Thanks you readers for your plenty of inputs on the last post, your plenty of love for fabric # 3 made me feel a lot better about the impulse purchase last year, perhaps I will make a coat out of it, as it IS very soft, supple, and thick. Thanks a BUNCH to Lin3arossa for finding me this beautiful coat, made from the same huge houndstooth fabric (I would still like a darker color for contrast). I am still a little apprehensive about the fullness of the coat, after I had seen the coat from more angles. I think it looks beautiful on her, but I am not sure if my small figure would disappear in that coat. I am still gonna to bug her on that fabric though 🙂
On to still quite summery stuff –I made a dress from a vogue pattern!
When I first started sewing, I had never been interested in Vogue pattern, thinking that they were a little… matron-y. The girls modeling the clothing are generally older and the pricing were higher. I had forgotten about Vogue ever since burdastyle and BWOF, until I came across Erica B’s DIY Style. She uses so many Vogue patterns and made some beautiful clothing out of it, and she made me want to sew quite a few Vogue patterns. My first one: V1158:
Can you believe that their retail “regular” price is $30?? Does ANYONE buy a pattern at 30 dollars? I waited until the 4 dollar sale at Joans and snatched it up, along with a vintage Vogue pattern to make a vintage dress next. I also felt the softest striped linen at Hancock fabric the same week, and a shameless rendition of V1158 was born:
I love it! I think I did a better job at matching the front and back seams than the one on the pattern, by using selfish seamstresses’s plaid matching method here. I didnt try to match up the side, but they look fine to me even though they are slightly off. I also know that I am no good at inserting zippers to the side of the bodice, so I moved the zipper to the back. To adjust for my height, I took in the shoulder seam by a huge amount, probably 1-2 inches. The dress also came with quite some ease, so I took in the sides by half a inch or so as well.
I did forget to get lining for this dress, so I just cut up one of the old blue bedsheets in my stack. I actually really like how it looked and was tempted to make the lining an entirely separate dress. But I couldn’t wait to buy lining to finish the dress! Together with the soft linen, this dress is a little thick at the seams, but is probably one of the most soft and comfortable dress I have!
Did I mention that this whole dress, except for the zipper and the sergering (believe, the linen fabric NEEDED sergering), this dress is sewn using my beloved singer 201. It was a pleasure to sew on it! I never had to change the bobbin due to a stuck thread at all, unlike my Brothers. Sorry Brother! Singer201 wins at straight stitch!
Its soft, breathy, drapy, heavy, and the color palette reminds me of a picnic by the sea. Perhaps I will wear it to the sea this summer, lets hope for the Indian summer!
JuebeJue 
You’re welcome, my dear 🙂 Your dress is lovely. I always wait for Vogue’s online sale, even though the overseas shipping fees are high, it’s worth it.
Beautiful dress! You are right, you did a fantastic job of matching stripes, better than the pattern envelope. You look great in your new dress!
Love it on you! I can see it being soft and flowy too. And it has a tie at the front! =)
It turned out beautifully! 🙂 It’s so cool that you used your old Singer to sew it up too, I’m glad that you got it up and running now. 🙂 I do have a question though–are the little “modesty panel” looking things in the underarm part of the design or did you add those in?
Thank you! sewing without the bobbin cover got annoying since the thread keeps catching the fabric, so i reversed the bobbin plate to get the protruding part out of the bobbin area, and that worked! since i didnt have to change bobbin except to add more thread, this works!
it is part of the design! you cant see it on the envelop, you you can see a little patch on the side of the arm hole on the technical drawing, that is what this is!
This is too cute! Hehe.. I love Vogue patterns… especially the newer designer ones and I definitely buy them when they’re on sale for $3.99.
SO CUTE ! That looks great, and yes you did a much better job on the stripe matching. Now that I look at the pattern photo – whew – how did they let that one out? Terrible matching on the front of their Vogue dress.
Welcome to Vogue patterns – yes the photo models look a bit old but sometimes they have super interesting and highly technical patterns.
and I have always thought they had better fit although these days Simplicity has really stepped up.
Happy Singer Sewing ! (and I am hoping for Indian summer too!)
wow, such a stunning piece. I never seem to have a good luck shopping for fabrics in either Hancock or JoAnn. Maybe i just don’t have the eyes for great fabrics. which hancock did you go to?
hahaha, i NEVER have good luck at joans, but they seem to have decent fall/winter fabric. Hancock had been better lately — i actually found real silk there. i go to the one near 87 and 85 (on blossom hill.
if you go there in the evening time, perhaps we can bump into eachtoehr! 😀
It looks great– very flattering, and I could definitely see it being worn on the beach! I like how you handled the stripes.
I really like the fabric you chose! The back really is stunning and it’s a safe dress to wear around the office too. Yay for cool weather and no hot summer! 😛
Great dress! And I had that same misconception about Vogue patterns but I’m starting to come around. I love the Tracy Reese designs and other designer patterns.
Definitely worth waiting for a $3.99 (and willing shopper) to get them, $30 is insane! I’d rather buy several for that price.
Hum, the only problem I have with your dress…is that I want one too, LOL!
You did a wonderful job on this dress…I don’t sew much but I’m scared to work with patterns in stripes for the matching reason. And what a funny idea to use old bedsheets. Maybe that’s why it’s extra comfy!
That is amazingly beautiful! Your striped fabric is so lovely and the dress looks modern and young.
I would buy that dress if I saw it in a store. It is gorgeous. Well done.
Looks great! This is the only review I have seen online of this pattern. I’m wanting to make it but worried that the back V goes lower than my bra. I don’t want to invest in some pricey backless bra for one dress!
ooh i must warn you! it did barely covered the back of my bra! but you can always make it just 1/2 inch higher just in case 🙂