The bodice part of my dress is complete! I hand sewed the boned lining into the dress last night, and the zipper guard and waist stay today. Here’s a pic showing all three:
Next up: halter strap! 🙂
Monthly Archives: July 2012
WIP: Bombshell Skeleton!
So I’ve officially been inducted into the ranks of Those Who Cut Their Own Boning! I must say, I am a total fan – it’s not nearly as hard as I thought (I figured out the trick ;))
My very first hand cut & tipped spiral bone:
Then all my boning, cut & tipped:
Instead of pre-made boning channels I sewed Prussian tape to the lining; it’s strong and creates less bulk but you have to be VERY precise ’cause it’s only 3/8″ wide and the boning is 1/4″ which only allows you 1/16″ room on each side…. needless to say, stuffing that boning in was toight lol
And finally – the lining outside with all channels sewn & boning inserted – YAY! My hands are a little sore (not from cutting but from squeezing tips on!) but damn am I pleased with myself lol ^_^
WIP: My first lapped zipper!
The skirt part of the dress is attached and my very first lapped zipper complete!! So cool!! 😀 I decided to hand pick it for yet another first, and am so pleased with the results!!
Next up, boning! 🙂
WIP: Bombshell Bodice Complete!
Week two, Bombshell Dress bodice is done!
I have so much to say about this but for now I’ll just say two things:
1.) If you hate hand-sewing this is not the project for you (lol), and
2.) I always knew I was a little OCD but this project has been a real eye opener for me as to what really gives me deep satisfaction, and this type of sewing is 100% where it’s at for me. I’ll be doing a lot more of it after this 🙂
So without further ado, here’s a gratuitous shot of the insidey bits:
and the outside:
Next up, Week 3: The skirt & (my first!) lapped zipper!
WIP: Seam Matching Win!
Not finished the bodice yet but since I really kicked ass putting this together I wanted to share! … I was prepared for loads of swearing, unpicking, and general hair pulling, but I got these cups installed in as perfectly as possible without any undoing/redoing!! YAY!
WIP: small post
This is what happened when I unrolled my dreamy soft cotton to iron, for the outer bodice of my Bombshell dress lol:
My WIP: look what I made!
I’m so super proud; look what I made!! 😀
In case you didn’t know, that’s my Bombshell Dress muslin! Yeah that’s right! Maybe it doesn’t look that exciting but believe me, this muslin represents a huge leap in my skills, because I literally had to drape/draft my own bra cup pieces in lieu of doing an FBA.
I did of course start with the original three pattern pieces that make up each cup but I had to essentially redraw two of them entirely, and one was almost twice the size – hyuk hyuk lol. It’s hard to tell from this pic cause the original piece hasn’t been trimmed to size, but check it out:
That was week one, and I’m already into week two so I’m hoping to get a good bit done on the bodice for my next post! 🙂
Mission Maxi – take 1 (saved!)
Alright so here is the SAVED version of my first Jamie Christina Mission Maxi. I say first version because all in all, this is a beautiful pattern, incredibly easy and stylish, and I will be using this A LOT.
The pattern is incredibly easy; my only dilemma was finding a surface long enough to cut it on, so I used my dresser… carefully, so as not to jab it with my scissors LOL. The instructions were clear and straight forward, and the pattern itself is so simple it’s a dream to put together. I traced the pattern, graded it, cut my fabric and sewed it up in one afternoon/evening!
As aforementioned, my choice of fabric was probably not the wisest…. off-white jersey is apparently quite transparent, I’ve discovered, and not very flattering to one’s less than perfect regions LOL. (Like DUH) Yes I am the master of discovering the obvious! LOL
So I spent hours picking off the binding, and I constructed a lining from lingerie knit, which was the closest thing i could find to swimsuit lining. I then attached it at the neckline and reattached the binding, hemmed the lining and called it a day… which if I’m honest, was probably more like two. It took me way less time to make the dress than to unpick and attach the lining, so there you go, lesson learned. The lining is nylon so it’s incredibly hot and sweaty, though, as we are getting 29-30 degree humid heat, so that’s kind of a bummer, but it saved the dress from becoming a very chic night gown LOL.
Not the most flattering thing I own, clearly LOL.
I have plans to make this in the tank top version in a darker colour next time, so I can have a more casual, flattering version. This one is still way too revealing for my taste! I’m gonna let it sit in the magic closet til the weather cools off and I lose a few more pounds… which should be around the same time ^__^  I also plan to make at least one tank top out of the pattern. I’ve already cut up a crappy dress i bought last year and never wore, and plan on making it my first Jamie Christina tank top! 🙂
A bad weekend for sewing
My Mission Maxi.
I wish I could show you this dress. I really do. I made it in one day; it was a dream to sew, turned out beautifully, and is sooo pretty and elegant.
However I’m sad to say that the dreamy jersey I chose for it is shockingly, disappointingly, see through and clingy. The see through I handled with a halter bra & slip but the clingy is another story. In some lights it’s fine but in others I look like a frumpy mess 😦 If only I were a bony supermodel! lol
I SOOOO want to make this again but I’ve learned my lesson; I have to test the opaqueness a LOT more thoroughly next time I buy jersey!!
I really want to save this dress so I might try unpicking the seam binding & making a tricot lining like my smart friend from A Good Wardrobe. Shoulda listened to ya, Lizz! 🙂
Then I tried making a pair of lace tangas from the free pattern over at BurdaStyle, and it turned out a hot mess too. The pattern was massive and the lace was far too flimsy; it was a total wadder 😦 Gonna have to check my sizing & print again, and get some more lace, cause I’m not giving up!!
*sigh*
Here’s hoping my luck turns soon – I’m embarking on a BIG project soon and want it to turn out a lot better than the last two lol.
My Portfolio Site Launched!
If you’ve been following you’ll recall I got laid off about a month ago, and since then have been working very hard to compile the last seven years worth of my work, narrow it down, and create a portfolio so I can get my butt out there and get a job. LOL.
I’m still working part time at the moment so I’ve actually got a couple months left, in which I will be designing my resume, takeaway piece, and logo… but until then, I have an online presence now, which I can share with you:
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social symon!
Symon Sez 