July 11, 2006
For the completist
So I saddled up and did the hem band:
My apologies for the model-less picture. I like to see clothes on people, not hangers or dress forms, but it is incredibly humid and hot out today and what little I had by way of photogenic...ity? came oozing out my pores long ago.
Of course, hem band; I just had a touch of Frustrating Project Fatigue. After some experimentation, I went with a self sash. A polka-dot belt was tempting, but there was something not quite right about the look.
This problematic dress pattern should have been redrafted in a manner similar to this little beauty. See how the arm bands and the band across the bodice are separate pieces? That would allow you to sew the bands to the dress properly, without that slapdash slipstitch nonsense.
All that said, this dress is a lot more fun to wear than it was to make. There is something about certain garments that reminds me of armour or ceremonial garb or something - the bottom of the skirt measures sixteen feet around (as I learned to my dismay while hemming). You feel kind of protected wearing that much yardage at once. It is swishy in a way that is not messing around. It encourages twirling and hip-swaying, sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were also bullet-proof.
Vacation updates to follow!
Posted by hilatron at July 11, 2006 10:34 PM | TrackBack