2 Unregistered Almost-Completions
I've almost completed two dresses but would like some advice for one of them.
This first dress I've made for my girlfriend using the bodice of New Look 6020. For some reason the top was pretty baggy so I had to take it in an inch or two. I also added chiffon sleeves even though the dress is not meant to have sleeves, and I think this caused the armpits to be too tight but I am not sure. The black fabric is a soft cotton that looks almost like something pants could be made of, but softer. The skirt is a cotton print from a local fabric store that was having a going out of business sale. The dress will be fully lined once I attach the skirt lining. I probably should have done that before sewing the lining to the bodice, I don't know what I was thinking. The lining is hand stitched to the zipper so that the stitches can't be seen from either side be seen because I couldn't think of a way to do that with the machine. I also have to hand sew my zippers because I don't have a zipper foot, but I am extremely pleased with the results.
Time for my nitpicks and imperfections....
One sleeve turned out perfect but on this one the hem got all wonky. If anyone has any tips to prevent this from happening with chiffon I'd appreciate it!
Close up of the print and invisible zipper...I'm not happy with how the print meets at the seams, especially the bit of white selvedge (??) that is showing.
My biggest worry for this dress is that the pleats don't have enough volume to give a traditional lolita shape. Unfortunately I don't have an a-line petticoat yet so I can't see how it looks with one.
My second dress is made from Simplicity 2588 with a rectangle skirt for more volume. It's made from pinkish-purple kona cotton with a little shine. I chose not to line it because it's hot as hell down here in southern California and I don't want to have an extra layer on me. The waist is a little baggy so I want to add waist ties. This dress is woefully plain so I want to add embellishments to make it more lolita and less a normal dress. I have about 1.5 yards of black kona cotton that I could make ruffles or a row of bows out of, but I worry that a black and purple color palette would look tacky, especially because my sewing skills are not great. In addition to adding embellishments, I still need to finish the top of the zipper and zigzag stitch over raw edges.
I REALLY should have just gone to get matching thread, but I didn't. Is there any way I could hide these ugly stitches, or should I suck it up and pull out the seam ripper?
Other stuff...
I must have cut one piece of the bodice shorter than the other, causing the waist line to not meet properly. /: Also I would really like some advice for how can I keep this bulky, messy hem from fraying all over the place, because I don't think a zigzag stitch will be enough.
This just makes me feel stupid because I did not think at all about where this seam was go when I was sewing the skirt. Hopefully it will stay hidden under the folds of the fabric.
Honest concrit is always welcome, thank you for looking!
This first dress I've made for my girlfriend using the bodice of New Look 6020. For some reason the top was pretty baggy so I had to take it in an inch or two. I also added chiffon sleeves even though the dress is not meant to have sleeves, and I think this caused the armpits to be too tight but I am not sure. The black fabric is a soft cotton that looks almost like something pants could be made of, but softer. The skirt is a cotton print from a local fabric store that was having a going out of business sale. The dress will be fully lined once I attach the skirt lining. I probably should have done that before sewing the lining to the bodice, I don't know what I was thinking. The lining is hand stitched to the zipper so that the stitches can't be seen from either side be seen because I couldn't think of a way to do that with the machine. I also have to hand sew my zippers because I don't have a zipper foot, but I am extremely pleased with the results.
Time for my nitpicks and imperfections....
One sleeve turned out perfect but on this one the hem got all wonky. If anyone has any tips to prevent this from happening with chiffon I'd appreciate it!
Close up of the print and invisible zipper...I'm not happy with how the print meets at the seams, especially the bit of white selvedge (??) that is showing.
My biggest worry for this dress is that the pleats don't have enough volume to give a traditional lolita shape. Unfortunately I don't have an a-line petticoat yet so I can't see how it looks with one.
My second dress is made from Simplicity 2588 with a rectangle skirt for more volume. It's made from pinkish-purple kona cotton with a little shine. I chose not to line it because it's hot as hell down here in southern California and I don't want to have an extra layer on me. The waist is a little baggy so I want to add waist ties. This dress is woefully plain so I want to add embellishments to make it more lolita and less a normal dress. I have about 1.5 yards of black kona cotton that I could make ruffles or a row of bows out of, but I worry that a black and purple color palette would look tacky, especially because my sewing skills are not great. In addition to adding embellishments, I still need to finish the top of the zipper and zigzag stitch over raw edges.
I REALLY should have just gone to get matching thread, but I didn't. Is there any way I could hide these ugly stitches, or should I suck it up and pull out the seam ripper?
Other stuff...
I must have cut one piece of the bodice shorter than the other, causing the waist line to not meet properly. /: Also I would really like some advice for how can I keep this bulky, messy hem from fraying all over the place, because I don't think a zigzag stitch will be enough.
This just makes me feel stupid because I did not think at all about where this seam was go when I was sewing the skirt. Hopefully it will stay hidden under the folds of the fabric.
Honest concrit is always welcome, thank you for looking!