Some people have a real skill at choosing prints and making them into something incredible. I dont`t have that knack of seeing the bigger picture so I almost didn`t buy this fabric . But now it is sewn up I really like it . I often favour smaller prints in more muted colours but this can translate into a bland , faded even frumpy look from a distance even if the print itself is beautiful .
The fabric is a rayon type with birds in solids and outlines on a black background. I`m not sure if they are swallows or swifts.
I really wanted to make the Rebecca Taylor Vogue Pattern 1395 but it wasn`t available but my brain slowly ticked over and I realised I could get the look combining a couple of patterns I already owned.
I combined a Butterick See and Sew dress pattern 5975 with the front ties from Kwik Sew 3620 . Not exactly the same but similar look to the Rebecca Taylor Vogue 1395 as below. I got a bit over confident and didn`t follow the pattern instructions for the dress as I was trying to do the burrito method for the yoke construction . I realised too late it would not work for the dress so I had to fudge things and add bias binding strips for the arm holes and then applied them the wrong way so they show on the outer side . I applied them neatly so it looks OK and since I sewed the dress a couple of weeks ago my mistakes already do not bother me. Apart from my own self induced errors the construction was straight forward but I am not quite sure that the pattern is as simple as See and Sew implies.
This dress has got me rethinking my print choices and also that I should probably have a bit of a dress clean out.The dress started as a UFO from several months ago and now it is finished my sewing corner is all sorted. I can hardly believe it but my dress form is clear , my dresser top is empty and my little sewing basket has only one project in it which is a WIP purse which is being slowly made at a sporadic sewing group I attend so no hurries there. I am now considering finally making a patchwork table runner for the coffee table and perhaps even an entire patchwork quilt with garments in between.
Does anyone have any hints on how they successfully chose prints ?
Happy Sewing and here`s to completed UFOs and fresh starts.
I agree that the print is very nice on you! And the dress fits well. Very nice!
ReplyDeleteI have a tough time with prints sometimes; usually consisting of me making a top from something that should've been a dress or skirt. Or my most recent striped wrap dress that I don't really care for. I think it helps *sometimes* to drape the fabric on you as you intend to wear it.
Yes this is different but I like it too, I really love aqua with red. I like that you pattern hacked too.. very clever. I find it hard to match patterns to some prints and then I find I didn't really like it and although I too love the small prints, I think they aren't good for me for the same reasons.
ReplyDeleteMatching prints and patterns is always difficult - one of the reasons I stash - eventually a pattern and a print are perfect for each other! I like how you combined patterns to create your own version of the Vogue pattern.
ReplyDeleteYour dress is lovely and as a huge fan of print fabrics (admittedly more in buying them than getting round to using them) I'm always happy to see them on others. For some reason I do not really like print tops on me at all, but I love print dresses and skirts. Maybe a dress gives you enough area to really see the print, I know if I have a very big scale print I like to use it in a maxi dress or maxi skirt. Anyway, the scale of the print you've used here looks perfect, try some more!!
ReplyDeleteHi, Thanks so much for your explanation. Now I understand to try to envision from what sewing patterns one already possesses to combine and get more or less the look one sees elsewhere. :)
ReplyDelete