Showing posts with label draped dress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label draped dress. Show all posts

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Wrap Dress Muslin

I've been working on this wrap dress muslin for a while now. I find that when I run into significant fit issues it can make my mojo dry up faster than the speed of light. I've been consciously 'forcing' myself to sew for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, so that I can push past this point. Once I have these issues worked out, then I know I'll be fine. I have a number of knit pieces that would work beautifully in a dress like this, so it's worth it to me to get the pattern adjusted properly.

Initially I was inspired by dresses like this Diane Von Furstenberg dress (which I know is sewn from a woven):


DIANE VON FURSTENBERG Starred Clouds Coral Silk Valencia Dress






Pattern: Ottobre 05/2013 #17
Size: 52 (although I may need to be sewing a smaller size in future)
Muslin made from Peacock poly-knit



Alterations made BEFORE cutting muslin: 
  • Added 1" to sleeve width at bicep
  • Extended front to be a full width piece (faux wrap) and cropped the under layer
  • Added 1.25" to back side seam at butt level
Observations: 

  • Dress is far too wide at neckline, bra straps are showing. 
  • Dress is FAR too low at neckline - entire front of bra is showing
  • It just feels too big overall - especially around the neck and shoulder area
  • When I pulled the front crossover tighter, it pulled the side seams to the front, so I can't just do that...there is a chance that I pulled too much across. Perhaps I could do this if I only shaved off a little. 
  • It almost feels as though I want to make a honking great dart on the underlayer to pull it in tighter. 

Alterations which still need to be made: 
  • Raise neckline (ie. insertion point at side seam) by about 3 - 4"
  • Bring in shoulders (reduce neck width)
  • Remove length from skirt - not too much, but it is currently at granny level for me
  • Bring in side seams, particularly at bust level
  • Perhaps sew a smaller size, especially around the neck/shoulder area?
  • For summer, sew a short sleeve, perhaps flare the skirt and the sleeve?