Ahoy there, fishies. Let’s make it a seafaring week, shall we? Today you will be blob fishes. And you are some strange looking mo-fo’s. Moving on.
As promised, here’s another new dress, although if you’ve checked out snugbug365 in the last few days, you got a sneak peek. It’s another version of the Claire Cami Dress!
This one is a tad longer, unintentional, as all you blob fishes know how much I like my dresses scandalously short. The main fabric is from Kate Spain’s Central Park collection (available online) and I was pleasantly surprised at how the super-linear print ended up looking very cabbage rose-like! The contrast fabric is from Tina Given’s Haven’s Edge Collection (‘Climber’ in celery, also available online!) I am quite enamored with how the two fabrics look together, especially close up! The pattern in the contrast fabric is greyish purple!
Topstitching RULES!!
I think I say this every time I review a Kay Whitt design, but I really love how her patterns are so heavy on topstitching and edgestitching. It gives the simple cotton dresses a much more finished feel.
Oh! The facings are in a contrast fabric from the same collection as the main fabric. Sadly, we have sold out of it at the shop.
I particularly like how edgestitching the waist casing looks!
And now… the dark side of topstitching
Can I indulge in my super OCD side for a bit? As much as I love the look of the topstitching, the combo of understitching and topstitching is driving me batty. It’s a HOT MESS on the inside! For this dress, I used the pink thread while understitching – that’s the pink you can see on the facing. I switched the bobbin out from pink to white for the topstitching, which helped a bit, but it still looks like I was doing some crazy-sewing on the facings. I topstitched with the right side up, so I could see what I was doing, so the inside is less, um, tidy. I HATE how the edgestitching weaves around the understitching and even veers into the teeny fold on the inside of the neckline. Sigh. If understitching wasn’t so helpful in getting the neckline to behave, I’d skip it all together, but I suppose it would be silly to sacrifice good construction for the aesthetics of the inside finishing. Although, I often do either understitching OR topstitching, not both.
To make matters worse, I stitched in the ditch to keep the facings under control and didn’t change the bobbin thread to white. I also only stitched in the ditch on the outside. Like I said, hot mess.
It’s still cute from the outside, though!
More details…
{the hem}
{the waist casing}
{the back}
Claire Cami showdown…
![front_thumb[2]](http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZcLfrdTMdeE/TgNmv3gzEsI/AAAAAAAAFSU/AsCKzw4i52Q/s1600-h/front_thumb%25255B2%25255D%25255B9%25255D.jpg "front_thumb[2]")
Clearly, there’s a reason I like short skirts!!
Another fabulous Claire! I just finished my first one and I love it…will post it tomorrow, I think. I always love your fabric choices, Patty.
I second that! Such gorgeous colour combos 🙂
~Alana
Cute claire cami! I made the tunic top, and hated the style on me, but seeing your dresses makes me want to give it another go. I lined my bodice and avoided the facings altogether, and since I cut my lining a smidge smaller than the bodice I also avoided the extra understitching.
I always intend to line things, then wimp out because I think that I could just make another whole DRESS instead of a lining!!
I have this pattern! I was uncertain how it would look so have been putting off making it up, but seeing your versions of it is inspiring. You look adorbs!
I see what you mean: Don't think I have ever done both. I don't always understitch; if I dont i just iron the living starch outta it and it behaves, then I catch stitch or stitch witchery that facing down. THEN I topstitch….
Who cares anyway. You rock this frock!
My brother and his Aussie girlfriend were recently explaining to me the plight of the endangered and unlovable blob-fish. I guess it's much easier to mobilize conservation efforts for charismatic mammals…
Is understitching actually necessary when topstitching? I would've just skipped it, assuming my topstitching would control the roll-out effect just as well. Of course, my sewing education is a little hit-or-miss, so I may be missing this one.
The dress is, once again, adorable. Oonalicious, even. I really admire you print-mixing girls… 😉
gorgeous dress!! wow, so impressed. wish i could sew! the print is fabulous and the shape looks great on you!! ((ps— i'm also fashion blogging out of minneapolis!! i'm loving running into other locals!)) <3 EverRubyGirl.blogspot.com
I love everything you sew. The goldilocks dress is freaking amazing, too. I'm so inspired.