Okay, back to the task at hand. As I said, I finished this dress (based on Simplicity 7990) up a while back and I do believe it is my favourite piece in my SWAP to date. Below, you can see pictures of the outside and inside of the dress.
This dress is the most luscious shade of deep, sunny yellow. It has been hanging on the armoire in my bedroom and every time I walk by it, it gives me pure joy. I cannot look at this dress without smiling!Not only do I love the colour, but I love the fit. The split neckline, fitted cummerbund and full skirt are very flattering on me. I highly recommend this style for the small busted, pear shaped woman - it highlights all the good and disguises all the bad. What more can a gal ask for?
As you can see on the inside photo, the entire dress was underlined in light peach cotton batiste. This masks the translucent quality of the dupioni, as well as keeping the garment cool and breathable. Most importantly, the batiste allows for the invisible tacking down of facings and hems, which keeps the outside of the garment pristine and free of stitch marks.
All in all, I adore this dress. It makes me happy, happy, happy! I know that I can't be the only one that has clothing that has the ability to change my mood. So, fess up folks, do you have a garment that makes you warm and fuzzy just thinking about it? An article of clothing that makes your day every time you wear it? Do you have an outfit that makes you feel like you can take on the world? Do you have a dress that brings back pleasant memories when you see it in your closet? Tell me about your happy clothes.
ETA: Lisette M asked why I decided to forgo a lining in this dress. The easy answer is that I want to wear it to work this spring/summer. Although my school is supposed to be air conditioned, it doesn't always live up to this supposition. Considering I am usually hot on a regular day, I fry in my classroom on a hot day. So, the less fabric on me, the better - I find the cotton batiste to be cool and comfortable, so I left it at that.
26 comments:
This is SO gorgeous Shannon!! Wow. It would make me smile too!
Tonight's the night!! Got your popcorn ready?? (ps...Scifi was airing it at noon through a streaming feed online and it was killing me not to peek, LOL.)
beautiful, its such a great color indeed
Shannon, I like yours better than Jackie's! After your reccomendation, I bought both Jackie books. What great fun to look through these. I was just learning to sew in the early 60's (10 years old in '61) so these fashions were my ideal and still are. The simple lines, the great fabrics, the fabulous solid colors...Anyway, your rendition of the 60's look is really wonderful.
Marguerite
Well, that dress makes me happy! Such a gorgeous color, and yes perfect style for our figure types.
As far as clothing that makes me happy and confident and that makes my day, it would have to be any one of the red dresses or trench coat that I have made or really any of my red clothes. When I have important business at school or meetings with difficult parents, I wear the red.
PS Glad your mom is doing well.
Marguerite
That dress would make me happy happy happy too! The color really is about the most perfect shade of yellow.
Shannon, it's just stunning.
Looks great, inside and out!
Hmm.... the best "happy clothes" thing I can think of is a dress I made last summer--one of the few things I've made that I designed that turned out almost exactly like I wanted. I love the look and the fit, and it just screams summer to me. I want it to get warm so I can wear it again!
The dress is fantastic! I love the photo that shows the great workmanship on the inside.
I've definitely got clothes that change my attitude! Sadly one of my very favorites had to be retired this year :( I was very emotional about not seeing it in my closet anymore. It was a pink, collarless wool jacket with black buttons and a short straight skirt. I always wore it with black tights, turtleneck and shows.
Hmm, that's a good question--what clothes make you happy. A wool boucle cape I made makes me feel like a rich woman, my cashmere sweaters make me feel pampered. I do love that yellow dress!
Oh no, I don't! Well I have some shoes that make me feel really special and some skirts that make me feel rather feminine. I think I had better work harder on my wardrobe.
BTW, love the yellow dress. I have a yellow dress in my wardrobe that I quite enjoy wearing but my sewing is not as beautiful as yours!
Ooooohhhh pretty! Very, very pretty!
That dress is just beautiful. I'm glad to hear your mother is improving daily. g
Your dress makes me happy just looking at it too! Gorgeous color! I have a dress that we dubbed "the Magic Dress", because it just looks so good and feels good too. It actually is a dress I bought off the rack (I know...BLASPHEMY!),but it is a wrap style that I can easily knock off, so I guess it's okay! Mary
Shannon, your dress is beautiful,no wonder it makes you so happy. I am working on a similar style pattern where I'm using silk shantung. I was planning on using as interlining batiste but wondering if a lining was also necessary. What was your thought process when constructing your dress that you chose not to line also?Reducing bulk?Thanks,
Lisette
This is such a beautiful dress! We have really hot summers here, so I agree with the "less fabric, the better" idea. What shoes will you wear? I love dresses, but standing on a cement floor teaching all day kills my feet.
That dress is absolutely stunning! Gorgeous!
Clothing that makes me smile. Hmmmm. Anything that people compliment me on and then ask me where I bought it. That makes my "day" for a week!
Beautiful summer silk dress. You probably know that perspiration stains are permanent in silk fabrics so adding a dress shield will prevent this and will keep your dress in good condition.Enjoy wearing the dress.
This is simply beautiful. I love the fabric, I love the pattern, I love the colour... guess I love everything!
What a gorgeous looking dress, Shannon! I'm glad your mother is feeling better now!
Oh what a gorgeous, gorgeous dress!
The red silk tunic I am sewing right now is making me very happy in the way you describe.
I totally understand hanging the dress where you can see it all the time. I do that, too!
Beau-ti-ful!!! I love it just as much inside and out. You did a great job!
I love that colour so much! And so beautifully finished - when I first saw the inside photo, I thought you'd made it reversible!
Shannon, that is one amazing dress!! I can just imagine this yellow with your shade of hair... Gorgeous!
Yes, seeing your dress did make me smile, too!
Just gorgeous. If I could wear sunny yellow, I would too.
quick question, Did you reduce any of the fullness or dart the batiste or did you gather it one-to-one with the silk?
I need some clothes in my closet that are happy clothes! Right now they're all in flat folds in my sewing closet. :)
Wow, I love this dress! It's even prettier than JK's! My happy-clothing is a white vintage Gunne Sax dress with pink roses and gratuitous amounts of lace. It's long and floaty and it's my princess dress :)
...But I think this is even more fabulous.
~Ari
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