Busting out the Bustle...Gown

This three day weekend was the greatest thing that could have happened to me.

I got so much work done, it is a little but ridiculous! Not only sewing wise, but I set myself up with a new sewing area at one end of the living room, so I'm not crammed into my small room or half in the kitchen half in the living room.



And then the work began on the bodice. This is going to be a long update because this is the entire gown over the course of a couple days. Still trimless and the apron is hemless but you get the idea.

First: There was the issue of resizing the pattern just a smidge considering I cut it out too small. So there are four bodice peices, technically 8. The back has a side seam so two back peices, a side back, a side, and the front. I took the side back and side and on the non basque side of the side-back I graded up a half inch. On the side peice on both edges I graded up a half inch.

This was a complete shot in the dark and it WORKED. OUT. PERFECTLY. Yay. So I then proceeded to cut out my bits and just cut off the excess around the fashion fabric and interfacing which i had painstakingly basted on when it was 6 sizes too big.

Then sewed em all together.



What I also did was hand sew bias tape over the sideback and side seams and down the back for boning. I went back and stopped the boning in the back at the waistline, else the basque back wouldnt look nearly as nice. Then it was time to get the lining on



I was a little suprised how well everything matched up, usually I have some seam matching problems.



Ooo plaid.

So I knew that I needed to have it closed fully when I wanted to do darts so I had to sew the hook and eye tape on post haste. At this point it was monday night and I needed to go to work the next day adn the hours were just slipping away so the most I could do for a finishing point was to sew the hook and eye tape on because I could not pin the edges closed since they were going to be edge to edge.




At this point I collapsed into bed excited about everything I had accomplished.

The next day, I needed to dart, so I rushed home on my lunch and began the painstaking process. It was somewhat of a pain even with the dress form. The fabric is heavy with the interfacing. But with scooby doo in the background I did perservere.



This was taken before I fixed that pulling to the side there. Sewed em up, flipped it right side too and then this is what I had.



Front



Back




Dont mind me I was demonstrating how there was still some room in the bust. Thanks Anton.


I know the plaid doesnt match up at all; that is the point its supposed to look jumbled. Sweeny Tood people!!

Now for all the finishing. Well, I'm sure the lot of you don't need any special images of me bias turning so I'll just tell you, HEY I BIAS TURNED THE ARMSCEYES AND BOTTOM.

After the darting I had to run BACK to work, and spent my first hour bias binding the bottom and armscyes and pressing like an OCD washerwoman. At that point I needed to run out for some more thread, black bias tape, and some lace I planned on tea staining (that post tomorrow or later.). I also went to michaels to pick up some black silk flowers to decorate my hat and gown with (goth I know but trust me.). Found these tiny shallow crowned straw hats for 27 CENTS A POP. So I bought three.

Got home and immediately went to town on the apron. Ok, this was A LOT harder than advertised but since it was getting late and I was getting impatient to see how it looked finished, I didn't take any pictures of the during. Here are the finished as of now shots!!




The front came out looking great, keep in mind this is unhemmed and trimmed.




This is where I started seeing problems. The side is sewn too far down to the back, and the back extends too far to the side. This is what I get for rushing.


The back part required four double box pleats, and I didnt trust myself so I made them way too shallow. For the fox gown, there is going to be tailoring of the apron ON the dress form until it looks like it should.

All in all, though I like it as is. I might go back and do some seam ripping and looseing of darts and re box pleating, but like I said I like it as is.

Very happy and very excited. Going to start on the fox version probably tonioght and tomorrow.


Cheers!