Thanks you readers for your plenty of inputs on the last post, your plenty of love for fabric # 3 made me feel a lot better about the impulse purchase last year, perhaps I will make a coat out of it, as it IS very soft, supple, and thick. Thanks a BUNCH to Lin3arossa for finding me this beautiful coat, made from the same huge houndstooth fabric (I would still like a darker color for contrast). I am still a little apprehensive about the fullness of the coat, after I had seen the coat from more angles. I think it looks beautiful on her, but I am not sure if my small figure would disappear in that coat. I am still gonna to bug her on that fabric though 🙂
On to still quite summery stuff –I made a dress from a vogue pattern!
When I first started sewing, I had never been interested in Vogue pattern, thinking that they were a little… matron-y. The girls modeling the clothing are generally older and the pricing were higher. I had forgotten about Vogue ever since burdastyle and BWOF, until I came across Erica B’s DIY Style. She uses so many Vogue patterns and made some beautiful clothing out of it, and she made me want to sew quite a few Vogue patterns. My first one: V1158:
Can you believe that their retail “regular” price is $30?? Does ANYONE buy a pattern at 30 dollars? I waited until the 4 dollar sale at Joans and snatched it up, along with a vintage Vogue pattern to make a vintage dress next. I also felt the softest striped linen at Hancock fabric the same week, and a shameless rendition of V1158 was born:
I love it! I think I did a better job at matching the front and back seams than the one on the pattern, by using selfish seamstresses’s plaid matching method here. I didnt try to match up the side, but they  look fine to me even though they are slightly off. I also know that I am no good at inserting zippers to the side of the bodice, so I moved the zipper to the back. To adjust for my height, I took in the shoulder seam by a huge amount, probably 1-2 inches. The dress also came with quite some ease, so I took in the sides by half a inch or so as well.
inside the dress
I did forget to get lining for this dress, so I just cut up one of the old blue bedsheets in my stack. I actually really like how it looked and was tempted to make the lining an entirely separate dress. But I couldn’t wait to buy lining to finish the dress! Together with the soft linen, this dress is a little thick at the seams, but is probably one of the most soft and comfortable dress I have!
Did I mention that this whole dress, except for the zipper and the sergering (believe, the linen fabric NEEDED sergering), this dress is sewn using my beloved singer 201. It was a pleasure to sew on it! I never had to change the bobbin due to a stuck thread at all, unlike my Brothers. Sorry Brother! Singer201 wins at straight stitch!
Its soft, breathy, drapy, heavy, and the color palette reminds me of a picnic by the sea. Perhaps I will wear it to the sea this summer, lets hope for the Indian summer!
August 16th, 2010 at 10:51 pm
You’re welcome, my dear 🙂 Your dress is lovely. I always wait for Vogue’s online sale, even though the overseas shipping fees are high, it’s worth it.
August 17th, 2010 at 2:18 am
Beautiful dress! You are right, you did a fantastic job of matching stripes, better than the pattern envelope. You look great in your new dress!
August 17th, 2010 at 2:52 am
Love it on you! I can see it being soft and flowy too. And it has a tie at the front! =)
August 17th, 2010 at 5:13 am
It turned out beautifully! 🙂 It’s so cool that you used your old Singer to sew it up too, I’m glad that you got it up and running now. 🙂 I do have a question though–are the little “modesty panel” looking things in the underarm part of the design or did you add those in?
August 17th, 2010 at 7:11 am
Thank you! sewing without the bobbin cover got annoying since the thread keeps catching the fabric, so i reversed the bobbin plate to get the protruding part out of the bobbin area, and that worked! since i didnt have to change bobbin except to add more thread, this works!
it is part of the design! you cant see it on the envelop, you you can see a little patch on the side of the arm hole on the technical drawing, that is what this is!
August 17th, 2010 at 5:50 am
This is too cute! Hehe.. I love Vogue patterns… especially the newer designer ones and I definitely buy them when they’re on sale for $3.99.
August 17th, 2010 at 8:11 am
SO CUTE ! That looks great, and yes you did a much better job on the stripe matching. Now that I look at the pattern photo – whew – how did they let that one out? Terrible matching on the front of their Vogue dress.
Welcome to Vogue patterns – yes the photo models look a bit old but sometimes they have super interesting and highly technical patterns.
and I have always thought they had better fit although these days Simplicity has really stepped up.
Happy Singer Sewing ! (and I am hoping for Indian summer too!)
August 17th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
wow, such a stunning piece. I never seem to have a good luck shopping for fabrics in either Hancock or JoAnn. Maybe i just don’t have the eyes for great fabrics. which hancock did you go to?
August 17th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
hahaha, i NEVER have good luck at joans, but they seem to have decent fall/winter fabric. Hancock had been better lately — i actually found real silk there. i go to the one near 87 and 85 (on blossom hill.
if you go there in the evening time, perhaps we can bump into eachtoehr! 😀
August 17th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
It looks great– very flattering, and I could definitely see it being worn on the beach! I like how you handled the stripes.
August 17th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
I really like the fabric you chose! The back really is stunning and it’s a safe dress to wear around the office too. Yay for cool weather and no hot summer! 😛
August 18th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Great dress! And I had that same misconception about Vogue patterns but I’m starting to come around. I love the Tracy Reese designs and other designer patterns.
Definitely worth waiting for a $3.99 (and willing shopper) to get them, $30 is insane! I’d rather buy several for that price.
Hum, the only problem I have with your dress…is that I want one too, LOL!
August 21st, 2010 at 4:49 am
You did a wonderful job on this dress…I don’t sew much but I’m scared to work with patterns in stripes for the matching reason. And what a funny idea to use old bedsheets. Maybe that’s why it’s extra comfy!
September 21st, 2010 at 6:29 am
That is amazingly beautiful! Your striped fabric is so lovely and the dress looks modern and young.
I would buy that dress if I saw it in a store. It is gorgeous. Well done.
November 10th, 2010 at 8:53 am
Looks great! This is the only review I have seen online of this pattern. I’m wanting to make it but worried that the back V goes lower than my bra. I don’t want to invest in some pricey backless bra for one dress!
November 10th, 2010 at 11:02 am
ooh i must warn you! it did barely covered the back of my bra! but you can always make it just 1/2 inch higher just in case 🙂
June 3rd, 2013 at 12:35 pm
[…] made her a dress from left over linen from this dress. I wanted a cool summer dress for her that have a small, fitted neckline. She’s allergic to […]