I left you all on Saturday morning, when I had created my graded pattern but had yet to cut out my fabric. Things went fairly smoothly, aside from accidentally leaving the zipper opening on the right, rather than left, side of the dress, ripping out the seam on the left side, and then restitching the exact same seam, which of course required ripping it out again. Argh. By the end of the evening, my sewing friends had completed the full muslins-as-linings for their more complicated patterns, and, because I had no lining to mess around with, I had a finished dress:
I say “finished,” but I have every intention of going back in and putting in a side-seam pocket. I need pockets. As long as I keep altering this pattern, I think I’ll also move the zipper to the center back next time, which will call for a doubly-long zipper but eliminate the whole right/left issue. Now that I’ve successfully sewn my first vintage pattern, and graded/altered it as well, I just can’t seem to stop messing around!
I wore the now-referred-to-as-Dragon Dress out in public to go to the store on Monday, and received no fewer than SIX compliments on my dress from complete strangers. How lovely! It’s cottony-comfortable, fun to twirl in, and apparently looks quite flattering. The only caveat (aside from a serious lack of pocket) is that when I crouched down at the store to look for something on a bottom shelf, the skirt spilled around me in a three-foot radius, thus preventing a store clerk from restocking a wide swath a shelving until I got up again. Which really isn’t a problem for ME as much as for the people AROUND me.
Tomorrow: Vintage Sewing Weekend’s Bonus Dress
shoes and pie 
I love it! I wish I could make myself be brave enough to try such a process.
Thanks! When I think about it, even though I still consider myself a novice sewist, I’ve actually been deconstructing simple garments and sewing up my own versions since high school. It’s only now that I’m doing it with any regularity and attention to detail, which I have to admit makes for a nicer finished garment. Shortcuts often aren’t. :)
Wow, the dress looks amazing!
Thanks, Bettie! I’m quite pleased with the results, even though I’m still anxious to make more tweaks for next time.
Love it. I have the opposite problem with my dresses – I adjust the hem to work on my freakishly short body and then end up making it so short that bending down in a store results in me flashing everybody. I got around that by drafting and sewing a pair of boy short underwear that are white sports lycra – at least nobody sees anything now.
I adore the fabric. The cut is great too. I am also glad to see that I am not the only one to remove a seam that was improperly sewn only to resew it again incorrectly.
One of my sewing partners made the exact same zipper-on-the-wrong-side mistake that I did, even though I’d already made that error right in front of her and as a result she very carefully double-checked her work before doing it anyway. Zippers are evil, and out to get us. :)
Your boy shorts sounds like a clever solution to a potentially embarrassing problem! Of course, you could always go the pin-up girl route and make sure that your underpinnings are fancy and worth seeing. ;)
Stunning Dress! it came out so well I love the fabric you used simply amazing! ♥
Thanks! I’m in love with this fabric. It will be perfect to wear to this year’s Dragonboat Festival!
What an amazing dress! I love dresses that have a full skirt they are fun to “twirl around” in!
Great job!
Linda
Va-voom! :)
Ohhhh, this is such a great looking dress. I love swirly skirts!