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Hand-Sewn Gray Dress

6/5/2017

3 Comments

 
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:
Picture
Inside the underarm seam.
Picture
Waist seam (inside)
Picture
Pretty metallic ribbon used as hem tape, with a wee bow at the Center Back. The fabric is pilling, alas.
Picture
This is the strap catcher, inside the shoulder seam. It keeps the bra straps from sliding out from under the dress.
Picture
I used a salvaged jewelry clasp to decorate the top of the zipper. Pretty!
Picture
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.
3 Comments
The Sister
6/5/2017 07:10:27 am

I have come to love strap catchers and wonder why they're not installed in every woman's garment! Also, I adore the sweet little decoration at the top of the zipper. How charming! I think you ought to post a picture of yourself wearing this dress. :)

Reply
Karen Roy link
6/5/2017 01:35:45 pm

So many clothes, so little time for photoshoots! Even when the weather is fine and I'm wearing the dress, I either don't have my camera, or the pictures don't come out. It's not as easy as point and click-- not when it's the clothing you're trying to showcase. The best pics of clothing being worn that I have on this site are pictures I took of you!

Speaking of pictures of you... you should remove the elastic from the back of the pinwheel top and take pictures of it loose and relaxed. The three people who read this blog are pining to see it! PINING! ;)

Reply
The Sister
6/11/2017 05:43:44 pm

Pining!? Hahahaha! I'm one of the 3 people who read this blog... but you'll have to wait for me to get something high-waisted for a photograph. I have nothing that looks right with the top yet, although I did wear it last week with a sub-par bottom.




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    Karen Roy

    Quilting, dressmaking, and history plied with the needle...

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