Wednesday, January 27, 2010

My Creative Space

On Monday night I started to make a dress, as I am fed up with not finding dresses to fit my long torso. I chose what Burda call an 'easy' pattern, and it sort of lived up to its name with the exception of the tricky interfaced yoke/collar section. I think those diagrams need some reviewing Burda - but I am pleased to have conquered your ridiculous expectations of a novice sewer at Steps 7 and 9! [note to self: do not select fabric with an irregular pattern for a first dress making attempt, even if it is $3 for 3m from an oppie!] And yes, the seam ripper was required. It's just a given for me. I just love to unpick lengths of crappo sewing once, sometimes twice, in each item I sew. fun times, and its always at a stage where your feeling so proud of your efforts then.. F*(@! .. spoke too soon.I think it's a bit long.... almost nanna-ish don't you think? Here is the funky yoke (what a word!) section. If I made the dress again I think I would gather the fabric more tightly together in the middle. I still need to add a tie casing on the waist line.
It hasn't been hemmed yet, but I think that's the length I prefer.
:) See lots of crafty Creative Spaces over at kootoyoo. I have missed this meme over the past month or so.
Thanks for stopping by!

19 comments:

  1. Cute dress, I think it looks great! If you're just starting to tackle garments, there are always great sewing tips and tutorials posted at www.WeAllSew.com.

    Happy sewing!

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  2. You did a fab job for a novice! Such cute fabric too - the length in the bottom photo is perfect.

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  3. I don't think its nanaish, I don't think its too long, I think its wonderful and I love it. Well done!

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  4. Oh Tracey it is AWESOME!!!! You should be super duper proud... I would be...! Lovely!

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  5. love it Tracey. well done. love the fabric too.

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  6. well done. Yep bottom pic looks very feminine... Great job & bargain for fabric. & yes I have a pattern for me to make myself & I must not look for fabric with an important need to follow pattern! Much harder!!! lol

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  7. That is a great dress. Very wearable. I like the shorter length too. I once picked up a burda 'start' pattern (no sewing experience required!) and had alot of trouble with it. You've done well.

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  8. This looks gorgeous Tracey, I really love the fabric, even if it did make life tricky. The short version looks fab.

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  9. Well done, most gorgeously produced. i actually enjoy both lengths. And loving the fabric. My next project (but don't know when I will have time for it)is going to be a giantish bag to carry all my daily use, need to have with me at all times, stuff for school.

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  10. I don't think it's nannaish at all. It looks great (either length).

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  11. I think it is really flattering! And either length looks good but I imagine it would be easier to move around in the shorter one.

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  12. Wow love the dress! My vote is the shorter length. I'll have to check out that pattern. It's fantastic!

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  13. Hey Tracey I think this is really cool! I even like the longer length a lot, not Nanna at all. Great fabric!

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  14. Looking good sister! Love the colour of your fabric. I'm always impressed when someone makes a dress from a pattern, I'm working up to it but am not super confident about my pattern reading/translating skills. Hope you're having a happy day xo

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  15. Love the Nana length. Your dress looks awesome - all that unpicking was worth it!

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  16. I love the dress! I think it looks great at either length, really.

    My seam ripper and I are good buddies as well. Nothing like flying along only to realize you've got seams to rip.

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  17. super effort on the dress! It looks great - I like the fabric you used and think the style looks very flattering. The short version looks perfect for a cool summer dress, but I like the long version too for it's elegance...
    I sewed a very similar Burda dress recently (only the yoke tapered into some cap sleeves) and yep I too was baffled by the inside out yoke juggling instructions. Maybe I'll try and take a decent photo to post about it.

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  18. I think the shorter length looks great. The longer length does seem a bit granny to me. I don't get on well with burda patterns but that's also because they don't fit my shape very well. I love the gathered neckline/yoke on this dress!

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  19. Wow! Looks great - love the fabric and the style :)

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