Mar 19, 2012

Blogger jealousy and making up for missed opportunities

I don't consider myself a jealous person but now and then my magnanimous appreciation for the superior work of others is tested.

Take the other day when Cynthia at DapperDuds posted on my blog to say she had made a dress from the same Marc Jacobs bow print cotton I had sadly wasted on a poorly designed Misses Vogue pattern that constricted my upper body movements (and I like moving my upper body, so that was a problem).

So like a sucker, I follow the link to her blog only to discover that her dress (sewn from Simplicity 2444) is 10 times cuter than the hack job I eventually cobbled together from that same fabric last summer.

My husband was walking by the computer and he said, "Is that you? I don't remember taking that picture." To which I replied, "NO, that's NOT me. She's younger and cuter and has better legs and more blog followers, and she made better use of that precious bow print fabric than I did....and she lives in Portland!! $%&$!!!"

And that's when I ripped our iMac out of the wall and hurled it across the room. Then I went and ate an entire bag of Mini Eggs to get myself together.

Following that heated incident, I decided to give myself a challenge. No, not to outdo Ms. Cynthia. That would be petty. My challenge was to make good use of the remaining yard and a half I had of this printed cotton I had used to line my Minoru jacket. Like that Marc Jacobs bow-print cotton, I bought it at Metro Textiles Corp. on 37th St. for just $5/yard. I quite like the geometric gray and blue design. I think they look a little like pencils, neatly arranged:


I thought the pattern Cynthia chose for her dress was a smart one because it was simple enough to showcase the lovely print. So I opted for something similar: Burdastyle's Dress with Gathered Skirt and Cap Sleeves.  I didn't have a huge amount of fabric left, so I knew sleeves were out of the question (hence, no need to buy Simplicity 2444) and the dirndl skirt would be a good way to make what I had work.

I made a muslin and made one adjustment to the front bodice pattern piece, but after sewing I realize I need to do a bust dart rotation to take out the ease that unfortunately lets me check on the status of my cleavage just by glancing downward. You can see from the photos, it fits beautifully through the waist and bust but my upper chest and shoulders aren't really filling this out so well:



Where's the anti-wrinkle filter in PhotoShop?


The fit issues won't be enough to keep me from wearing this dress, though when I make this pattern again, I will manipulate the dart to remove excess from the gaping neckline. And when I do, I will share it with you, because it's an important trick to have in your arsenal if you want to make well-fitting clothes (and are a lady with a bosom). I am most proud of how I laid the pattern pieces on this print. (The way the pencil/spears come together I feared that with the wrong placement I could end up accentuating my nipples in an egregious way. But look at how beautifully symmetrical it is! Suck it, Cynthia! (Only kidding).

16 comments:

  1. I'm jealous. Of your fabric and your dress. Nice work, lady. Nice work.

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  2. i love the shape of this dress, i've been hoping to make a similar silhouette for this spring/summer! the fabric is also very cool. maybe you can sneak in a couple neckline darts? gaping or not, it's a beautiful dress!

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    1. I have an idea to fix it. It involves elastic. Pray for me.

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  3. I totally hear you on the blogger jealousy. But I'm jealous of you! And for what it's worth, I loved that bow print dress. I was sooo upset that I didn't have any of that fabric.

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    1. Damn, and I wish I had MORE of that fabric!

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  4. Ohhhh, and it's Suzanne with the TKO! Fab dress

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    1. But the world needs to know WWCD with that pencil/spear print fabric? (WWCD=What would Cynthia do?)

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  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  6. To be honest, I think I prefer your version of the bow print dress, with the plain style skirt and the belt. Although the other dress is cute, I think it is too much of a busy pattern, I like how yours is broken up with contrasting material. I love your dress above too and seriously love the pattern. Gorgeous!

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  7. I love this! The fabric is so cool, and the style is way cute on you! Very Williamsburg (and not in an annoying way). Oddly enough, I have a large-scale bow print picked out (in pink) for this very same pattern... I've been afraid to jump in, as I'm not sure I've got enough, ahh, bust, for this neckline, but it's such a cute style!

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    1. I did a bust dart rotation and took out some of that neckline sag. I'm making another version of it, which I can already tell will fit much better.Why not do the bodice in the bow print with a skirt in a solid colour? (or vice versa)

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    2. That's a great idea! It might be a little less cutesy if I break up the print. This seems like a style that you'll be able to wear all the time and look effortlessly fashionable!

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  8. hilarious commentary on blogger jealousy.

    awh, i love your dress! it's super cute. i have grand plans to make it as well. and i LOVE the fabric - i eyed it for a while at gorgeous fabrics. that's awesome you found it elsewhere for a reasonable price.

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  9. I love the fabric for this dress. And your minuro jacket looks fabulous. I still haven't started mine yet...

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  10. Great dress and yes, a lovely photo spot for you! Nice for you all to be settled!Your fabric design your better.To get more design in weaveron textile click on this link....:https://www.weaveron.com

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