn out, I crafted it for two weeks until it fit so well that  if I tweaked it any more I would ruin it. The way it hugs my curves in all the right places makes me feel like a middle-aged glamazon (here’s an appropriate pose for that statement:)

That furry paparazzo follows me EVERYWHERE!

The fabric, which is a brocade-y black/metallic mystery blend, was originally purchased for a bad-ass pair of jeans. I lined it with some black acetate which I found deep in the bowels of my stash. The pattern is Vogue 8849, view B. I chose to work with it because it was one of those “custom fit” patterns, where they give you the pattern pieces for bust cups A-D. And “shorten” lines for petite, which I took full advantage of. I was feeling quite apprehensive when I started, since I had never worked with princess seams before.  So I measured myself to establish that indeed, I am a cup D, or maybe even more. Then I made a muslin, and to my greatest surprise had to take in the sides of the bodice. It was still baggy… So I took in the princess seams. It was still baggy. So I decided (after two days of obsessing about it) to make a C-cup bodice and see what happens. It kinda worked, much better fit across the bust, but still had to take in the sides a lot. Boo-hoo. But I tweaked and tweaked, and it worked.

Just before puttting in the lining, I decided to read the instructions, just to see if I was missing anything. Sure enough, boning! Again, boning is something I’d never worked with before, and there it was, staring me in the face. So I decided to meet it half-way: I put in the boning in the side seams, but not in the princess seams. It worked out! And the best thing, the dress survived all the dancing, eating and drinking, chasing after the offspring, and all that party stuff. Actually, I dressed it down with a cardi and pair of boots for the party, but to show it off for you, dear readers, I wanted to kick it up a notch. Kick it up in those shoes that are impossible to walk in, although I kid myself that I can. Well, at least I can wear them to take pictures.

Look, no back cleavage! No bra-band overflow! And even though the side view is not my most flattering angle, I think it looks reasonable! Oh yes, I made the straps much wider than what the instructions call for, and also the dip in the middle dips much deeper.

So if you excuse me, I have to go now to pat myself on the back some more, I can’t type with one hand… But seriously, I enjoyed working with that pattern, I really would like to make one of the peplum versions. But before that, I have to make more PJs, more leggings, and more work tops. And some badass jeans. Until next time!

Stealing my dress’ thunder, you photobomber?