Any tips, help and advice

[Iminei]

about this Pattern ... Shelby Dress by True Bias

Ive seen it made up in a lovely orange floral fabric at my local sewing school and it looks wonderful ... having echoes of one of my favourite dresses from the 90's and I might like to try it in a Tana Lawn????

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Any advice, tips, hints etc welcome and needed!

Imi
xxx

The Virgin Dressmaker

[Ouryve]

I know tana lawn is a little finer in the thread and more pliable than standard cotton lawn but I would wonder if it would have enough weight to compensate for being less drapy than the suggested fabrics. I would imagine it giving more flare to the skirt than the sample pictured on the pattern.

[Missie]

I'd give a go in Tana lawn.  I think the fineness of the fabric will make it more drapey or drapey enough for it to work.

[Ohsewsimple]

I think it would be lovely in tana lawn.   But it is pricey.  Over £20 a metre so depending on  the length you want it could be £80 for the dress if you want it long. 

[Iminei]

 

[Acorn]

Other lawns are available, though!

[Tamnymore]

Standfast and Barracks in Lancaster used to print Liberty Tana lawn. They now do their own lawn which is exactly the same quality and there are some nice patterns. I think it is £9 pm or so.

[Helen M]

I have plans to make this dress @Iminei and last summer I made a muslin of the top only to just above hip level. I made quite a few alterations as it is drafted for a C cup which I am not and the neckline is quite low. The skirt is very full as you will have noticed so I plan to taper it quite a lot and found a good tutorial on Instagram. Hope this is of help!

[Kad]

about this Patterns...

Any advice, tips, hints etc welcome and needed!

Imi
xxx

The Virgin Dressmaker

It's a BIG step up from the PJ bottoms in many ways so I'd start off with a toile to practice techniques and fit.

[Iminei]

Nice fabrics @Tamnymore  but ££ and I understand that garmets take up so much fabric.

Still havent made a pair of pj bottoms @Kad 

[Tamnymore]

I think this dress would be nice in a viscose crepe or viscose marrocain i.e. a viscose with a little bit of texture. The advantage is that you would get the drapiness but it wouldn't be as slippy as ordinary viscose. Viscose tends to be cheaper than cotton. Try Rainbow Fabrics for a good source of nice viscose. You can get a 10% opening reduction and they often have other reductions.

[Iminei]

 

eyes bigger than skills and im already in way above my head ... just the lingo ... No No No NO   

[Missie]

I think it would be lovely in tana lawn.   But it is pricey.  Over £20 a metre so depending on  the length you want it could be £80 for the dress if you want it long.

In all honesty, I would pay this for a quality fabric for a dress I love and will wear again and again.  I've been looking at RTW clothes, dresses in particular and they really are quite pricey so to pay £80 for a dress that will fit properly in a really decent fabric isn't so bad.

[Tamnymore]

Sorry @Iminei wasn't meaning to confuse. If you see a fabric you like online ask us folks here! We're never backwards at coming forwards with opinions. 
For example here's a viscose crepe from Rainbow Fabrics for £4.99 pm. That's the kind of fabric I mean. You would get a further discount for being new (or they have a spin the wheel thingy so you may get an extra discount).
Also are you wedded to that particular pattern? There are similar patterns about with the same neckline but which might use less fabric in the skirt. I'm just making up a Simplicity pattern at the mo which has a fitted bodice, v neck and pocketsies in the skirt. It has no zip or buttons. Yay. Simplicity is still on offer for the next couple of days. Can send you the link if you are interested.
In principle, I agree about going for the more expensive fabric but if you aren't confident then you could try the cheaper option. Hopefully you would surprise yourself by producing a nice dress which you could then make up in a more expensive fabric once you were more confident.

[Ohsewsimple]

@Missie I’d pay that as well.  At least it would last and fit!     I was just thinking of @Iminei and her position and wanted to point it out.  That pattern takes a lot of fabric.  But as @Tamnymore says, there are lots of similar patterns out there. 

I still think cotton  would be fine for a pattern like this.  Viscose is lovely and I’m a fan of viscose crepe too.  But I’ve seen several beginners get in a mess with it.