HAPPY MONDAY! Shouting this from the rooftops because this is a make that makes me want to scream “SEWING IS THE FREAKING BEST!” Today I’m part of the D & H Fabrics Blog Tour. You can check out more about this dress and this luxurious Tencel Twill I used on their blog by clicking this link. Below I’m going to discuss the Named Clothing Breaking the Pattern book and the process of fitting this dress.
The moment the ladies of Named Clothing announced that they were writing a book, I knew it would become part of my sewing library. I’ve made a few Named patterns and am an admirer of their unique, modern style. My pre-order copy of the book arrived this last Tuesday and it does NOT disappoint. It begins with a beginner-friendly bag and ends with a lined coat. There are dresses, skirts, tops, and pants with options to mix and match some patterns for seemingly endless possibilities. The Kaste Dress with butterfly sleeves caught my eye and the rest is history.
Muslin and Initial Fitting
Since I had a limited amount of fabric and not enough time to order more in case of a fitting emergency, I opted to make a muslin first. This is a rarity for me, but you know that I’m really serious about something if I start making a muslin. The last time I made a muslin was for these bold pants I completed in September. Also because of limited time, I decided to use my Pellon 830 Easy Pattern as my muslin “fabric.” Once I traced the pattern pieces onto the Easy Pattern, I simply cut out the required number of pieces. Then, following the pattern instructions, I quickly basted the darts and pattern pieces together. This resulted in a lovely 3D paper-like version of the dress that I could very carefully try on to assess fit. Since fitting the butterfly sleeve portion wasn’t necessary, I didn’t worry about that piece. The photo below shows what my muslin looked like. There are no photos of it on me because it’s a bit sheer.
Initial fit adjustments:
- Started with a size 3 at bust graded to a 4 at waist and a 5 at hips
- Added 1/2″ to front and back bodice length just below bust line.
- Added 1 1/2″ to length at hips.
To my delight, The muslin fit was nearly perfect. I knew there would be other necessary adjustments with my final fabric, but the muslin gave me a good idea of where the darts would fit and if any changes would be necessary in that area. With the fit somewhat sorted, I cut out my main fabric.
Sewing the Dress
Due to time constraints, deadlines, and an unexpectedly hectic week, I had one day to sew up this dress before meeting up with Sara for photographs. For the record, I don’t recommend sewing this dress in a day. I did not get more than a few hours of sleep. I made one mistake where I thought I was smarter than the instructions and inserted the zipper before attaching the facings. Spoiler alert: I am, in fact, not smarter than the instructions. By the I noticed my mistake, I had the dress nearly finished with the exception of the side seams and hem. I did not have time to correct this by ripping out the zipper and going back several steps. Instead, I used the method described in this video to attach the facing to the armholes. It worked, but next time, I’ll just follow the pattern instructions.
My favorite part of the construction process was sewing the diagonal seams and contour darts. It’s been quite some time since I last sewed a contour dart and I’ve never sewn one that overlaps a seam line. Each step felt like putting together an elaborate puzzle. That end result though? 100% worth it.
The dress was nearly finished, when I noticed that my serger needles were getting dull and starting to snag the fabric. Unfortunately, it was late at night and the allen wrench required to change the needles was nowhere to be found. I basted the hem in place and called it good until I could buy a new allen wrench . In case you were wondering, That’s on today’s agenda. Headed to the store for the correct sized wrench and properly finishing the last few seams in my dress. Fixing this properly ASAP so I can get lots of wear out of this baby. Just your friendly reminder that sewing isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, but I could probably benefit from a little more organization.
Final Fit Adjustments
Once the dress was sewn up, I noticed some excess fabric in the mid-hip area and towards the hem. Starting at the upper hip, I slowly tapered the seam allowance to remove excess. At the lower hip, I took in the side seam by 1/4″, by mid-thigh, the side seam was taken in by 1/2″ and, by the hem it was taken in by almost 1″. This achieved a fitted, but unrestrictive skirt. I wanted to avoid the “so tight I can’t sit down” dilemma that sometimes happens when I wear woven bottoms that are too tight. With these final adjustments, my dress was complete.
Final Thoughts
I’m thrilled to have taken the time to sew a little bit of frosting. My sewing as of late has leaned heavily towards basics and getting out of that headspace for a moment was exhilarating. Honestly, I don’t have a lot of places to wear a dress like this, but it felt good and isn’t that sometimes the point of a hobby? Wearing it makes me feel special which is also a fantastic bonus. Feeling especially thankful for the opportunity to participate in the D & H Fabrics blog tour as it pushed me creatively and brought me this gem of a dress. I’m also feeling inspired by this new book and trying to eke out all the time I can to stitch of a few more of its projects.
Thanks for reading! Be sure to follow the tour happening all this week on the D & H Fabrics blog.
Want to see more of my Named Clothing makes? Check out my Ronja Dungarees, Gemma Dress, or Gemma Sweater.
Interested to see other things I’ve made with D & H Fabrics? Read about my rayon Mila Shirt.