Made by a Fabricista: Preparing for the Holidays

Hard to believe the holidays are fast approaching and in six weeks we will welcome a new year! I am determined to celebrate in a big way!!! I picked Vogue V1722 by Designer Nicola Finetti for its statement bodice and statement sleeves. Yes, indeed, I am loving its close-fitting bodice, plunging neckline, balloon sleeves, and flared skirt.

I dared to make this special dress in Fabric Mart’s embroidered silk dupioni, a fabric I had not sewn before. I did not prewash the silk dupioni as dry cleaning will be my method of care for the finished garment. I underlined the bodice with prewashed black cotton batiste from my stash instead of the suggested interfacing. Though not called for by the pattern, I also underlined the skirt the same way to minimize wrinkling when I wear it. I prewashed black silk charmeuse (from Fabric Mart) to use as lining. Then I lined the balloon sleeves with champagne colored organza from my stash to give it more body. For the hem band, I used French fuse as interfacing for the charmeuse. Size 60 needle was perfect for these fabrics. Believe me, with all its details, this dress is not something you can make in a hurry!

Because of its distinctive style, I highly recommend making a muslin first. The bodice has a princess seam and is lined. The deep plunge is all the way to the waistline, but I did not want that much exposure. To decrease it, I stitched the front bodice 2 inches up from the waistline and stitched the strap 6 inches up from the waistline. The bodice hangs by 1 ½ inch on each shoulder and attaches easily to the flared skirt and closes in the back with an invisible zipper. I cut in half the width of the hem band so that the skirt, which is longer in the longer in the back than the front, would not touch the floor.

The sleeves are super dramatic. The upper sleeve is lined and attached to the gathered lower sleeve, which I lined with organza to make the bubble look standout. Each lower sleeve has 11 tucks stitched in different directions and 3 pleats on the inseam. Because the sleeves were too long, I added two 5/8’ tucks on the inseam of each sleeve and increased the size of the middle tucks by 5/8’ each. A sleeve band controlled the look.

Additional details: I doubled the size of the bow (black charmeuse lined with organza) attached to the front strap to make it more proportional to the dress. Hand stitching in the armhole binding, arm band, and hem band gave the inside of the dress a professional finish.

Wow, I feel so fancy! The design of the dress and beautiful fabrics gave me a striking dress. I am dreaming of an unforgettable celebration already.

Til next blog,