I truly had fun making this dress. The 100% cotton voile fabric is heavenly — silky, with a soft, yet almost crisp hand. Before cutting out the pieces, I machine-washed the fabric and tumble-dried it, and it came out perfectly!
Before we look at construction details, you probably want to know about the “Tula Troop” part, right?
Random strange fact about moi: I like to iron. I like to press, too. (Yes, there’s a difference. Ironing is a back-and-forth motion; pressing is an up-and-down motion.) I know that most people don’t enjoy handling an iron, but I find satisfaction in it. Sigh.
So recently I was ironing this Aussie shirt that my parents brought me from a trip Down Under. Do you see anything here that warrants a discussion?
My M6503 dress is almost finished, but meanwhile let’s look at a project from a few months ago — vintage Butterick 6206 from the 1970s. It was sewn without a serger, and I made some changes:
- added neck ruffle
- added wrist ruffles
- narrowed the sleeves
- used a different method for hemming and applying the hem ribbon
I’ve been gone awhile from the blogosphere due to juggling lots of projects, the most important of which was my baby girl’s wedding! I’ll write about that later when we get the pics.
And speaking of the little bride, who writes the blog Allyson in Wonderland and is AKA @allyinwondrland on Twitter, here she is:
One of the recent arrivals in my shop is the Sunki pattern:
(click on the photo for the link to my shop)
Please pardon the title. I used to teach middle-schoolers.
In an earlier class– I mean, post, I mentioned that I underline in silk organza. Why?
1. It gives the right amount of body to lightweight fabrics.
2. It’s like wearing a camisole or slip underneath. There’s a layer between you and the outside fashion fabric, so the garment doesn’t cling to you. And on that topic, may I say that we need to bring back vintage-style slips! How gorgeous and sexy is Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof?!
Quick, name the movie:
“Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.’”
“Here’s looking at you, kid.”
“Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.”
“Round up the usual suspects.”
“Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
Like this:
I love Hug Snug rayon seam binding!
You know how a pattern will call for “seam binding”? So you go to the big box craft-store-that-used-to-be-a-fabric-store and find the notions area — the cabinets with the zippers, etc. — where the only seam binding offered is polyester and is in little 3-yd. packages.
After using Hug Snug rayon seam binding, I cannot ever go back to the little packages again. In fact, I had a box full of those seam bindings that I had accumulated over a long period of time, but I found a new home for them.
Hug Snug comes in 100-yd. rolls:
You’re not handstitching unnecessarily, are you? Tsk, tsk.
The Big 4 patterns always tell you to handstitch down those pesky facings, don’t they? Well, I do enjoy handstitching from time to time, but sometimes it’s not worth the time and trouble.
Currently I’m working on the bodice of McCall’s 6503 View C, which is the solid pink dress below.
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