Wednesday, July 24, 2013

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!

63 comments:

  1. This is such a delicate and lovely dress. All the best in the bay area.

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    1. Thank you! It's definitely more softly feminine than my usual look.

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  2. Whoo congrats on the move to SF! I would like to move there same day as well...
    Anyhow, love the dress AND the fabric! The feathers are amazing.

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    1. I feel like such a sellout, wearing things with birds and feathers on them, but can I help that they're such cool prints?

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  3. As someone in the Culver City/Los Angeles area, I'm sad to see you go! Enjoy the Bay Area and all the lovely sewers there!

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    1. Awww, I wish I could've met you while I was there!

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  4. Welcome back to the City by the Bay! You can take the place of your fellow scientist/sewer, Amy in our sporadic blogger playdates!

    Your dress is both lovely and elegant - nice job!

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    1. As if I could take Amy's place! But I'll be glad to join you all for those playdates!

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  5. Wish I were there to welcome you. You'll love getting to know the bloggers in the Bay Area. They are such amazing women. And, I'd be more than flattered for you to fill the little hole I left by moving at the beginning of the summer, as Jilly Be suggests.

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    1. It just means you'll be there to welcome me to Seattle should I visit!

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  6. It will be great to see you again!

    Rose in SV

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    1. Oh dear, I'm so out of the loop with NorCal...I had to really think about what SV could stand for!

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  7. Fits like a glove, so flattering! Good eye spotting the potential in the 70s pattern art. Glad you had a safe move!

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    1. Thanks! Yeah, that 70s pattern art is the best/worst!

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  8. Looooove this dress. The fabric is gorgeous. Oh, leaving a city is so sad... but getting to know a new one so exciting! (I love that the things you will miss about your current city are mostly related to food. lol.)
    Good luck with your move, and happy sewing! Adrienne xo

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    1. I never thought I'd love LA as much as I do, but thankfully SF has plenty of awesome food too :)

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  9. Beautiful dress! And good luck in your new home in San Francisco!

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  10. enjoy your new home! and i love the little bust gather details

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    1. I'm seriously so glad I changed those darts to gathers...so much more flattering!

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  11. Great dress, this looks so comfy I wish it were a modern patterns that I could snatch up too! I think there are so many feathers on it though that you'd have a hard time not having feathery boobs
    Congrats on the move!

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    1. Aww, yeah, this would be a great pattern even today! If you want, I wouldn't mind tracing this up and sending it to you!

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  12. You make me wish I hadn't sewn up that fabric already! I love this pattern, seems like something that could do with a re-issue. Beautiful!

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    1. Let's all write in to McCall's and tell them to reissue it!

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  13. Love those feathers! The pale pink is very flattering on you!

    As for the zip-in-knit thing, I remember reading once (maybe in Gertie's book?) that vintage knits weren't nearly as stretchy as our knits are today. I'm not sure if that applies to the 70s or just earlier eras, but maybe that's it?

    Good luck moving!

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    1. Oooh, that's good to know. I guess fabric tech wasn't as developed back then. I have seen some vintage 70s knits that were essentially wovens in terms of how they both draped and stretched, so it makes sense.

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  14. What a cute and great fitting dress! Welcome back to the Bay! I don't live too far from there and am over there often, so if there's ever a meetup, I'm in! :)

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    1. Let me know if you're ever in the city! We can talk it up about vintage fashion and sewing!

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  15. Pretty style-lines! You are getting good at reading the pattern envelopes past the cover art! Good choice over the Tiramisu - I agree that those of us with small busts have more trouble with overlapping pieces at the bust. =)

    I like the print and I think you are thinking a little too much about the final placement from looking at it up close during the build/photo editing. I bet you could wear this one as you teach - I don't think the print is too distracting because it's just abstract enough when you back up a little, and the color is soft.

    It's another great dress!

    ~ Brooke

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    1. Hehehe, it's all Tanit-Isis' fault that I collect 70s dress patterns now! I felt bad that I liked this pattern more than the Tira, but hey, different styles work better for different bodies. You're probably right about the staring-at-it-for-too-long syndrome...

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  16. thanks for your comments about construction; i'm rethinking a problem project. i'm sorry you've deserted us for the North, we SoCal types enjoyed your fabric district forays. what do the fur-persons think about the move?

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    1. Walnut has made the drive so many times now that he's an old pro. He's settled in nicely and is enjoying having stairs to dash up and down! Thanks for asking about him!

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  17. Very cute dress!
    Glad your move went well. Hope you get settled in quickly and everyone adjusts well to their new home!

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    1. Thanks! We're still in transition, technically, since our new apartment won't be ready for a couple weeks, so we're staying with my parents. There are now three cats and three sewing machines in one house!

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  18. cute dress and welcome back to the bay area. I will be sure to contact you to add your name to our SF sewing events.

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    1. Thanks! And once it cools down a bit, I'm going to be hitting you up for coat-making lessons!

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  19. So lovely! The title is perfect, of course :) I much prefer the small gathers to bust darts because bust darts always come out so weird on me. Congrats on your move to San Fran!! Excited to see all of your new sewing adventures that happen there!

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    1. Seriously, why are bust darts always so weird? No matter how much I curve/tailor them, they always end up pointy for me.

      Mr. Cation is heading out to Chicago for work training next month; if only I could convince the company to pay for a ticket for me too...I'd love to have an adventure with you sometime!

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  20. Cool dress - how did you manage to finish the neckline so beautiful? I still have problems with that although in theory I do have the right machines.
    I'm sure there a lot of lovely sewists and a bunch of other things you never thought you'd like there ;)

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    1. I used the V-neckline finish in Lynda Maynard's Couture Sewing Techniques book...it works absolutely beautifully!

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    2. Thx for the tip, bought the book it just arrived today. It's a great book with tons of tips I never saw soo consized. Thx again!

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  21. I wouldn't worry about the "eyelashes", the dress is so lovely! Good luck in the new city!

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  22. Great dress, I love it and the eyelashes add a design feature! Good luck with the move!

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  23. The dress is lovely. Best wishes in your new home. I've come to the conclusion that it's a job requirement to have a sadistic streak in order to write instructions with the big 4 pattern companies.

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    1. Seriously, that's why I don't use them half the time!

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  24. Super cute frock - very flattering. I'm sure you'll get heaps of wear out of it.
    San Francisco is so much fun - quirky like Wellington, but 100x larger!

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    1. It's my dream to visit Wellington one day (and the rest of NZ, too...all those LOTR movie sites to see!!)

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  25. That dress is just gorgeous on you. I'm not going to use exclamation marks as I may run out of my allotted usage of them. But damn, woman! Ugh. One slipped out.

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    1. Aww, that's sweet...I got a wayward exclamation mark! :)

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  26. Wow...that cut is very flattering on you.

    I cannot believe that I didn't know you were in LA all this time, and that we never got together while we were in the same county! Ah well. I still go up to SF to see family, and perhaps we will see each other someday. Good luck with the move, and enjoy the cooler weather up north.

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    1. Thanks, and I miss the SoCal weather already! Let me know if you're ever up here and have time to hang out...because really, it's too sad that we didn't know for most of the two years I was down there!

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  27. Yay for moving back home! I love the dress you made. It's great fitting and very cute so win!

    I bought a yard or so of that same fabric (at Fabrix) and ended up making panties from it. They turned out to be my favorite because that fabric is so soft. Fabrix has underwear elastics for .25 cents if you're interested in using up those scraps.

    I've lived in the bayarea all my life and have been all over the world and I still love home best - especially the cold summer days. 115 in the shade with 100% humidity - heck no! Get my fleece...

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  28. Glad the move went well - we will miss you down here in SoCal, but it's a great excuse to take a little trip some time! I LOVE that dress, and I can't even reconcile it with the pattern illustration, which I do not love, haha

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  29. Beautiful dress and I hope that you settle into San Fran quickly and that everything went smoothly with the move!

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  30. Welcome to te Bay Area! Love your blog, and you are among the 1912's that have inspired me to think about sewing real clothes. Ya know, that I can wear anywhere. I'm still just thinking about it though. I'm down the coast in Half Moon Bay. I hope we get a chance to meet and maybe even sew sometime.
    Lisa (of Lisa and Robin)

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  31. Love that neckline/bodice too! I can't believe that's a 70s pattern! It looks great on you.
    I'm sad that we didn't manage to get together more when we were both in LA, but I'm glad you're still in CA and hopefully we can connect in SF sometime. And if the weather is driving you crazy you can always come visit me on the Central Coast - we've got fog, but less fog than the bay!

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  32. This colour and fit is stunning on you, Cindy. Love it!!

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  33. What a gorgeous dress! It's such a lovely, graceful silhouette! Love it!

    Happy new home! Hope you guys are settling in nicely in the Bay Area!

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  34. Oh, this is lovely on you! Very flattering cut and a very pretty fabric pattern.

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  35. Very, very pretty, Cindy! Of course you know I love this fabric, but it does work beautifully with this pattern!

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  36. This is so lovely! I wouldn't have noticed the boob eyelashes thing if you hadn't mentioned it, and I still struggled to see it afterwards, I think you'll be fine! The dress is beautiful, simple, classy, elegant, and relaxed all at once.

    I have lots of seventies dress patterns, I love the style lines in them, but have yet to make one up. Now I'm thinking I'm going to have to bump them up my queue!

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