I have been wanting a dress with sleeves for ages. I've been looking through pattern offerings for possibly a year now, but hadn't found quite the dress I wanted. Originally I wanted a button through dress, and actually I think I still do want a button through dress with sleeves, but in the meantime, I like the details of the Stylearc Asha dress.
I bought this viscose crepe from Fabulous Fabrics.
The dress has a shirred waist and shirred hem sleeves.
I don't love shirring elastic. Mostly because it seems to perish quite quickly, so the garment doesn't last very long. A couple of years ago I came across this fabulous elastic that gives you the effect of shirring, without having to either sew over shirring elastic or put elastic in your bobbin. It is also easier to control the amount of stretch that you want.
You simply stretch the elastic the amount that you want, pin it to the garment, and sew between the rows whilst the elastic is stretched. For the waistband, I found it easier to baste the elastic in place at quarter intervals, rather than pinning.
The other change that I made to the pattern was to continue the neck binding to create a tie. I mustn't do a good job of button-and-loops because they are always coming undone, and I thought that the longer tie would work with this style of dress.
I met up with some sewing buddies in King's Park today, so I have photos of the dress on me in a different setting! I'll admit that the elastic waist is a bit on the frumpy side on my pear shape, but I still love the dress.
9 comments:
that is so pretty, and your binding looks perfect. thanks for showing that elastic, I need to find some :)
Thanks Beth! I need to find more of this elastic too. I bought it from a store that has since closed down, and I don't even know what it is called to search for it online.
What a lovely dress. I've been eying up this pattern, if I can find some of the elastic you used I think I'll have to make it!
I just wanted to add that I've found that elastic! In the UK, it is available from McCulloch and Wallis, they call it ruching elastic and sell it in several widths. I hope that helps.
Thanks for the tip on the elastic, I'm so intrigued by it! I found it in the 30mm width in Australia, under the name "Shirring Band Elastic", only in white, from a place called Stocktrims.
Thanks Sam, I'm going to google that stratight away!
Thanks Christine, you're investigative skills are awesome! I'm off to set some now.
Perfect fabric match for this dress! Thanks for sharing about the elastic. Never seen any like it before but what a boon for shirred areas.
I like this dress. I like dresses with sleeves in them. Short. Long is good too. I usually wear skirts not dresses as I've not seen for awhile. I buy my clothes on sale.
http://grandmabeckyl.blogspot.com
Post a Comment