Morning kittens! I went and made another dress again. I seem to be doing dresses in two’s… here it is! My first border print!
A few details…
The pattern…
Another Colette Parfait. For this version I added a bit to the hips by pivoting the pattern about about .75 inches and drawing a new side seam. I totally spaced adding length to the skirt, though. You can see my knee caps! Doesn’t Lucy the hound look a bit scandalized? Mommy’s a hussy!!
The fabric…{part 1}
Three yards of Alexander Henry’s Larkspur border print. It’s our fabric of the month at the shop. I lost my head and had to buy immediately, just in case it sold out. (It still hasn’t, if anyone is interested in making a matching dress, check out our Etsy site – I’ll add the fabric when I get in the shop tomorrow morning! update! I added to Etsy, took me a whole day!)
The fabric…{part2}
Semi-regular readers may be familiar with my general dislike of facings. Also, precision sewing… I decided to skip the facings on this version and instead lined the bodice with some delicious light pink voile. So soft! I Constructed the shell, then basted the straps to the shell, then constructed the lining (bodice and midriff pieces) and sewed together at the top. I topstitched along the top of the midriff piece in order to keep everything from sliding around.
The buttons…
I’m a sucker for vintage buttons. Aren’t these giant red clown buttons awesome? I had a bit of a problem with the buttonholes. My machine has a 1-step buttonhole function – you know, where you slide the button into the foot so it knows how big to make the buttonhole? Well, it only goes up to about an inch, and these buttons are so thick they didn’t fit in the foot. I ended up finding a thinner button with the same diameter and experimenting a bit. As much as I enjoy the lazy aspect of the 1-step buttonholes, the over-automation leaves something to be desired. Particularly in light of my love of giant clown buttons…
The border print…
This was my first attempt at using a border print – and really of paying attention to the placement of the pattern at all! I usually forget to check and end up with one flower-bullseye on my lady parts. Using the border was fun! I did run into a small problem matching up the front and the back skirt sections. The line of the back skirt was angled in a way that made it impossible to match – at least, impossible given the amount of fabric I had allotted myself. I still love it and don’t think that will bug me too much. I’m especially proud of the straps and how they fade from white back to the colors! 
The top stitching…
In addition to facings, I also find understitching a giant pain in the patootie and I have little patience for sewing in the slow, steady manner that I imagine leads to straight lines of topstitching. In order to secure everything and keep the lining from peeking out, I did a decorative topstitch along the straps, the top of the bodice, the top of the midriff piece and the hem. This looks like a kite to me…. sigh. I long for spring. Kites, galoshes, temperatures over 25 degrees, sunshine, mud… 
Yay! Love this dress! I’ll probably wear it a bit now with tights and boots and a cardigan, but this dress really screams summer to me. Of course, I’m in the midst of my yearly bout of winter-hatred, so pretty much everything is screaming summer to me…
In other sewing news, I’m finally buckling down to finish up those pesky sewing projects (you know, making buttonholes, hemming, finishing long-ago-promised overcoats for saintly sewing machine providing men…) I also got a nice piece of light blue funky woven man-made shirting that is destined to be a Negroni. I’m not sure if I’ll do the sewalong (although I will be avidly reading, so happy Peter is doing this!) but the boy is getting a shirt!
A picture-taking post script…
I mentioned a week or two ago that I am doing a 365 project and keeping a separate blog for my daily pictures. It’s been super fun and so far I haven’t ‘cheated’ – even if I don’t get the photos online for a day or two, I’m still plugging away on daily pics… today, unfortunately, I ran out of time and ended up tinkering with one of the Alexander dress photos to use as my daily shot – I love with the result! This is definitely becoming my new online ‘about me’ picture! Also… excellent tip for taking pictures for the blog posts – set up a large mirror behind the camera so you can see how what you’re doing! (so you and the mirror face each other, the tripod plays pig in the middle and faces you) This totally helped me relax and avoid all the weirdo-shots that make me look twice as wide as a house!
Oh, I love this dress so much! I am with you as I hate facings…your idea to line the dress bodice and use decorative stitching is fabulous–I love the details so much! The border print is perfect for spring!! love, love, love this (did I say that already 🙂
Beautiful! And I love your shoes! I wish Australia had access to lovely fabric like this that didn't cost the earth…
So bright and shiny! Funny, your parfait and my parfait could be fraternal twins on the inside…
Oh, I just LOVE everything about this! And that's about the first use of decorative machine stitching I've ever seen that I could call 'cool' and actually wearable by an adult. I have made this pattern and if I did it again I would totally steal your idea of lining instead of facing. Much better, sturdier, more fabulous. Oh and I think the length is just perfect 🙂
It looks wonderful! I can't wait for summer either..well even spring would do. Have a lovely day!
The topstitch is lovely and I adore how it looks on the inside. I share your aversion for facings, so I like that pink lining even more!
I think Lucy can't take her eyes off YOU! I really love you in prints like this.
WOW! This Parfait is delish!
Oooooh, I love it! Your dress has me drooling for warmer weather!
So fun and springlike! Also I drool over your machine's fun stitches, mine is SO basic. I think I have the same general kind of button-hole function as you, though, and it's great when it works but it certainly has limitations, in button size and fabric thickness.
Happy, happy, awesome dress.
This dress reflects your personality SO WELL! I am crazy about it, and I think the fit and everything about it is so flattering to you. I'm so glad it's the year of dresses! I think you should make a button or banner..
Oh my! So cute! I want one!
This is such a fun print! And you've made such a fun dress – I love the topstitching too!
Patty, what a beautiful dress, I love how the flowers move up the dress. I'd be impatient for our Minnesota winter to come to an end with a dress like that.
You look so pretty! and what a clever way to avoid doing facings.
Thanks all! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one with an aversion to facings – what's the DEAL with them? You don't find them in RTW often…
Lauren – we ship to Australia – shipping depends on how much fabric you want, but a length enough for a dress would probably be around $15 US dollars – if you're interested just 'convo' the Sewtropolis Etsy site! (I still can't get used to the Etsy lingo. Convo. It's like trucker lingo…)
Steph! I LOVE yours – I wish I had lined the skirt part. And the circle skirt is cute! I remember seeing your contest entry (this was part of a pattern review contest, right?) The contrast stitching rules!
I adore this dress! It looks great on you and its so fun and spring like!
That is beautiful. You must be so happy with how it turned out. The fit is wonderful and it's so flattering. I definitely think it's the perfect length.
You look beautiful – the dress is wonderful and I love the black and white photograph.
You look gorgeous! I'm longing for spring, now!
Great, summery dress! Ah the advantage of being behind in my reading – I read about you buying fabric, then five minutes later voila, it's a dress! Lovely job, great use of the border print! The pink bodice lining is a nice touch too 🙂
gorgeous! what a great border print look 🙂
I am so glad to stumble across your blog! That particular dress has been on my to-sew list for AGES and I've been dragging my feet. And I am utterly crazy about the fabric you used — the border print is one of my faves and you did a fabulous job with it. Thanks for the inspiration!
I love this dress and I love this print. I love this print sooo much I just received it today in garden blue berry. I have to have it shipped from the States to the UK as I couldn't find it here. You are a brilliant inspiration, thank you