Summer Dress Machine

So as much as I have work to do, and I AM doing the pattern testing and yes, I will get those curtains done.

I needed some more summer dresses.

I bought this great letter press fabric at SewExpo from Treasures of the Gypsy. And I wanted to wear it to work first day back at the magazine (oh irony, I love you so).

I just don't have enough of this stuff to make one continuous piece dress.

This is the fabric doubled up, cut and layered in the same direction

I could split it up into a skirt and a bodice, but where should I make the split? I can't match this pattern, but I can put part of it on the bias where it won't matter if it matches or not.

The pink pencil is where the bodice break will be. I'm just using my summer dress 'sloper' to line this up. I used the back piece for the bodice, and the front piece for the skirt - the only difference is the height of the neck line.

The pocket can  be upside down cause it hardly shows

And rolled it up to use the burrito/Rooibos facing technique

It looks like it makes sense

Same issue: just not quite enough yardage, same technique.

The long triangle piece can be a pocket (the selvedge edge stabilizing the  long angled cut)

Measuring a pocket by using the pocket sizing tool (I have a spare)

Long edge is the selvedge

Yes, it's the licensed fabric. I had to follow someone around JoAnn's to get the rest of the bolt after she bought most of it.

  

The pockets lined up on the skirt

Cut two of lining to match for the facings

I angled the edge back in at the hem, which cups the bottom in at the hem when it's on

Look, a warm middle aged woman in a summer dress! Not the best angle, certainly not flattering, but you get the idea. I haven't done any FBA or darting, as I do not have need of it.  You certainly could use the horizontal line at the chest for any needed dart/FBA action.

This one I had more yardage to work with, so I could run the print all the way down

I've had this Badz Maru fabric for over twenty years. It was just waiting for this day

I'm going to talk later about how to make this pattern from a sloper, but if you just want to buy something that does the same job

Decades of Style Given A Chance dress

D'oh!