10.2.14

Patrones dress with tucks

I think this dress pattern was the perfect match for an ombre striped fabric that I purchased from The Fabric Store in Melbourne last year.  The pattern is from Patrones No 329, style 19. It was difficult to see in the  magazine, as it was made in a solid white and worn with a jacket over the top.  The tucks and drapes in the dress cause the stripes to fall at angles, rather than straight across.

From memory, the fabric is a cotton - silk blend.  It is so soft that I am thinking of making the leftovers into a pillow case.




I made a few changes to the pattern;
- I moved the location of the tucks on the front of the dress.  On the model, and following the pattern, the tucks were at crotch level, which I thought looked a bit odd.  I pulled out the original basted tucks and then stood in front of the mirror with a handful of pins to determine the positions for the tucks.  I left the shoulder drapes and tucks as per the pattern.
- the pattern had tucks in the back, but I altered the length and position of these as well.
- I eliminated the back keyhole opening.
- The dress was meant to be made with a wide hem and finish above the knee.  I decided to use the extra hem length and go for a longer dress.  I think the model wears her dress with a much closer fit than mine.
- I left a slit opening at one side to facilitate walking in the longer length.
- On the sleeves, I turned a narrow hem rather than use a facing finish.

It looks sack-like in these photos, but I did receive compliments when wearing it, so I'm thinking elegant sack-like.  The weather was most steamy here yesterday (pouring today) and I felt cooler and more comfortable in this than everybody else looked.  I'm not usually into arty clothes, and I thought I might feel a bit self conscious in this, but I think it was okay...probably the limit of my artiness.  There are a lot of crinkles in one place...perhaps I need to add some more tucks there?

11 comments:

Virginie said...

It's a very interesting dress and I think your choice of fabric suits the design perfectly. Thank you for reviewing!

fabric epiphanies said...

Your dress does look cool to wear and I love your fabric choice!

Sue said...

I am getting the loose, floaty clothing lately too - such a great option in the heat (and I am sure you got a lot more heat than we do!) the striped fabric works beautifully and the fabric sounds divine.

Gail said...

I saw this fabric at the Fabric Store last week. My self imposed fabric diet (you are here to buy lining and only lining!!) and lack of ideas prevented a purchase. Love your dress - perfect use of a really classy piece of cloth.

Merche Martinez said...

This was a very risky pattern and I think you´ve got full marks! All the alterations are for the best and the fabric you used is spot on too! Bravo!!!

liza jane said...

Gorgeous! That is the perfect pairing of fabric and pattern. I think you hit the nail on the head with this one.

meli88a said...

Wow, how cool is that dress?! I don't even need to see the original design to know that your version is heaps better!

barbarajane said...

greetings from an ex long time territorian. Love the fabric, the dress looks great, really interesting and perfect for troppo season.

thornberry said...

Wow, that's a superb dress. Not your usual silhouette but one that looks absolutely fantastic. Love those tucks and what they do to the stripes!

Dressmaking materials fabric said...

The dress is very lovely, I agree with meli88a your version of the dress is probably better than the original design.

Bernice said...

This is very fun and not your usual style. I think using stripes was certainly the way to go as it really makes the pleats stand out. I reckon there's room for another pleat or two. Looks very cool and comfortable.