Made by a Fabricista: Pieces of Plaids & a Few Ruffles
[This dress was made for and modeled by my daughter Mori]
Hello All, it's good to be back. How about the competition? The ladies all did a great job and I want to welcome Marcia to the team! So I am getting back in the mix with a few pieces of plaid and a few other prints. Now you guys know how I am with the mixing of the prints and with is s wild one right here. I mixed the two plaids with a stripe and a little flower power. [Flower print not from Fabric mart and I couldn't find the stripe fabric online]
Now I'm going to let you guys in on my thought process with this dress. I ordered two prints that could go together and then I ordered two prints that you would never think to put with these plaid prints. I did not let myself think about how they did not match I was just going to use all four prints.
I had already chosen the pattern for the project McCall's 7537, which was a few different views but I was going with view B. Once I nailed down the prints for each part, there was no turning back.
That's the thing when mixing prints, you have to commit and stay on course, it works out most of the time and some times it doesn't. I like this crazy little dress, it reminds me of an old fashioned barmaid's dress, it just doesn't have the corset.
My changes or additions:
- I added bias tape to the collar facing and to the neck ruffles, which makes them stand out as opposed to laying down. I like the way they stand up but Mori, not so much, she said it reminds her of a clown. [She said I need to remove the ruffles.]
- I did not add the loops for the lace -up front because the ruffles was enough, so it's pretty low cut.
- I removed 3 inches from the skirt and added a little ruffle at the bottom, so it's a little shorter that the original length.
Also getting into the dress was a little on the tight side, it has no zipper in the back but on the left side under the arm. We had to get one shoulder in and finagle to get the other. Mori had broad shoulders but I thought with the open neckline that would make it easier. That's one thing that I do not like about a fitted dress with a zipper under the arm, you may have trouble getting it over your head and shoulders.
Please leave a comment and let me know what you think about mixing prints!
Also my magazine that I am publishing " Sewn Magazine" will be released on Nov 6th and we are taking orders now! This is a physical magazine. Make sure you get your copy today!
Order a copy HERE
Thanks for watching! Michelle @ www.thatblackchic.com
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Posted on October 05 2017
Michelle, normally I love your creations but this one, not so much.
I think it was a little too much in the mixing department. The dress itself was nice but the mix wasn't.
Your prints are perfect together. Could you press the ruffles down? I once interviewed, Kay of Serendipity patterns (podcast Sew Forth Now) and she said to press ruffles flat. Her point was that ruffles add volume and fullness to the body and most of the time we don't want/need that. So she said just press them flat, that has stuck with me all these years.
You put a lot of work into this. I love your style, skills, and creativity—-but, this one…not so much. The style—reminds me of the 60's/70's maxi/peasant era, print mixing—a little over the top. IDK, maybe it's me.
I love the idea using the bias tape with the ruffles. Doing a ruffles project for my daughter and a top and I will definitely try the bias tape to make it stand out a bit.
Angie , I think this is the response that I will get from a lot of people on this one but I'll take it. I think if I used a different dress pattern, I could have won you over with the prints……maybe
No that wouldn't work for this ruffle because it is a three circle patterns sewn together and sewn on straight. They would have laid if I didn't put the bias on because the fabric is shirt weight. I like the way the ruffles turned out but Mori didn't.
Robin you sound like Mori! Hahaha! But you know what you're right about the maxi look.
Girl I'm here for this mix and I don't even love red white and blue! I think people get caught up in matchy-matchy far to much. It's supposed to be VERY different and that's the beauty of it. You have have EXCELLENT construction skills but you already know that. Keep it up girl!
I'm a girl of the 70's and I think this dress is so cute and young looking. Your daughter is a beautiful girl and she looks adorable in this dress. Great job putting it all together. I'd wear it in a heartbeat (if I looked like your daughter).
Love the dress and love the patterns. It is not exactly mainstream, it just has to be worn by someone who has as much personality as the dress.