The Sewing Place

Birthday Party Dress

Francesca

Birthday Party Dress
« on: July 04, 2019, 10:22:57 AM »
Thinking about the next project before I've finished my current one...

It's Kris' birthday at the beginning of August and we have booked out a space in a pub garden with 45 people coming. Decided I'd like to make a nice new summer dress for it.

I've had this blue poly crepe in my stash for a long time, and want to make something pretty and full-skirted.

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I thought this Simplicity wrap dress looked nice. I'd probably shorten it, and shorten the sleeves slightly and make them flutter sleeves instead of straight.

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I love the look of wrap dresses but I have never made one. I've attempted to wear them, but never managed to get one that fits. I think this is probably a mixture of fitting issues. They are always too long in the bodice (I have a short body) and they always gape (I have a full bust but a small frame and narrow shoulders). I think shop-bought ones in my size always assume a bigger frame with a big bust. My bust doesn't fill them out so there is nothing for the wrap to pull against and thus they hang loose. Even if I pin a higher point on the crossover they still look odd as they sag below the pinned point.

I think I have a bit of a solution, and that will be to take out wedge shape at the neckline but tapering to nothing at the armhole. Like a reverse bust dart. I think this will reduce the length of the front neckline so it hugs closer to the body. I think even still I might have to use some elastic to hold it close to my chest. And I think it'll still be a bit booby (I don't have a cleavage though so it doesn't look bad if I wear lowcut).

Anyway, lots of fitting challenges. Toiles definitely needed. My fitting adjustments so far will be:

- Narrow shoulder adjustment 1"
- FBA from the size22 adding 5" across the bust

I'll try on at this stage and pinch out the wedge I think I'll need so I can see how much, then make another toile with this adjustment

- Wedge taken out of neckline
- Flutter sleeves
- Slightly shortened skirt

Wish me luck  :S
« Last Edit: July 04, 2019, 13:17:14 PM by Francesca »

Missie

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2019, 10:46:36 AM »
I can never find a wrap dress to fit properly either.  The wrap bit crosses far too low (indecently so) a lot of the time and there is always gappage on upper neckline.  I have given up with.

Love your fabric, it will make a pretty dress.

Francesca

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2019, 10:49:02 AM »
I can never find a wrap dress to fit properly either.  The wrap bit crosses far too low (indecently so) a lot of the time and there is always gappage on upper neckline.  I have given up with.

Love your fabric, it will make a pretty dress.

Hopefully I'll be able to make this work and I can share some tips with you!

There's always a chance that it won't. If it doesn't, I'll have to accept that wrap dresses are not for me once and for all but at least I'll know. I've tried pinching out the neckline on a few attempts I've made and it definitely seemed to work but I always lost steam on the project before implementing it fully.

Ohsewsimple

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2019, 11:21:02 AM »
Look forward to seeing your progress. Lovely print.  But I cannot wear poly in the heat.

Missie

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2019, 11:40:21 AM »
There's always a chance that it won't. If it doesn't, I'll have to accept that wrap dresses are not for me once and for all but at least I'll know. I've tried pinching out the neckline on a few attempts I've made and it definitely seemed to work but I always lost steam on the project before implementing it fully.

I've never made one or I did once start one and then stopped (probably due to the adjustments that were required, which weren't as many as would be required now) so my main experience is mainly with RTW but I'd be interested to see how yours works out.

Francesca

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #5 on: July 04, 2019, 11:56:05 AM »
Look forward to seeing your progress. Lovely print.  But I cannot wear poly in the heat.

I can't really either but it's such a summery fabric I'm just going to have to make do.

Gernella

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #6 on: July 04, 2019, 13:09:12 PM »
Love both  the fabric and the pattern.  It will look glorious <3

I just wish I had boobs  to fill out my own two wrap dresses, they would look so much better. :S
Stash extension 2024- 6.1 meters
Left at the end of 2023 - 66 meters now (includes fabric found hidden out of sight)  Lining fabric not included

dolcevita

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2019, 15:16:39 PM »
I've made quite a few wrap dresses and I've always ended up giving them away.  One of my friends who is very busty with narrow hips always cheers when I say I'm making or have made another as she is the usual recipient.  I'm a pear shape and they never work well for me as 'a look'.  It's not the fit, the colour or fabric, just that full wrap dresses don't work on my wider hips and narrower top half.  Faux wraps or ones with an a-line skirt are another matter and I had/have many of these.  Annoyingly, my friend borrowed one of these a couple of weekends ago, and it looked great on her.  But it looked good on me, too, so it's still in my wardrobe.  I think.  Must go and check.

Francesca

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2019, 12:22:50 PM »
Started tracing out the pattern today and I can already tell that it is very long in the bodice. Just looks like a length that absolutely won't fit me!

I'm debating whether or not to do a length adjustment at the waist for the first toile and just get it over and done with. I nearly always do a 1" length adjustment on fitted bodices with waist seams. Same as doing a 1" narrow shoulder adjustment almost as standard.

DementedFairy

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2019, 13:44:57 PM »
Before I got back into sewing so much I bought quite a few simple wrap dresses on ebay, all knit.  To get round the booby gaping, I just wore matching/toning camis under them, and wore them all to death.  Since I've been sewing again, I have made a couple, don't wear them, so stopped bothering.  I think it's having higher expectations of fit than in RTW!
My style's changed anyway, so I'm unlikely to be pining for one right now lol.
Hope you nail the fit Fran, getting that curve right so they sit between the boobs and snug in seems to be the trick
C'est moi!

KayK

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #10 on: July 07, 2019, 18:06:22 PM »
I've always been put off making one being 5' and short in the body  - the best ones I ever had were by Precis Petite and I only ever bought them off eBay!  They went on for years and were great for work.  I'd never get the hem level anyway!!
I have learnt by my mistakes: Sewing machines now are Bernina 720, Bernina 1008, Bernina 801 from 1981, Brother overlocker, ancient but works well

BrendaP

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2019, 19:57:20 PM »
I have a longish body and sometimes need to add extra length to a bodice and I wear a C cup bra, so a different shape to some of you but I have yet to get a wrap-over style to fit.  They always gape, even with a press stud strategically placed.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Francesca

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #12 on: July 19, 2019, 11:44:58 AM »
I'm very excited to actually get back to this dress now that the James Bond dress is out of the way. The fabric has been sat on my table ready and waiting.

I traced everything off, so I just need to do the first adjustments and then I'll make a bodice toile.

I'm going to do an FBA and a 1" narrow shoulder adjustment first and foremost, then try on. That'll help me figure out how much I need to take out of the neckline edge to help with gape.

Francesca

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #13 on: July 23, 2019, 11:03:09 AM »
Started on adjustments. 1" removed from the length across the bodice. I need to read through the instructions to see if that might mean I need to adjust the height of the (I think it's going to be a yes). 1" narrow shoulder adjustment, and I also drafted the flutter sleeve.

Next up is the FBA. Never done one on a princess bodice before but looks simple enough.

Francesca

Re: Birthday Party Dress
« Reply #14 on: July 25, 2019, 12:56:24 PM »
Toile progress made last night.

I put together the bodice and was pretty happy with how it came out. It needs a fair amount of adjustment but overall it's not too bad.

1) I need to increase the waist a little. It currently only just crosses over as it's supposed to. Not much room for comfort and movement. I will increase 1" only by extending the front wrapping parts by 0.5" each.

2) Gaping fabric around the front. I managed to remedy most of this by raising the shoulders rather than reducing width on the neckline. I was a bit overzealous and took off too much when I sewed this adjustment in place so it's causing some draglines on the upper chest part, but the result is still a reduction of gaping on the neckline.

3) Princess seam fullness. I think my FBA may have been bigger than I needed. I was able to pinch out some excess in the upper fullness of the curve but I was also able to pinch out quite a bit of fabric horizontally, all the way up the dart and across the front neckline.

4) Armhole. The front armhole is a little tight, I think I will scoop some slightly out of the front. The back is good though with my 1" narrow shoulder adjustment.

Ultimately after pinning everything in I am going to go for my old favourite method of drawing in pen on the toile, then unpicking all the pieces and looking at the result on the flat pattern. I sewed the toile with a longer stitch length than normal in order to help with any required unpicking.

I've also got to be careful not to "over fit" and make sure I leave myself a comfortable amount of ease whilst still having a fitted look.