Red Sheath Dress Revisited

Remember this dress that I laboured over for week? It was my attempt at introducing couture techniques into my sewing. As promised, here's me in the dress instead of the dress form (better late than never). Apologies for the quality of the photo - as you can see it was taken at night.

Dinner in Venice

Also as a postscript, I washed the dress in a washing machine and being cotton it came out looking pretty crumpled. I wasn't feeling too confident about how if was going to iron.Well, I'm pleased to report it was an absolute dream to iron - this was unexpected.

I can only put it down to the construction.  Specifically the use of the interlining and how the lining was inserted into the dress. So apart from being so easy to wear, it's also really easy to care for - the extra effort was definitely worth it.

Finished garment: Vintage red sheath dress

You may remember I finished a couple of courses recently:-
- Susan's Khaljie's online The Couture Dress course
- Fitting a commercial pattern course

I decided to apply what I had learned to a vintage sheath dress pattern I'd collected some time ago. It ticked all the right boxes for us curvy girls:-

• the bodice and skirt darts allowed for figure flattering fitting
• the skirt was not quite pencil straight so was hip/thigh skimming
• the 2 side slits allowed for ease of movement
• there was a nice V neck feature at the back of the dress
• there were some subtle tucks at the waist making the stomach area more flattering
• I left the overskirt option off but having seen the dress, it could be quite cute in the right fabric

So to the fabric and construction:-

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• Fashion fabric: Red/black digital print cotton with a subtle sateen finish. Originally I was thinking silk but I chose a lower cost option so I could test the outcome and also wear it more often. I also wanted a slightly retro look in the fabric
• Interlining: lightweight cotton (not my best choice as it did not have great body and was difficult to handle but then I did want a washable option)
• Lining: Red poly acetate - cost related choice again but it was a pain to handle (especially during cutting and marking)

Not the greatest photos but I promise to post photos of me wearing the dress...

Front - boat neck fitted bodice

Side view

Side view - hand inserted side zip

Back view - V neckline

Here's what I learned:-

• After the muslin fitting, I spent ages adjusting the muslin (darts etc) and reassembling the toile to make sure I had the fit correct. It was worth it. It was so fantastic to have a garment that fitted regardless of size or shape. It make a huge difference
• I followed Susan's assembly techniques pretty much to the letter. Hand basting, interlining, inserting the lining by hand - the whole nine yards. Again, it was so worth it - the dress is an absolute dream to wear! The interlining and lining makes the garment feel more "substantial", "luxurious" and comfortable to wear.
• I enjoyed the handsewing! Not so much the thread tracing but inserting the lining and zip by hand was easier than I thought and you get more control. Even prick stitching the lining so it didn't roll past the fashion fabric was really satisfying to do. 
• I will absolutely use this muslin pattern again. I could use it to adjust the front neckline for variety. Because the shape is so classic - it lends itself to variation in fabric and some alterations eg. sleeves.
• I learned lots of patience and I can still hear my other half say "is it worth it?" The answer is "yes, absolutely!".
• I've resolved to make fewer garment (not than I'm a prolific sewer anyway) but make them better. I'm aiming for a couple of garments a season. 

How do you feel about the garments you make? Which ones do you enjoy wearing often or make again?

The Making of Chanel Couture

This video has been around for a while but the couture process is fascinating. Enjoy.

Couture dressing making on L Plates

Let's face it - I'm not a particularly good sewer. I'm keen. I can follow instructions. I can put pieces together but somehow the clothes don't turn out as I imagined. The fit's not quite right and the fabric doesn't always work with the pattern design. The finished garment then gets relegated to the back of the closet. Sound familiar or is it just me?

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You see, I'm mostly self taught. I kind of learned as I went along by reading and following pattern instructions (apart from a few short lessons - thank you Gay).

Recently I had a enforced rest and decided to use the time to improve my technical sewing knowledge and skills. So I enrolled in Susan Khajle's online course in the The Couture Dress and absolutely loved it. I learnt a heap of stuff. You can ask questions, take notes and revisit sections whenever you like - it's a great resource.

The Couture Course at Craftsy.com

The approach is so entirely different from what I have learned in the past but it also make a whole lot more sense. Here's what I've learned:-

• Respect the grain. 
• If you don't understand the fabric and the fabric grain and take particular care when lining the pattern pieces up on the grain, the garment will never sit right, ever.
• Focus on the stitching/seam line, not the cutting line. 
• The seam line is what determines the fit of the dress, not the cutting line. Leaving extra seam allowance will allow for fit adjustments.
• Make a muslin. 
• This will allow you to test the garment fit and make any changes before cutting into your expensive fashion fabric. It can then be used as your pattern again later.
• Hand baste, hand baste, hand baste.
• Yes, time consuming but you regain control of what you're sewing the the machine. At least I do anyway.
• Interlining and lining
• Gives more body and luxury to the garment. You can also hide construction elements like hand stitching or reinforcing pieces. 
• Hand stitching the zip
• Looked a whole lot easier than trying to get a machine stitched zipper right. But that may be in Susan's capable hands, I'll report back when I've tried it. 
• Lastly...take the time, be patient and enjoy the process.  Oh and now I know why these dresses cost so much!