The Come to Feather Dress

Modcloth does this thing where they take common phrases, song lyrics, etc. and turn them into clever names for their dresses. For example, their various feather print dresses have names like "Forever and Feather," "Feather After," "You Feather Believe It," "Feather Channel," and "How's the Feather?" I wanted to do something similarly clever, so I came up with "Feather Off Alone," "Nobody Does It Feather," and "Feather Off Dead." None of those, of course, convey the overwhelming trendiness of things with feathers on them, quite the opposite, in fact. So I decided to go with a Beatles' song instead; I think it better communicates the popularity of feather prints, right?

I don't have shoeshine on. 

...nor is my hair down to my knee. 

What the heck is a walrus gumboot anyway?

This fabric was originally intended for a Tiramisu, but in the end, I decided that I wasn't the hugest fan of how the midriff-meets-bust-overlap area came out slightly ripply. I decided that I wanted to try another pattern that still had the gathered bust pieces, a V-neck, but didn't have the fussiness of a separate midriff piece. Enter McCall's 3252, a vintage dress pattern from 1972. I would have passed it over in my earlier sewing days, but Tanit-Isis makes 70s dresses look so good, I thought I'd give this pattern a chance. And you know what? I'm so incredibly glad I did! I think this might even be my new favorite knit dress pattern. It's easy to put together, the skirt skims over my hips nicely and is just full enough to have some swish, but is still really just an A-line so it doesn't eat fabric like hobbits eat breakfast(s). I'm also tempted to try it in a drapey woven fabric, like maybe a rayon challis. 

I love the openness of this V-neck without being too low, the little gathers under the bust (way easier than darts!), and the smooth midsection that flares into the skirt. Only problem is, I was less than careful about the print placement, so as Mr. Cation says, it looks like my boobs have eyelashes. Oops. 

I did learn from my Tira-making experience though: I changed up the order of construction such that the side seams were the last major seam to sew. This makes for easier sewing and fitting. Instead of sewing the bodice pieces together and then sewing the skirt pieces together, then trying to attach them at the awkward center point, I sewed the right and left halves separately (bodice to skirt), then just sewed them up the middle. Is that taboo somehow? It feels obviously easier, so why didn't the instructions just tell me to do that? Are the instruction writers just sadistic and want to see me struggle with the pointy part? Anyway, when I had an entire front and an entire back sewn together and connected at the shoulders, it was easy to just try the dress on inside out and pin where my side seams should be. It's a good thing I did it that way, too, since I ended up taking out 1.5" on each side! Granted, the pattern was a size too large, so I was expecting something along those lines (I also expected, and therefore preemptively made an SBA, which was also a good idea). Then it was just a simple matter of binding the neck and armholes, and final trimming of the skirt hem, and then I was done! And now I want to make all the different views, minus the weird clown ruffle neck version.

Just for fun, since it's a 70s pattern, I old-timey-ed up some of the shots to look more vintage...

Gotta love playing with those antiquing filters!

Summary: 

Fabric: 1.5 yards of mystery content knit, but there's probably a significant percentage of Lycra since it's veeeery stretchy and has excellent recovery. I got it last summer from Fabrix in San Francisco.

Notions: None!

Hours used: Four, with cutting the pattern tissue and then the fabric, and also fitting multiple times. But now that I've figured out the fit on this, I can see whipping these out much quicker! This was the last project I did before packing up my sewing machine.

Will you make it again? Considering that I'm already planning to, yes!

Total cost: $10, but actually half that amount since I didn't use all three of the yards I had of this fabric. I contemplated keeping the rest to make a top, but then realized that I don't need two garments from the same fabric. Instead, I foisted it onto Jill when we met at her house for a sew-in...my last time with the Stitch in the Ditch gals! Stashbusters, that's the real secret to stashbusting -- make other people take your stash fabric!

Final thoughts: I never thought I would wear a pink dress, but strange things happen when you sew! I'd like to think this is a teacher-appropriate dress, although I know students can get distracted by prints...those boob feathers have me worried, now! Also, what's with 70s patterns calling for zippers in knit dresses? I didn't put one in, of course.

And now, the bigger news: I've left SoCal for good! Mr. Cation and I spent the last week packing up all our worldly goods (the majority of which were my goods; can I help it that my profession and hobbies tend to lead to stockpiles?), stuffing them into a pod, and then driving up to San Francisco. I will dearly miss Langer's pastrami, Scoops ice cream (and weather warm enough to eat ice cream...it was all of 55 degrees and foggy as all get out when we got in last night...hello SF summer!), the Stitch in the Ditch ladies, the Fabric District in LA, and I'm especially sad to just miss the start of FIDM's Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design exhibit! But hey, Bay Area sewists, if you're up for hanging out or sewing, I'm totally in!

Goodbye downtown LA skyline, goodbye planes flying overhead en route to LAX, goodbye smog, and goodbye pictures on the roof of the parking structure!