
As I said yesterday, I did waistline stays for each of the dresses because of the heaviness of the skirt. This really helped a bunch, and if you too are in need of a waistline stay, Tasia has a great tutorial here. This dress was not lined in any way because really, this fabric is thick and opaque enough that it wasn't necessary.
I made the belt here and also made belt loops from serged thread (and when I say serged thread, I mean I just serged off a thread chain from my serger and treated it like regular thread) because the belt kept slipping all over the place and these babies keep that belt in place. I also tacked the wrap front in place. I really didn't want to have to do this, but I had no intention of 1) letting everyone see the goods (not that there's much to see anyway), 2) always having to worry about it and pull on it and blah blah blah, you know that code I'm sure and 3) I was not going to wear anything but a bra and underwear underneath. It's way too hot for more than one layer!

I used the cap sleeve for both versions of this dress - what can I say? It's sweltering hot here in Utah and that's all I could think about as I was doing these dresses. But I did a little something different for this dress and put the sleeve on the bias. It's a tip that Amber from Yellow Bird Fabrics gave me and it was very interesting! I love the way it gives a little more stretch to the sleeve (especially good for my broad upper back) but also keeps it a little tucked in around the arm at the hem area. You have to try this because it's kind of a neat trick!

There's one thing I don't like on both dresses here and that's how the skirt is folding on my body. I'm especially noticing it in these photos and I think the added weight of having a seam at the center front of the skirt, makes the skirt section fall a little strange. It's not that I care that there's a center front seam in the skirt, but I do feel that for this pattern for me (I'm not seeing this on everyone else's version) I need to get rid of the center front seam and cut the skirt on the fold of the fabric. In this way the skirt center front would not be hanging and dragging on a bias cut piece of cloth and causing the folds to pool to my middle. Just a thought.

This is a great dress for getting a little dressier for a date or other some such hot summer fun. I'm really loving the wrap version and seriously considering another dress from this pattern.
Who did the wrap dress? Leave links to your dresses in the comments and please don't forget to add your photos to the flickr pool if you like! Thanks again to all of you who participated in this sewalong! Really, I'm so happy with the really great feedback I've been receiving from you! You've all been absolutely FANTASTIC sports and have been so easy to sewalong with! I'm such a lucky girl! I can't wait to see your version of this dress hit the webospere!
Alright Friends! I'll be taking a short blog break next week. I'm woefully behind on various other projects, very tired and nervous about some upcoming events. And when I get kind of nervous, I don't sleep real great so I'm 0 for 2! Awwww well! I'll come back refreshed and ready to share more sewing adventures with you! Happy Summer Vacationing!
I had so much fun sewing along! I'm glad I got a chance to sew up this dress. I had totally missed it when the pattern came out. Thanks for being such a fab hostess!
ReplyDeleteHere's my dress - http://katiekadiddlehopper.blogspot.com/2012/07/simplicity-1880-2-in-1-sewalong.html
Sunni, this is such a great pattern. I hadn't even considered the wrap version until I began seeing some of them made up. Yours looks SO great ....I must have one for myself!
ReplyDeleteThank you again for such a well organization sew along.
I love the fabric! It must feel really great. I'd like to try this agin in a silk too. I also found that the skirt draped a little funny in front when I did the muslin. I think I did two things that fixed it. One, I made the skirt bigger, especially in the back. Two, I lined it. That really helped with my cotton verson. I wouldn't have lined the silk either.
ReplyDeleteMy final version is here: http://queenoftheflies.blogspot.com/2012/07/simplicity-1880-sew-along-reveal.html
Thanks so much for hosting this! It was such fun. I wouldn't have tried this pattern on my own, but I'm glad I did. I think it's going in my TNT bin. All the informative posts you did were wonderful!
Sunni, this color is so nice on you. I fell in love with wrap dresses a long time ago. In my professional life as a nurse, they were the uniform of the day. In the fashion sense, they have the same comfort but then Diane Von Furstenberg reinvented them with oodles of style. I think you are correct about the center front seam. Personally, I find that the length, middle of knee or just below tends to look more balanced on my figure. My girls are larger and need proportional considerations. In any case, it is so nice to see everyone's interpretation. Great job.
ReplyDeleteMine has been done for a little while. It's cooler here in Oregon (it's like 63 degrees right now) so mine might almost be too light to wear today, but I worked it in voile and I did the mid-length sleeves. Love!
ReplyDeleteHere's my pattern review post
http://sewing.patternreview.com/review/pattern/76722
And some photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/missmarnie/7468961528/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/missmarnie/7468962160/in/photostream
I like how the directional fabric looks cut on the cross grain for the yoke and the straight of grain for almost everything else.
Sunni, the dress looks great. Nice job. I really like the fabric you chose.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! You look amazing in blue!
ReplyDeletewow! I love the way yours turned out! It looks very similar to this UK designer who makes vintage repro clothing! Impressive!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had done a wrap dress too. Maybe do a catch up soon and make one! This came out great! I love the bold colour!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous dress. I really love wrap dresses like so many women, but I don't think I own one. I really want to sew one up soon.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. You're channelling Jessica from True Blood. Minus the scary makeup. Which is awesome too. Keep rockin'.
ReplyDeleteIts beautiful! Yet again! I love the trick of cutting the sleeves on the bias - it does make them tuck around the arm nicely! I was annoyed by the fold created by the center front seam on mine too. When I make this dress again I might cut the skirt pieces on the fold too.
ReplyDeleteI love your dress Sunni!
ReplyDeletevery pretty! I like the contrast belt!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty! With the sweater, you get nearly year-long wear!
ReplyDeleteWow, Sunni! That silk is so pretty!
ReplyDeleteReally pretty! Where did you take the pics? Because it looks really familiar to me.
ReplyDeleteI posted love this at PR. But I like it so much, I want to say it again! Love it-- awesome print!
ReplyDeletemine's over here.... http://www.oonaballoona.com/2012/07/cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater.html
ReplyDeleteand now i am full of jealous rage over your white shirtdress. the buttonholes stopped me, but luckily a certain someone did a sewalong....
Just lovely Sunni!!!
ReplyDeleteI followed along just in reading and I really love both of these patterns. Both of yours are such perfect summer dresses! I've been craving a white shirtdress forever, too. (Love your shoes, too!)
ReplyDeleteooo this is so pretty! I am glad I found your blog now! I have seen your creations over the interwebs but somehow always missed the blog!
ReplyDeleteYes Sunni, cutting the skirt so that the center front is on the straight of grain fixed the funny hanging folds in the front problem. Unfortunately it will be my lining that has the fix, not my fashion fabric as it was already cut out. Live and learn (big sigh). I almost have mine sewn up for show and tell. Thanks for this great sew-along!
ReplyDeletesunni - thanks so much for hosting this sewalong - I have really appreciated all your hard work. I am thrilled with how my shirt dress looks - I had attempted one earlier in the year but became stumped at the collar stage so your post on collar construction demystified it for me and it turned out so well!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad! Collar construction can be a bit head scratching and I always find that its so much more neat when there is more than one way to skin a cat - as they say. I'm so happy you joined in and so happy that your dress turned out so wonderfully! Thank you for participating.
ReplyDeleteHi Christina! I'm very glad to know that it does fix this issue. I was thinking it would since I have made a few circle skirts and as they haven't had that seam down the center front and back, they don't pool weird like that to my middle. I'm soooooo tempted to pop another one of these dresses out in the next little while. They are so easy to wear and really, not hard to sew!
ReplyDeleteAwwww! Thank you! I'm so happy with how both of them turned out. It always feels great to sew up something that is wearable and stylish!
ReplyDeleteThank you Tracey!
ReplyDeleteI adore your colorful version (note to self - copy Oona's flair for color) and I definitely think you need to get on the ball with a shirtdress version! Do it. Now!
ReplyDeleteThank you Linda! I couldn't agree more and its heaven to wear too!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kati!
ReplyDeleteOh something I haven't seen - but if it has anything to do with vampires I'm totally going to watch it! I LOVE vampire shows! Ha ha! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI love your version Sallie! I definitely think cutting the skirt on the fold will rid us of those odd folds pooling to the center. Still love the dresses! What a great pattern! Yay!
ReplyDeleteThey are such a win win! I love wrap dresses and they are awfully flattering to practically any figure. Make one. Make twenty! Yay for wrap dresses!
ReplyDeleteThank you! This fabric is actually a bit more grey, but it has some bluish and purplish highlights to it - a little hard to photograph. I definitely feel amazing in it and I love that feeling!
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you! I love the fabric too! I could cry I love it so much! Yay!
ReplyDeleteYours is lovely! Great use of directional fabric! I'm loving the mid-length sleeve and might have to whip out another one with that option. Totally fabulous girl!
ReplyDeleteOh Thank you Corrine! You are definitely right about proportional considerations - I have a fairly small to average bust line, so I felt the shorter skirt would work for me. I'm loving everyone's interpretations too! It's wonderful to see and making me want to whip out another one.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous dress Melanie! I love your thoughts on the skirt section. I actually did line my shirt dress, but didn't think to change up the skirt back to accommodate for my hips.
ReplyDeleteI love your version lynne b! Great fabric choice! You definitely need more than one!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sewing along Katie! I'm in LOVE with your version! I adore polka dots and actually, crazy thing, I think I have this exact same fabric! What a great dress it makes! I missed this pattern when it came out too, so glad I spotted it later. Its a keeper for sure!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. I didn't realize how the fabric direction would work into the pattern but I like it. The mid-length sleeve is clever. I really like the ribbon facing.
ReplyDeleteThis is really such a lovely dress! And the fabric is just the perfect color for you. I'm really inspired by reading about all of the things you've tried. Maybe I'll be able to join a future sewalong.
ReplyDeleteLove it!! That fabric is beautiful.
ReplyDelete[...] few of you asked about the serged french tacks I did on my Simplicity 1880 wrap and shirt dresses. Well they are the best things since sliced bread and so easy to make. Now, if [...]
ReplyDelete[...] love view A! I have to say that I was quite inspired by Sunni’s Wrap Dress Sew along and, although I didn’t take part or buy the same pattern, I thought i might try something [...]
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