Monday, September 2, 2013

The Marilyn finish!

I finished the Sew Serendipity Marilyn dress!  I am super happy that I was able to do this dress.  It is classic and I learned so much in the process I know my next garment venture will be even more successful.




In the instructions it recommends that you do a muslin fitting first.  I second that 100%.  When I made the first trial run it was okay.  It was good to get used to the terms and how things were going to look. The size I cut was really not the best for me. I also needed to add a little in the bodice and the waistband  since I am small and long in my torso, the bodice was hitting me a bit short.  Sara and I had a google hangout with all kinds of bodice maneuvering and a little measuring to figure out what needed to be done.  Kay recommends looking online for adjustments for alterations for this area if you are large or small busted or a book called Fit for Real People.  I needed an inch here and and inch there.


and this was my second muslin fitting. The bodice is much better in this one.


So I took the plunge and started on the "real" dress!!!!  I used Pellon Shape Flex for all the interfacing.  I think I need to start buying that stuff by the bolt!  SO many uses...so awesome!  I also used my trusty Aurifil thread in a stunning black 50wt.  I was thinking of trying the 40wt but I did not want my stitches to show so 50 was meant to be!


Instead of gathering the skirt, I went with box pleats. I looked at youtube videos and found this one that is super easy to follow by evangesews.com.  I started from the center and the pleats are 2in apart.  Not perfect but this was my first time ever doing these pleats.  I am very pleased with the outcome.


Here is the back view and my EPIC FAIL on the invisible zipper!  I did not sew close enough to the teeth but at that point I was not ripping it all out to do over.  My next dress I will hopefully do a better job. I also have NO IDEA what I am looking at in the tree.


The one thing I really wish I would have done is to add POCKETS!!!  Donna Reed would have had pockets!   If I can make this dress anyone can!  I am really loving it...


especially since it goes with my red shoes!!!!

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