Hand-Sewn Gray Dress

I love hand-sewing.  Ever since I was a child, I've loved plying the needle, imagining myself in another time.  It's certainly a slower process to hand-sew a garment than to do one by machine, but in the summer, when the weather is fine, I often take my projects to a local park to work on them.  A few years back, I was working on drafting a basic dress pattern, and made a couple versions of it.  The pattern is not perfect (the armscye is cut too close in the front, the sleeves I drafted for it never fit right, and I'm not crazy about the neckline), but it's a good example of an early stage of my pattern-drafting.  And, despite the fit problems, I always get compliments when I wear the dresses. 

I don't have much to say about the construction of this one, as it was so long ago.  However, here are some pictures of the hand-sewing:

Inside the underarm seam.

Waist seam (inside)

Pretty metallic ribbon used as hem tape, with a wee bow at the Center Back. The fabric is pilling, alas.

This is the strap catcher, inside the shoulder seam. It keeps the bra straps from sliding out from under the dress.

I used a salvaged jewelry clasp to decorate the top of the zipper. Pretty!

This is the completed dress, with piping at the waist. It's been washed many times and is starting to show wear, but it's still a staple of my summer wardrobe.