This dress is obviously going to be very much about the print. The sharp colour contrast and range of tones make adding many other factors unwise. I also want a very pointy shape to it, as adding round forms or gathers to this will push it too far into the “cute” realm for me– I want the main adjective to be crisp.
To that effect, I am thinking of a V pointed shirt style darted bodice, with standing collar and shirt type cuffs, and buttons up the front. I plan to use diamond shaped small covered buttons, matching the darkest teal shade. I will probably use the same teal for the cuffs and collar, with darkest red-orange buttons if I can dye to them properly and no buttons if I cannot.
The skirt will be a slightly over half circle skirt, mid-calf length. This is very short for me. It will be evenly hemmed, and interlined for a bit of added stiffness. The whole dress will also be lined in the mock-up fabric, a plain sturdy unbleached cotton. The hem will probably be bound in the matching teal, if I have enough of it (it will be coming from a failed dress made some years ago, as one of my first ever sewing projects).
The end effect will probably be more than a little 1950s, but I’m not actively trying for it. Just for an overall put-together professional effect in the colourful and mildly fluffy print. I am also trying for something that will work with just the bodice visible under my wool skirts in winter– especially my plain storm blue and navy one or my planned lavender and deep red-orange skirt and coat/jacket combo (which won’t not be 1890s, but is mostly intended for modern use), as I expect those are the ones whose colours will go best.
My materials list is thus:
- 4m of the cotton print, 44″ wide
- 3m ish of the lining, 60″ wide
- The teal dress of fail
- Orange cotton, dyed by me with madder
- Cotton thread, either teal or cream, whichever matches better
- Orange aurifil for topstitching, will have to buy new
- Heavier thread for buttonholes, either orange, teal, or cream, again based on availability and if the cream looks Bad.
- Six or ten button forms, laser cut wood diamonds, depending on if cuffs have buttons
The cut list for this dress will thus probably be as follows:
- Six skirt panels, print and lining
- Skirt hem interlining, six panels, cotton twill
- Back bodice, print and lining
- Front bodice left, print and lining
- Front bodice right, print and lining
- Sleeves, print and lining
- Collar, teal cotton
- Cuffs, teal cotton
- Hem binding, teal cotton
- Armhole binding, teal cotton
- Button covers, teal cotton
- Button covers, orange cotton
- Button covers, cotton flannelette (for rounding the edges and preventing the sharp corners from wearing through)
And the planned assembly steps:
- Cover buttons
- Baste skirt together, flatlined with interlining between the layers
- Baste bodice together, flatlined
- Baste sleeves together, flatlined
- Seam bodice, sleeves, and skirt
- Work buttonholes in cuffs, if present
- Baste cuffs to sleeves, and collar to bodice
- Stitch cuffs to sleeves and collar to bodice
- Work buttonholes in bodice
- Bind skirt hem
- Baste skirt to bodice and sleeves to armholes
- Stitch in sleeves and skirt, to lining only with large allowance on outside
- Bind bodice and armholes
- Turn in and slipstitch the bit of skirt not attatched to bodice
- Hand finish bodice seams
- Pink skirt seams
- Possibly decorative edging stitch at hem, cuffs, and collar in unbleached heavy thread, if buttonholes are unbleached