Vintage Girl Dress

Vintage girl summer dress, well I thought it was a little vintagy especially because of the polka dots, but its just a modification of the  Mela summer dress.
Loved the complements we got on this one - Notice the WE :) and I loved it too. Totally!
This post is full of photos, sorry I couldn't choose any less amongst the nearly 100 I took. You read it right! Allow me and I'll post all 100. Every angle the dress looks beautiful. When did I learn to boast what I've done. :) Feel so satisfied with this one. :)
Have to show you the inside of the dress as well. Not a single seam seen. Yes, not a single - all seams are hidden. I'll take some more and show you.

Love this photo - the back lighting emphasizing the back.

Sewing Pattern:

I used the Mela summer dress free pattern for this. I elongated the bodice, elminated the elastic back.
Added a full circle skirt. I've made about 20 circle skirts up until now and let me tell you I've found circle skirts the most difficult to finish.

Sewing problems and learning:

1. Circle skirt bias hanging problem:

Difficult fabrics tend to hang on the bias differently. What I mean is that any dress or skirt sewn on the bias has a tendency to hang or elongate on the portions that is hanging on the bias. By hanging I mean the skirt or dress area falling towards ground due to gravity.

So I hung the wet rather drenched dress 24 hours, hoping it will drop or hang but after 24 hours when I measured it it didn't seem to have hung. Well I don't have a mannequin and by no means can I measure it on my model daughter if it was equidistant from waist to hem. If I measure it manually, the angles can't get right and also due to the elastic on the back it was making matters worse to measure. 

Got an idea with this. Whilst cutting it, I'll insert pins where I need to measure after finishing the bodice and waistband.

Wonder how they do it commercially?  Would they need to have some maths that this type of fabric with hang or drop by this cm so would they cut the pattern shorter on the bias by that cm? Let me know anyone please?

2. Circle skirt hem finish: 

Steam Iron magic

I've used double fold to finish the circle skirt and I'm really pleased. This is the best finish I've had for a curved hem. I recently bought a new iron - a steam iron - Rowenta DW6010 Eco Focus Steam Iron, I'd suggest you all to buy a steam iron. You can skip step d on this. Save some time :)

3. Matching threads and preparation with bobbin thread.

In several photos you can see here I ran out bobbin thread and the matching thread as well. Just being overly lazy. I used matching thread on top and managed with white bobbin thread but it's not always you can manage - many times you would need to finish from the wrong side. When will I learn?

4. Attaching circle skirt with straight waistband:

I used my tutorial of sewing curved seams. In a circle skirt the stitching line across the waist is larger than the cutting line curve. How do I make the cutting curve same as stitching curve? clip clip clip!!

Simple? I got this perfect here.

Photos:

Have a great week!
Preethi

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Summer dress free Pattern

The first 3 tier dress I made was this with dupatta that my childminder kindly gave it to me to try out my new passion. It might have been my 4th project.

The neck was small, sleeves were far too complicated and binding was rubbish. I was learning how to use the sewing machine

And then it was winter and I was so into skirts and to get the back elastic perfect that I forgot everything else.

Once it was summer this year I really wanted to show off the beautiful skin of my daughter.  My first idea was a sleeveless version of the tiered dress I had made that could be used in winter as well with a tee under it. Then I thought when would she wear a proper summer dress. And there it was this blue fabric I bought in Goldhawk road starting at me.

The original idea was to make a nightie out of this out of this pattern. By the way that's a free nightie pattern in size 2T

I really wanted to do the 3 tier again but without the sleeves. I was negotiating the sleeves option but then thought I wanted a very fitted bodice and the only way I was going to have it was to have

- Shirring at the back OR

- Have a very fitted pattern with buttons or zip all over the back.

My hands were itching and I wanted to get started. It was at 10 in the night. Couldn’t wait for the morning or rather the weekend to buy shirring thread so used elastic just to see how to front of the dress turns out. It worked beautifully - front and back and could put off to learn shirring for later.

I’m already thinking of variations of this pattern. And doodling them.

I've called this pattern Mela - A fair as I thought it will be perfect for wearing at a fair.

DOWNLOAD INDIAN SUMMER FREE PATTERN HERE 
Please Note that I've not tested the pattern for any other size than size 2T. Please use the pattern and tutorial at your own risk for other sizes. :)

Here is the pattern that I've tried to draw:

 Mela Summer dress Features:

- Fitted bodice

- 3 tiers

- Shoulder straps fully adjustable tie back

- Bias tape/binding finished bodice and hem

- Easy for a beginner

- No serger required/a basic sewing machine with basic straight stitch skills is enough.

If you need to learn to sew refer the full set of tutorials to learn to sew. Specifically what you need to know before you start: (click on the link to learn about it)

1. How to wind bobbin

2.  How to thread sewing machine and sew a straight line

3. What is grain, selvage, warp, weft

2. What is seam allowance

3. What is basting

4. How to finish raw edges without serger

That's it really. Along the tutorial I'll show you how to gather. But if you need to go through my full tutorial - here it is

Finished dress:

Refer here for more photos.

Size chart: All measurements in cm. 

I've tried to use inches, but just couldn't get my head around it. You can read my ramblings here

 

Choosing Fabric for summer dress: 

Refer to this post on why I selected this fabric although I do not recommend it. I really need to have a distinct right and wrong side for the tutorial to make sense.

Choose a really lightweight cotton for this project.

Fabric required: Again everything is in cm

Full Photo instructions to make summer dress:

1. Supplies for summer dress ePattern:

Full details of supplies for summer dress

2. Download summer dress free ePattern and cut fabric

Full instructions how to download epattern, how to trace epattern if you don't have access to printer or want to save fabric and how to cut fabric.
All seam allowances are 1.5 cm.

3. How to Sew bodice and bias bind:

How to sew bodice pieces togther

4. How to layer skirt and join bodice

 How to form skirt tiers/layer with step by step instructions

Mela Summer Dress Photos:

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Mela Summer dress pictures

Ok this post is just pictures. Tomorrow I'll post the introduction to the Mela dress.
UPDATE : For the FREE PATTERN with full step by step instructions refer Mela Summer dress free pattern

Have a great week.

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