Yes, I made a corduroy dress. Fight me.

Pleased to say that I saw this 1991 pattern online, and remembered I HAD one in the stash already (from Value Village (stifles sniffles))

I even knew where it was.

The sleeveless version looks a lot like the Sewing Workshop Veranda dress

Or vestments

This is a table runner. You don't fool me one bit.

This is for vestments.

Okay, so this dress probably isn't built for corduroy. In fact, I know it's not. All of the suggested fabrics have the word "lightweight" before them.

But when have I ever let that sort of nagging detail stop me?

Should I?

Probably

I did not take a lot of process photos, as it blew by. It has few parts, drafted precisely and goes together quickly.
Remember when pattern pieces always went together?

Because the cut on sleeves and the style made everything too big (if you make this, read those finished measurements: there's about 11 inches of ease in the bustline between the size and the finished garment), I unpicked the seams (seams I had prematurely top stitched, as I tend to do) and took them in about 5/8", which makes it wide enough but not as ginormous as above.

My tum is getting all the glamour shots this week (similar exposure on Turner dress, another post shortly)

  

Unpick

Re-sew

Corduroy stands up mostly on its own (attaching the bodice to the skirt)

Snap rehearsal. I'm not crazy about any of them, but buttonholes in the corduroy Ophelias sorta broke my buttonhole will, so we are snap snap snappy (or pop pop poppers)

Yellow and greenblue....or greenblue and yellow? Decisions. This is its real color. I overdyed a camel corduroy to warm it up, and it's nice and caramel in person.

I pondered a bias trim in the seams. I mean, I was taking them apart....and I still have bits of the reversible polka dot shirting from District Fabrics. I can milk yardage until it cries, baby!

But I went rick rack. Which is brown, but refuses to color correct from purple (which is its brother color). Also vintage rick rack, preshrunk just in case.

It's a bit nicer in person

It is a wide load of a dress though; more like a jacket as shown on the envelope. The original has ties to take in the excess width (oh man, I still need to deal with the Ophelia flappy side ties). I honestly don't think it needs any more snaps for functional wear (although it may get some more purely for decor) as it is a pullover, not a step in.

It will need a little more revision before I wear it for photos.

And if it doesn't behave, it will turn into a jumper.

Or what others call a pinafore.

Just like Lyra. 

What have I been doing? THIS is what I've been doing!

PAJAMAS!

Spike heels and 'jamas! Don't mess with Heather Lou!

Carolyn Pajamas are here!

Tula Pink Bees: this is redonkulously soft cotton. 

 Rick rack! Overwide non corded piping! What is not to like?

Tiny fitting note at top left: I had to drop the crotch for the mom anatomy.

All the deets on stylin' and sizin' later; I am as sick as a pup can be, and should not be typing anything for the interwebs

And they are very comfortable to be sick in (not exactly what I was planning on today....)!

(Stay warm, get that flu shot, and see me later!)

A little rick rack in the seam is a nice touch

Working on something. 

Somethings, Buncha somethings. 

Yes, sis, I'm making you that shirt. No, yours will not have rick rack.

 And yes, I've got the last part of the Emerald City Comic Con cosplay suit in the works. I need two blue LEDs and a couple of dead K cups. Picking up the derby tomorrow morning. 

And I've got rick rack on bees.

the colors are creamier than this

Yes, this is the Tula Pink bee fabric. This is the most ridiculously soft cotton; it's made for clothing not for quilting. Yum yum yum.

ohmygerd apencilline!

The fastest way not to mess this up is to pretest to determine where in the seam the rack should ripple. I've got some tested, and I'm going for a half circle exposure. Although there's plenty of options.

for example: do I want to just have half circles, lock ness Nessie 'bumps' or the full serpent? Or do I want to entwine two different ones?

First of all, it should be even. "rip out the parts where it's an 1/8th off and redo them" even. And that's boring work, so preparation is a must.

 I figure out where the seam line should be,  where that puts the rick rack in distance from the edge, mark the fabric with pencil for the line the indent will follow (easier way to line up a steady curve the eye will enjoy than by the outside bump) and baste stitch it there. 

I make sure I am not sewing on the seam line, as I don't want any stitching showing at all. And it's easier to go back and pick out the bits that wobble and wander if they are two distinct seams.

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I hope all you folks in the eastern US are all ready to stay home and read for a couple of days, hopefully in heated snowcaves with plenty of warm food.  Out here in Seattle we are experiencing the upside of global weirding: it's sunny and 60F today.  In January.

Junuary.