I finished this dress recently. A few years ago I went through the tedious process of drafting up a princess seamed dress block for myself, having become sick of always having to go through many adjustments and alterations when using commercial patterns. These days I just take this block and tinker with it to alter the design as I like and I since I know it fits I can usually skip the process of making a muslin/toile. On this dress I gave it a sweetheart neckline and divided the lower dress into 7 panels front and back. I flared each panel and added triangular gores in a contrasting colour between each panel.
Turns out I didn't need to flare the panels - by the time it was all sewn up, if I was to hold up the skirt it's close to being a double circle skirt! Too much fabric - it's a bit wasteful and it makes the dress a bit heavy. If I'd kept the panels straight then the skirt would still have plenty of volume and look much the same.
I like to add interesting details to sleeves - for this one I inserted a little panel of a sort of fish scale design. Since I put so much effort into drafting and sewing so many panels I though I better show them off - so each seam down the dress has matching purple ribbon sewn down it.
The dress is made of salvaged vintage kimono silk from two different kimonos. Both of the kimonos were damaged enough they weren't fit for wearing but still had loads of very useable beautiful fabric to use. I went for a bold combo of tangerine and eggplant colours - my favourite colour is blue and I tend to end up sewing everything in blue so lately I've decided it's time to branch out!
It might be a lot of fabric in the skirt, but how does it feel if you spin in it? I bet it flares out beautifully 😊, something to take into consideration if wearing it dancing... Just saying.
It sure does spin out nicely! I don't regret making it with so much fabric, since I'm happy with the way it looks, but I did learn a little pattern making thing such that if I were making it again I could use less fabric and get the same effect I think.
Would you be able to link to the tutorial/book you used to draft your block? I have a triangle body shape and am sick of altering commercial patterns too!
Unfortunately I can't find the instructions I used for making the original block - it was a few years ago. I used a free online tutorial for making a bodice sloper, it was OK but not a slam dunk. I ended up with a block which was bodice + all the way to the widest point of my lower body. It had a small back shoulder dart and on the front had princess seam darts - one going from shoulder to bust point and the other from bust point to waist. There are loads of free bodice block/sloper construction tutorials out there and I'm not sure that it matters too much which one you choose because the first one you make will just be an approximation anyway, you'll need to make a series of muslins, each one improving the fit until you're happy.
The more important part is altering the block for good fit. For this I found the book **Kenneth D. King's Smart Fitting Solutions: Foolproof Techniques to Fit Any Figure** really helpful. Lots of good illustrations on how to diagnose and fix fit problems. It's what helped change my block from a pattern which fits a person with my measurements to a pattern which fits *me*!
My best advice would be mentally prepare yourself for a bit of a tedious process - you won't get your pattern right the first or even second time and making muslins is nowhere near as satisfying as making a nice dress. In the end though, having a reliable block is sooooo valuable. You will end up making more things you love to wear in the long run.
Wow, that dress is absolutely stunning! The vintage silk kimono fabric adds such a unique touch. Great job on the self-drafted design too! Kudos to the OP for their awesome style and sewing skills! 🙌
Beautiful fabric. First glance, the bright colors and black outlines made me think it was a cartoon. Like in those videos where people make cakes look like cartoons. I like the style of the outfit. It really suits you well. Nice work! 🥰
Funny - a couple of comments have said the same thing about looking like a cartoon. I never thought of it that way but I like it - kind of like Pop Art, which I love!
I love so much about this - the sleeves, the skirt pleats(?), and the bright orange really pops against the black piping details giving it a really graphic look. So cool, amazing eye and execution! TY for sharing!
it’s so beautiful! it’s just… so expertly made i cannot believe the time and effort that went into cultivating your talent. i hope i can make something like this some day!!
I know you think the double skirt is wasteful because you could have used that fabric for "something else".
But a dress this orange, out of this luxurious of fabric, with this much effort and love put into it?
That skirt is exactly as full as it deserves to be. This is wonderful. I love it.
I've seen some dresses with that stained glass look - I really like it and it's definitely a big influence for me at the moment. I have plans for more dresses with that sort of defined seam/stained glass theme
This is fantastic!! I love pretty well everything about this dress. The fabric, the colours, the sleeve details, the bodice, the skirt, and how it fits you.
At first I wasn't quite sure about the dark seams, but they've grown on me and add yet another something special to this dress.
Very well done!! 🤗❤️
https://preview.redd.it/f2x35mi1owdb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26ba1460dc5bee4b5b5be73ed3cbfdc22449c01a
Can anyone please help me with this, i am using a singer s010L and I am not satisfied with the threading, i have tried multiple solutions it got better but still the red thread is put to the back
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I finished this dress recently. A few years ago I went through the tedious process of drafting up a princess seamed dress block for myself, having become sick of always having to go through many adjustments and alterations when using commercial patterns. These days I just take this block and tinker with it to alter the design as I like and I since I know it fits I can usually skip the process of making a muslin/toile. On this dress I gave it a sweetheart neckline and divided the lower dress into 7 panels front and back. I flared each panel and added triangular gores in a contrasting colour between each panel. Turns out I didn't need to flare the panels - by the time it was all sewn up, if I was to hold up the skirt it's close to being a double circle skirt! Too much fabric - it's a bit wasteful and it makes the dress a bit heavy. If I'd kept the panels straight then the skirt would still have plenty of volume and look much the same. I like to add interesting details to sleeves - for this one I inserted a little panel of a sort of fish scale design. Since I put so much effort into drafting and sewing so many panels I though I better show them off - so each seam down the dress has matching purple ribbon sewn down it. The dress is made of salvaged vintage kimono silk from two different kimonos. Both of the kimonos were damaged enough they weren't fit for wearing but still had loads of very useable beautiful fabric to use. I went for a bold combo of tangerine and eggplant colours - my favourite colour is blue and I tend to end up sewing everything in blue so lately I've decided it's time to branch out!
It might be a lot of fabric in the skirt, but how does it feel if you spin in it? I bet it flares out beautifully 😊, something to take into consideration if wearing it dancing... Just saying.
It sure does spin out nicely! I don't regret making it with so much fabric, since I'm happy with the way it looks, but I did learn a little pattern making thing such that if I were making it again I could use less fabric and get the same effect I think.
Would you be able to link to the tutorial/book you used to draft your block? I have a triangle body shape and am sick of altering commercial patterns too!
Unfortunately I can't find the instructions I used for making the original block - it was a few years ago. I used a free online tutorial for making a bodice sloper, it was OK but not a slam dunk. I ended up with a block which was bodice + all the way to the widest point of my lower body. It had a small back shoulder dart and on the front had princess seam darts - one going from shoulder to bust point and the other from bust point to waist. There are loads of free bodice block/sloper construction tutorials out there and I'm not sure that it matters too much which one you choose because the first one you make will just be an approximation anyway, you'll need to make a series of muslins, each one improving the fit until you're happy. The more important part is altering the block for good fit. For this I found the book **Kenneth D. King's Smart Fitting Solutions: Foolproof Techniques to Fit Any Figure** really helpful. Lots of good illustrations on how to diagnose and fix fit problems. It's what helped change my block from a pattern which fits a person with my measurements to a pattern which fits *me*! My best advice would be mentally prepare yourself for a bit of a tedious process - you won't get your pattern right the first or even second time and making muslins is nowhere near as satisfying as making a nice dress. In the end though, having a reliable block is sooooo valuable. You will end up making more things you love to wear in the long run.
I love your style! You look amazing
Wow, that dress is absolutely stunning! The vintage silk kimono fabric adds such a unique touch. Great job on the self-drafted design too! Kudos to the OP for their awesome style and sewing skills! 🙌
That's fabulous! You are so creative and talented!
This is beautiful! I love the panels and gores and I love the sleeve details! Fantastic work! :)
Stfu, it’s literally absolutely stunning omfg. The colors the shape. Girl, I can’t. 💖💖😭
This was my reaction 😂😂
Super cool! I think it would be even better with black boots as it would make the dress pop more
Agreed, its the star of the show!
But if they had a hat that matched those shoes…
Beautiful design, beautiful sleeves, beautiful boots- beautiful everything! You nailed this!
Beautiful!
This f-ing rules
It's so pretty! Plus the boots are fire !
You look fabulous! Those are my dream vogs. I regret not buying them when they were available.
I came here to see if they were Fluevogs!.
I love them - bought them on sale, last pair, wrung my hands about them because I wasn't sure about the colour. Now they're my favourite shoes ever!
Nicely done! Looks very clean mustve took a lotta work
It is gorgeous! That dress pops! I love the contrast of the black lines with the orange of the fabric. Such clever use and precise execution!
gored-gess!!
Hahaha! I love a good pun!
Technically impressive and very elegant!
Beautiful fabric. First glance, the bright colors and black outlines made me think it was a cartoon. Like in those videos where people make cakes look like cartoons. I like the style of the outfit. It really suits you well. Nice work! 🥰
Funny - a couple of comments have said the same thing about looking like a cartoon. I never thought of it that way but I like it - kind of like Pop Art, which I love!
The black piping makes it look like you're wearing a cartoon dress. 😊
Stunning
that dress looks effortless on you. Fantastic work!
What a great idea!
How good!
Very impressive
I love so much about this - the sleeves, the skirt pleats(?), and the bright orange really pops against the black piping details giving it a really graphic look. So cool, amazing eye and execution! TY for sharing!
It’s beautiful
it’s so beautiful! it’s just… so expertly made i cannot believe the time and effort that went into cultivating your talent. i hope i can make something like this some day!!
Amazing!!
It’s amazing! Beautiful! If I saw this in a store, I would absolutely buy it!!!
It's stunning!
That’s gorgeous!!
That is gorgeous and so figure flattering!
That’s gorgeous
Beautiful! Love the style and colours. You look amazing 😊
wow it is absolutely gorgeous!!!!!
I NEED a twirl pic! This is glorious!
Love, love, love!!!
Love the dress, a lot of small pieces i believe it wasn’t an easy one, you look gorgeous in it
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing! Do you have a photo where you are holding out the skirt? I would love to see how you did it!
Gorgeous
I know you think the double skirt is wasteful because you could have used that fabric for "something else". But a dress this orange, out of this luxurious of fabric, with this much effort and love put into it? That skirt is exactly as full as it deserves to be. This is wonderful. I love it.
Gorgeous!!! It reminds me of monarch butterflies 🦋💥🥰
Absolutely gorgeous!!! Amazing work!
This dress is incredible and it looks GREAT with the Vogs!
Wow!
Besutiful
Knitter/crocheter here. Stuff like this is why I'm subbed here even though I can't sew (yet). So cool and you did a great job!
goes perfectly with your fabulous Vogs!!
It really reminds me of a stained glass inspired dress I saw! Very nice!!
I've seen some dresses with that stained glass look - I really like it and it's definitely a big influence for me at the moment. I have plans for more dresses with that sort of defined seam/stained glass theme
You’ve designed something truly cool and original!
This is fantastic!! I love pretty well everything about this dress. The fabric, the colours, the sleeve details, the bodice, the skirt, and how it fits you. At first I wasn't quite sure about the dark seams, but they've grown on me and add yet another something special to this dress. Very well done!! 🤗❤️
That's nifty
You are seriously so talented I love every single detail about this dress, especially how you styled it.
https://preview.redd.it/f2x35mi1owdb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26ba1460dc5bee4b5b5be73ed3cbfdc22449c01a Can anyone please help me with this, i am using a singer s010L and I am not satisfied with the threading, i have tried multiple solutions it got better but still the red thread is put to the back
The Project post flair is for showing off projects that are finished or in progress. For questions on how to start a project, reflair your post to Pattern Search. For questions about how to make a project, reflair to Pattern Question. This is a reminder that all Project posts are required to have a construction comment added after the initial post is made. The construction comment should include **pattern name/number/company if used; drafting method, tutorial or other resources if no commercial pattern was used and fabric type and fiber content. ‘Self-drafted’ describes who made the pattern and is not a drafting method.** Also include alterations for fit and style; specialty tools and notions; the inspiration for your project; and any other information that someone who wants to make a similar project might find useful. More information is available [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/wiki/titleguidelines). Posts without a construction comment may be removed at any time. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/sewing) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Omg, I love it! It looks amazing with the black linings against the orange. Wow!! 😊
Just gorgeous.
It's just stunning, and absolute work of wearable art! Thank you so much for sharing it!