The Yamamoto Rectangle Dress

photos from SAM

I first saw this dress on the last day of the Future Beauty exhibit at Seattle Art Museum in 2013.

(I only got to go that one time)

https://erniekdesigns.blogspot.com/2013/09/future-beauty-finally.html

I was smitten.

From the Barbican book of the exhibit:

Black is such a bitch to see details on.

I took awful notes in a notebook, and then I lost the notes.

I made one for myself out of black poly crepe, and I put an instruction sheet up on Craftsy, but I wasn't happy with it. And Craftsy is no more. I'm still not satisfied with the original instructions from 2013, but I can't seem to correct them to my satisfaction, so I'm just putting up this illustration here. It's dead simple. The central pleats are the conceit, otherwise it's just another rectangle dress.

The trick on this is to cut the front piece in two, and make three big pleats up the center seam. Finish armholes and hem and neckline to taste. I suggest making a facing piece for the back of the neck for comfort and stability. 

After a crepe dress hangs for 5 years, the folds flatten out in front.

I needed to puff them up.

So I cut stuffing pieces from some super fat felt I have in the stash

And stuffed them into the seams

(yes, these are the overexposed versions of these photos)

I am going to redo this dress, probably in a different color of crepe, with the bigger gathers as in the original, and some organza in the folds for floofiness.

I even wore it out of the house to Seattle Frocktails 2018.

Yes, all photos taken in a cave, in the before-times.

Once again, a tip of the hat for the reminder that it's a rectangular world of free patterns
http://rhondabuss.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-magic-rectangle-dress.html

Rectangle dress sewalong

I did a lovely photo session sewing the green model of this dress. 

I did a lovely job deleting it forever while editing the photos. I am making a finished version for myself, but out of black crepe rayon, not sewalong friendly material.

So here is the sewalong. In shortened, scale model form.

Copying the pattern piece drawing from the pattern instructions, and scaling it up so it's handle-able, is a great way to audition assembly of a tricky project.

Cut one of back on fold, cut two of front (on selvage)

 This might be a good place to discuss selvage. It's a fine, finished edge, but one that is prone to puckering when it shrinks. I do use mine in my sun dresses (I like to know what the name of the fabric was, and I am a novelty cotton gal), and I clip it when it misbehaves, but it's a cheat in the long run. Better removed and used as a seam stay tape in better clothing.

Which reminds me, when you make this up, it's a good idea to coverstitch or serge the front center edges now. If you're going to add side seam pockets, do the side edges now as well.

Mark front fold (you would not use a permanent marker)

Add stay tape along fold (flap side)

Sew down and iron over fold.

Mark gathers on front edge

Fold over to match marks

Pin

Iron down

Gathers folded down!

Topstitch 4" along fold edge.

Make up other side front

Match fronts together, right sides together

Match em up and sew em down!

Iron out flat, open up front seam and press. Don't iron the gathers out.

Right side view

Sew front to back (should have sewn facing first...oops)

 A mistake I can drive around, should have sewn back neck facing on first before shoulder seam. Oh well, iron out and spread out flat, right side up.

Facing! I can save this! Match up diamonds, pin and sew

 In a real dress, there would be interfacing under that back collar facing.

Flip over to wrong side up, clip seam to diamond (clip along curve, too).  Iron and topstitch along back neck.

Fold over this edge of the facing and hand stitch to front,  covering a multitude of facing sins right there. Ha!

On seam pocket decision time! Cut one the shape of your hand, line it up where your hand would hit an onseam pocket. I left them off the pattern because not everyone is as pockety as I am.

 There are plenty of online videos regarding pockets, this one remembers to top stitch the top (leading) edge of the flap (she also uses light colored fabric for better detail viewing, and I love her Northern accent!). Sandra Betzina's Power Sewing video series "Pocket Particulars" is full of great stuff, and is probably available at the library.

Pin on, right sides together

Sew, press open. Repeat for other side

Match up sides, right sides together. 

Sew down from sleeve opening mark, one inch allowance, down to top of pocket, then around pocket with 1/2 inch, then back on side seam at on inch allowance

Press open,  pocket facing front. Clip seam allowance on back side, NOT on the front like I did. Tack stitch to hold forward

Just a reminder NOT to clip the front seam allowance. Tack stitch where the pin is to hold the pocket open to the front.

It's so... pockety!

 If you didn't do a pocket, sew the ONE INCH side seam down from the sleeve opening mark (about ten inches from shoulder seam).

Iron open side seam.

I've folded the seam allowance over again to finish the sleeve opening. Iron, pin and stitch down.

You can continue the rolled seam down the side, or coverstitch the seam to finish. Or do both, rolling on back and coverstitching on front to compensate for that darn pocket, complicating things again!

Anchor stitch at the base of the v neck and the sleeve opening, to reinforce.

And that's what it looks like in muslin (shortened by half).

Yes, your results will vary!

Rectangle Dress - Pattern alteration

I've made my measurements, I've printed out the pages, I've proofed and reprinted out the pages (I copy onto onesided things I save for these matters). Since I'm only making one more of these, I'm just slapping this together with newspaper. I might trace the whole thing later to save it, but I might actually drop those extra inches around myself, so I will look on the bright side and make one copy for now.

The great thing about PDF patterns is that once I have downloaded the pattern, I can reprint and make changes all I darn well want to. I can make different sizes. Yes, it's more effort, but I get multiple sizes out of  one pattern, and I can cut and alter them all to suit the situation. Or my sister.

I did my measurements. I did my math. Hip is 41", divided by 4 is 10 1/4"

See kids, math is useful!

Got them all taped together. Now I need to make the pieces  longer. About ten inches longer. So I cut them both from side to side

Layout newsprint under the cuts

Line them up straight

Check several times, tape one side down and then the other, and draw new line. Right over the crossword.

Before we widen, let me adjust the facing. I added lines to make matching up the sides easier. For both of us, baby!  My preferred back of neck distance is 6 1/2 inches.

Making sure it's straight. Off a little I think.

Measure twice, kid! Then tape it down.

Now the back needs widening. By two inches.

Measure at one end, put little piece of tape down. I'm placing my long ruler along the piece I tape first, to keep it flat (and check to see that it stays straight. All these cuts make the piece want to curl up and go different ways.  Behave!

Check at other end, little piece of tape at the end. If I'd used blue tape, you'd have a better idea how little I mean.

Okay!

Check in the middle. See how warpy the paper is getting? A big flat space to do this in really helps here.

And we're at 13 1/2 because I made it move there.

I have folded the neck facing in half to match the pattern piece to check the measurement.

I clipped the center fold of the facing to help get the right measurement, line it up on the fold line.  Moved the diamond out half an inch.

Pattern as marked.

Checking the front facing to match. The + marks where it will go. I didn't have to adjust the front fold line; it's right where I want it, but I checked it now.

And now they are ready to go!

If I had used blue tape, this would be a sea of little blue squares. And some long strips as well.