60's Tabard Dress - CONSTRUCTION

I have decided to call this pattern my 60's Tabard Dress.  (Ignore all the pictures of the pattern where I clearly wrote "50's Tabard Dress".... the pattern I'm replicating is from the 60's, so 60's Tabard Dress it is!)

​In its construction, I took over 86 photos, but I'll only be highlighting the especially interesting parts today!  

CUTTING OUT

Because kimono silk is woven quite narrow (14 inches or so, but mine was closer to 12.5 after I washed it and hung it to dry), my pattern has all long narrow pieces.  Here are pics of cutting the pattern.

laying out the front panel on the fold

Here, all cut out, you can see that I left some extra fabric for attaching pocket.

using every last scrap

avoiding stains

Here, with the pieces cut out, you can see that I found a way to cut pocket fabric out of the side-front panels.  I'll show you in the next section how the pockets came together.  The missing pieces from this pattern are the collar and belt pieces, which I make at a later stage.  

POCKETS

The dress ends up having three pockets... but let me start with the front pocket, which I enclosed in the front princess seam because that was what the pattern envelope inspiration pic showed.  So: I cut the front panel out with a bit of extra fabric in the pocket area, thinking I'll attach more fabric to make the pocket.  On the side-front panels, I do the same, but because they are narrower, I am able to cut a whole pocket from the same fabric!  

front panel with little "wings". The orange silk is the original kimono's facing fabric.

Orange silk pocket sewn onto one of the "wings" with the excess "wing" fabric trimmed away.

When I put the front together, I experiment with how to support the pocket, to keep it from hanging funny and making my crotch look lumpy.  I decide to sew it to the "wing" of fabric from the other side of the front panel.  That'll hold it in place.  

how it hangs

pocket sewn to its support flap

The thing is, that's a really awkward place for a pocket!  It's not like I'm gonna casually stick my hand in my crotch area, nor put something heavy or bulky there!  So obviously, I need side seam pockets, as well.  Those are easy enough to make: I just cut the pocket shape four times, sew them into the seam allowances for the side seams, and then put the side seams together.  I support the side pockets with some serger-worms (the chain stitch you can run off your serger by sewing nothing for a while) acting as french tacks to the front princess seams.  Ummm... that sounds confusing.  Have a picture!  

This pocket picture is from much later in the construction. You can see the two side-seam pockets hang loosely from french tacks to the front princess seams. When the dress is right-side-out, the pockets are very low profile and easy to use.

SLEEVE CAPS

When I get my sloper development blogged, I'll have a lot to say about developing these sleeves, but for now, suffice it to say they go together well and fit their armscyes well!  Hurray!  To support the sleeve cap a little, I take a bit of silk organza and cut it on the bias, then make a little puff wit it and sew it into the shoulder seam: 

silk organza puffs

sleeve cap with a little support

Notice the puff is under the seam allowance, on the sleeve side of the seam.  The purpose of the puffs is to round out the shoulder's shape, so it doesn't sag and show the seam allowances, or cave in or buckle there.  On a more structured wool suit, a padded roll would be used, but for silk crepe I think this is enough.  

DRAPING THE COLLAR

Let's review my two inspiration pics to see the collar I'm trying to imitate: 

In both cases, it is a Mandarin collar (with or without notch), which is angled slightly inward, so it doesn't stick up straight from the neck, but creates a gentle slope that frames the neck and softens the shoulder.  Interesting.  

To drape it, I start with a long strip of muslin cut on the bias.  I pin it to the dress, seamline to seamline. 

Because it's a rectangle (long straight lines) pinned to a curving neckline, the collar ripples all over the place.  So now it's time to slash and fold the ripply edges until they sit right.   ​

Here are the front and back after I make a few slashes and tucks.  ​

FRONT

BACK

So I take the piece off the dress and flatten it, re-draw it, and shorten it.  Then I test my new, streamlined piece.  

Then I make it up with silk, interfaced with hair canvas.  

And here is the finished collar.  But you probably don't see it, because my face is so hilarious in this picture that you hardly notice the clothes!  Seriously, that's the face I'd make in a mugshot if I were arrested for climbing the outside of the Empire State Building pretending to be an alien.  "It's a Moo Moo!!!"  

Eeble, gleeep, gloib.

ALMOST DONE!

Before I add the elastic to the side seams and line it, I try it on to check the fit and the mobility in the sleeves.  It definitely needs the elastic and belt to give it some style, huh?  

twirly twirly twirly!

FINISHING TOUCHES

To finish the dress, I put elastic in the side-waist panels to cinch the waist, I make a belt that secures at the front with two buttons, and I line it with the pale pink China silk that lined the original.  Hems, and done!  

Putting elastic in. See how the waist seam was pressed open first so I could sew the elastic over it with minimal bulk?

Lining the back

I have a silk tag lying around, so I sew it in.

TIME & MONEY

   3 hours -- patterning this dress initially (not including pockets/collar/belt)
+ 9 hours -- construct dress (including the pockets/collar/belt)
12 hours TOTAL

Cost: $35 for the kimono that I used for fabric.

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This post is long and image-heavy, so I'll post another one with photos of me in the finished dress, and compare my pattern to one of the vintage patterns to see how close I was to their design!