Roses all over: Vogue 8379

Around this time of year I often feel the urge to sew all the rose prints. This is probably triggered by my view from the breakfast table, which is so beautiful in June.

View 2018 and 2015 (Knipmode top)

My most recent rose print summer garment is this Knipmode top, made in 2015. The reason why it took me three years to add another rose covered outfit is that's it's quite a challenge to find a bright print with the right scale. As much as I like Liberty, Laura Ashley or Cath Kidston rose prints on others, they're just not working on me. Imagine my jump for joy when I discovered this (now sold out) large print in the online shop of TST stoffen:

Rayon jersey with a lovely drape meant the pattern was a no brainer: Vogue 8379. I've used this pattern before for four dresses and a top.

This new wrap dress is basically the same as my jungle dress.

Adjustments I've made to the pattern:
* Lengthened the bodice by 2,5 cm
* Used interfacing for the ties
* Lengthened the ties by 25 cm
* Omitted the facings. Turned under and stitched the seam allowances instead.
* Left off the cuffs and shortened and slightly tapered the sleeves

I'm very happy with how this turned out. The ideal summer dress that rolls up to almost nothing in your suitcase!

Totally ready for summer!

A polka dot wrap dress

....Or the story of a twice forgotten dress. Last month I checked my Instagram account to see at what date in 2016 an event took place. (Do you also use Instagram as a picture diary? It's my favourite data source when I want to know when and where I bought that floral fabric, at what time last year I picked the first sweet peas or when we visited a concert or exhibition. But I digress) What I was going to say was I rediscovered this picture:

Posted in June 2016, when I was cleaning my sewing room and found a shoe box with a neatly labeled Vogue 8379 wrap dress. I cut it out during the summer of 2015 and then completely forgot. Salient detail: the print on the sticky notes says 'don't forget'.

Apparently I finished the dress at the end of August 2016, given this photographic evidence of hand stitching the hem in the garden.

The dress was put away in the back of my closet and if I hadn't seen that IG picture again I'm afraid it would still be there. Well, it's re-rediscovered now!

It's a remake of the  Jungle January dress, with short sleeves. I made my standard adjustments for this pattern: lengthened the bodice, skipped the facings and lengthened the ties.

It's still my favourite wrap dress pattern. I like the look of the diagonal pleats, the neckline lies flat and there is plenty of overlap in the skirt, making it suitable to wear on a bicycle.

No wardrobe malfunctions during a typical Dutch breeze, so what's not to like? I'm not sure. What are the odds of a twice forgotten dress turning ever into a wardrobe staple? Time will tell!

Silent stitching

Last month, on Father's Day, we lost my father-in-law. While the funeral arrangements were being made I decided to make a dress. Not that I needed the dress, I just needed the stitching.

It felt like the right thing to do. My father-in-law was a fan of handmade garments and he always encouraged me to sew. There was so much on my mind and I had trouble thinking straight. Whatever I was going to make needed to be simple and without fitting issues. There was no time for fabric shopping either so I was looking for a trusted pattern and fabric from the stash. I settled for a black double knit and V8379, a dress I could make on automatic pilot.

When I was sitting in my sewing room the only sound was coming from the birds in the tree next to the window. I hardly remember cutting, stitching or finishing the seams. Sewing helped, like it always does. By the time I was silently hand stitching the hem good memories started to replace the images of his difficult last weeks. My dress was finished in time for the funeral which took place one week before his 97th birthday. He will be missed dearly by all of us.

Today I bought a large bunch of Dad's favourite flowers. He used to grow them on his allotment. Thinking about the gardening lessons he taught me over the years and looking at the sunflowers is cheering me up. And although we are still busy emptying the house I will try to start sewing again soon. Cause it helps.

Vogue 8379, the jungle edition

Wooooooahhhhh! While my first V8379 ended up a bit plain and boring, the remake can be described as...well, the opposite. In fact my camera had trouble focusing on the leopard-roses-tropical birds-mix, and the same goes for the human eye. You just don't know where to look in this dazzling print. The pictures were taken on a rather dark afternoon, the flash went off resulting in slightly washed out colours, in real life the fabric is vibrant!

The fabric is a cotton/viscose mix, the pattern is Vogue 8379, a classic wrap dress I made two years ago in solid blue.

What I like best about this pattern are the diagonal soft pleats coming from the waist. They provide nice shaping, releasing extra fabric at the bust without messing with the neckline.

Because of this feature it is gently skimming the curves, which on me is a better look than wrap dresses with a large amount of negative ease at the bust. 

The pattern comes with two sleeve variations: a short sleeve and bracelet length with cuffs. I was short on fabric so the cuffs weren't an option. Without cuffs the sleeves looked a bit wide so I narrowed them below the armscye and shortened the sleeves till just below the elbow.

The fabric had been in my stash for over a year and I knew I would not be able to buy extra in case of emergency. It was very slippery and during an overlocker test run it didn't behave very well, making me think the sewing machine was the safer option.

The instructions mentioned double-stitched seams. Stich along the seam line, stitch again 1/4"(6mm) away in seam allowance; trim close to the second stitching. This results in seams that at first glance look like French seams, but without the bulk coming from the extra fold. I had never used it before, but it looks really good.

I left out the facings, as I knew from the first time I used this pattern that there was no way to let them stay inside.

Neckline turned under and stitched

When I read Debbie's review of the Cashmerette Appleton wrap dress over at Stitches and seams I made a note of her brilliant idea to interface the ties and copied it for this dress. Works really well!

Speaking of the ties: they ended up really short. Of course this may have something to do with the state of my waistline, but that should have been taken care of by sewing up the correct size. Right? When I checked the pattern I noticed a grading issue. Only half of the difference in waist size was added to the next size up. Which would of course be correct if the ties were knotted at the back. But when you tie it as in the envelope drawing, the right tie goes all the way around the waist and the left tie about three quarters. With a difference of 33 cm/13" between the smallest and the largest size this is rapidly adding up, so check it! Adding to an already finished tie is no fun. Ask me how I know ;)

I am very pleased with this dress that is putting a smile on my face everytime I see it. I'm already planning a next version! 

That's about it. As I mentioned a few days ago this dress was inspired by Jungle January, and although finished in time, due to jungle weather conditions it was only ready to join the big parade on the fourth day of Ferocious February.

Thanks to Anne of Pretty Grievances for hosting another fabulous Jungle January! This one is for you Anne, a salute from the exotic woodpecker that is now residing on my right upper arm. Beep beep!

Finished wrap dress

Vogue 8379 is finished, and just like the furry assistent I don't really know what to think of it. It was an easy make with some little adjustments. The shoulders were a bit too wide, I took out 1,5 cm before putting in the sleeves. I took out some of the fulness of the skirt and lengthened it by 15 cm, aiming for the top of my boots. 

A (badly lighted) picture from the sewing room which shows the pattern's potential for a sleeveless summer dress.

I omitted the facings and instead used some fusible tape and turned the sides under. I added a small gingham ribbon to stabilize the back neckline and the shoulders and used the rest of the ribbon to make hanging loops.

What more is there to say? It's a very classic dress, bordering on boring. As I wrote in an earlier post, my intention was to make this dress in a very rich purple. Perhaps that would have provided the wow-factor it is now lacking.

On to the next sewing adventure that hopefully results in a bigger smile!

Happy sewing!

EDIT: After receiving lots of positive feedback, in the comments, by mail and in real life, I think I've been to hard on this poor dress. 

After seeing these pictures of a 300 euro LK Bennett dress I am even considering a second make with a slightly shorter and straighter skirt, and maybe in a print resembling the one used for the dress on the right.

Guess the color!

Last month I bought some fabric at an indoor market. At the time I was sure I bought a purple ponte knit. At least the ponte knit part was correct. Maybe I should listen to my optician after all but I prefer to blame the bad light conditions. Anyways, when I got home and unpacked it in plain daylight I discovered it was the kind of shade that looks blue next to purple and purple next to blue.

No matter what we call this color, I like it. Well, making a jacket or a skirt out of this would be asking for trouble. Finding matching prints for shirts is like searching for a needle in a haystack and I am done with wardrobe orphans. 

Okay, now that I have ruled out separates, how about a dress?

Let me think. January equals diet. Not the perfect time to make a garment that is very fitted at the waist.

How about a wrap dress?

Vogue 8379

Vogue 8379 will do the trick. I want to make view B with the longer sleeves but skip the collar. Now all I have to do is find some matching thread in the blue-ish / purple-ish department.

I'm prewashing the fabric while watching my new Craftsy class on sewing with knits.

Always nice to pick up some new tricks!

Happy sewing!