V8594: Red Dress w/Lace Panel Back



   This dress was inspired by this lovely red dress from Modcloth with a lace panel in the back.  When this dress went on sale, I seriously considered just buying it.   However, upon reading reviews on the dress I realized that the lace back was not lined and, thus, sheer.  I knew I did not want that.  Also, I just prefer to sew my clothing anyway.  It is so much more satisfying to me to make a similar item than to buy the original.

back view of Modcloth Dress

back view of my dress

    For the red fabric, I used some linen blend from Hancock Fabrics that has been in my stash for probably 10 years.  The lace came from Mood Fabrics.  It was such a good price that I bought more than I needed for my dress.  I used it here also.

Mood Fabrics

  For the pattern, I used V8594.  There are some differences between it and the Modcloth dress, but I just love all the interesting seams in the dress.  Unfortunately, the camera does not capture the seaming very well in my dress.  

V8594



The Vogue dress was not hard to put together and the instructions were good.  I did not have to make any fitting alterations, which was a surprise, because I usually have to pinch some out of the neck with Vogue patterns.   I did use an exposed zipper to mimic the look of the Modcloth dress. 

lace panel back and exposed zipper

                                                 

The dress was lined in a beige polyester lining fabric from fabric.com.  I tried to get it as close to the color of the lace as possible.

   

I am wearing two different pairs of shoes which I have worn before because the pic of the front and the rest of the pics were snapped on two different days.  I had the worst time getting a good pic of the front.  The first time I snapped it, the neckline was flipped under and I cut off my feet in the second try.  Finally, the third time was the charm.  I think this is one of my favorite dresses I have ever made.  Until next time, Happy Sewing!!!

S2588: Navy & Black Pleather

S2588

I became inspired to make my dress when I saw Jennifer Garner wearing this lovely dress.  I considered apologizing for my pasty untanned skin, but if you look at Jennifer Garner, she is paler than me and I think her skin is beautiful. Maybe my pastiness is not so bad after all.   Maybe I should rethink my use of tinted moisturizer.  I really hate the smell of that stuff and it is sticky. 

I just love the combination of navy and black, particularly the black leather.  For several years I have had some navy suiting fabric in my stash that I bought for half price at my local fabric store.  Last year I bought some black pleather which I used here to make a skirt. I have quite a bit left over so I decided to incorporate it into my dress plans.  I really was not set on making my dress the same style as the Jennifer Garner dress--I just wanted the combo of navy and black leather.   I decided to use S2588 because I thought it lent itself well to this combination.  I used the black pleather on the neckline.

neckline

I just love Simplicity patterns because I hardly ever have to make any fitting alterations.  Also, they are always on trend.  This pattern was very simple to sew.  I used a leather needle and placed scotch tape on the bottom of my sewing foot for sewing the leather.  An exposed zipper was installed because on one hand, I thought the exposed black zipper would tie in well to the black pleather, and I did not want to have to install an invisible zipper with this leather.  I used an invisible zipper in my previous leather peplum dress, but that leather was very soft.  This pleather is heavier.  

The belt is a patent bow belt that I bought last year from Forever 21 and the shoes are from Guess.

shoe closeup 

Guess "Mikki"

Until next time, Happy Sewing!!!

S2282: Leather, Lace, and Peplum

S2282

It's been awhile since I  blogged.  I had a terribly busy summer at work and then a busy start of the new Fall Semester at work.  Hopefully things have settled down for awhile now.  I have been doing ALOT of sewing--some success and some wadders.  I just haven't had time to blog, so hopefully I will have enough to keep me busy blogging for awhile. 

I am really loving the peplum trend that I see everywhere lately and I have also been loving the lace and leather I have been seeing too.  I decided to combine them all together in one dress, S2282. 

front

necklace from anthropologie.com

I recently jumped on the leather sale that fabricmartfabrics.com had a few weeks back.  It doesn't take many skins of leather (even on sale) to drive your order up high enough to get one of their free fabric bundles.  This is the first one I ever have gotten and it was like a Christmas present opening up the surprise fabric.  I had three 2 yard pieces of three different fabrics.  I chose to use one of them for the main body of the dress.  I really don't know what it is except that it feels like a lightweight polyester suiting fabric in an ecru color.  The tan lambskin leather used on the peplum and sleeves is not from fabricmart.  I bought it from Gorgeous Fabrics last year and had planned to use it for something else, but it just did not work out.  Thankfully, I figured out that project wasn't going to work before I ever cut into the leather.  WHEW!!! 

back

sleeve

The lace overlay on the side front panels is from Moodfabrics here. 

lace side panel

The dress did not call for a lining and I did not use one so the inside seams are finished with a serger.  I just wear a slip with it. I used an invisible zipper and it actually went together without me having to rip it out several times. 

side view

This dress went together without me having to make any alterations.  I have found that to be true for me with alot of Simplicity patterns.  Sewing the leather was not difficult.  I just used a leather needle and put some scotch tape on the bottom of my sewing foot so that it would slide over the fabric better.   I wore this dress to church a couple of Sunday's ago.  Until next time,  Happy Sewing !!

Oh, the shoes...they are much, MUCH cheaper knockoffs of anthropologie's "Anticipation Heels".

The Blue Gardenia interviewed me awhile back and it is here.  I was very honored to be asked.