Not Quite Enough Fabric? A Solution!

It happens to us all I imagine. Almost but not quite enough fabric. Sometimes it's in length, sometimes in width, or somewhere in between.

It happened to me this week when I was making this Vogue maxi dress I just blogged about on SewPassionista by DIANA.

The front top crosses over and I was missing just a bit at the  point on the bottom. I made sure  that it was the left side that would be deficient because that part would be completely covered by the right bodice piece and proceeded to add some fabric in this way.

I overlapped a piece of fabric making sure I matched the pattern and cut out the left front. It looked like this.

I then used a multiple stitch zigzag on the very edge of the added piece to join it to the rest of the left front bodice. I could barely see where I had joined the two pieces. I held it up against the light and even then it was almost invisible. See?

I guess my point is that we agonize over every little thing as sewists. In this case, the left bodice front is covered anyway. But no one is ever going to examine our garments as closely as we do so let's just lighten up.

Here's the finished bodice and it's fine. 

Thanks for stopping by. Have a a great week. More later from

A Lace Dress,1966 and a Lace Dress 2013

This may be silly but since it appears my Google followers anr still not receiving my feeds from Sew Passionista by DIANA, I'm going to publish this post on both my blogs ,just this one time.because I think this is a good one.

What woman doesn't like lace?

I thought I'd show you the only lace dress I've ever owned.....my prom dress from 1966!! I've kept it all these years. It's very teeny weeny! Sigh!

I still love it and can really understand why I chose it all those years ago. From the salmon coloured taffeta underskirt/lining, the organza layer, the gorgeous white lace,  to the beautifully scalloped border of the lace running down the back, it still gives me a thrill.

I couldn't make my dress form small enough so I couldn't zip it up but closed it enough to show the lovely back.

My 1966 prom dress is not in perfect condition. It has spots and discolorations and even some wear and tear. It was worn to a couple of formals, as a bridesmaid dress, as a costume for a High School drama production at the school where I taught and even as a Hallowee'en costume by my then teenaged daughter.
But pressing it and seeing it on Antoinette has made my heart ache a little for my youth now long gone.
But enough of that.

Lace to me is very dressy and formal and I've been wanting to make a lace dress ever since it started popping up everywhere in the fashion world including the blogs we all love and follow. ( Examples include Diary of a Sewing Fanatic and Amanda's Adventures In Sewing.).

We were  attending an event  that was  perfect for a lace dress and since I had a beautiful navy stretch lace in my stash, I decided it was now or never.

My pattern choice had to be New Look 6000    because the fit was so great in the View B version I just made and showed here. This one would be View A.

I decided to use a black lining although I considered a nude lining, but I knew I'd be more comfortable as an older woman in the more conservative navy/black combo.I left the elbow length sleeves unlined however.

Here is my dress.

The true colour is more like this

My 16 year old grand-daughter thought it was beautiful so it must be OK, I guess.

I cut the dress and sleeves so the scallops, which formed both selvedges, finished the hems.

 That made it so there is more stretch going down the dress than there is across,but that didn't cause any problems. The zipper, which I of course stabilized, did buckle a little but that's in the back and if I can't see it, it must not exist,right? Lol!

I'm very happy with my lace dress ,2013. Of course it doesn't have the magic that my 1966 prom dress still has for me, but then,  at the risk of sounding really corny,my life  after all has really ended up like a fairy tale and I don't need magic anymore.

I wanted to show you a real life shot of my husband and me at the event we attended but I forgot to have a photo taken! Darn!

I hope you will let me know what you think!

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View C of Butterick 5645, Much Better

Because I'm still not getting any traffic on SewPassionista by DIANA.,I'm going to start posting here instead for a while. Please if you would leave  a comment so I know I'm not invisible!! Lol!!

I made View A of  B5645 expecting to love it but the pattern had some flaws and I ended up feeling blah about it.

 I was going to file it away when I suddenly decided to try View C. I had a piece of printed lace that really wanted to become this top and so two hours later it was finished!

 

The sleeves of this top require an inset .I rather hastily decided to use a dark blue stretch lace I had on hand. I now wish I had chosen a white or beige lace instead.

I love this top and it will be perfect to wear with white palazzo pants to a barbecue that is also an anniversary party we are invited to. (  I don't have white palazzo pants but will have to do something about that.)

For now, it goes rather well with my white ponte yoga pants, I think.

I have a great post about lace dresses for next time. It includes my prom dress from 1966 which still makes me swoon a little. Please check back in a couple of days!

I hope you found time to sew this weekend.

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