Wednesday 10 July 2013

Vogue Mash-Up Dress

Recently my new friend Marjorie, also living in Brisbane, invited me around to check out her Burda collection. Not in the "check out my etchings" style, but in a generous sewing kind of way.  She ended up lending me a few patterns and Vogue 8663 (OOP) was one of them.

I loved the pleated neckline and immediately imagined as the perfect pattern for the teal ponti bought in the UK recently.  One problem...I didn't have quite enough fabric for the full skirt.  However, in a stroke of genius (if I do say so myself), I remembered V8667 and the great box pleat skirt, so I mashed the two together. Voila!

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This was super easy as they are both Vogue patterns and so the measurements are fairly similar.  Also any discrepancy in waist measurement could easily be hidden by adjusting the box pleat. Ha!

I really like the pleating around the neck although found it a little tricky to get sitting just right, the pattern is a little confusing as it gives the impression the pleats are stitched down. Anyway I forged ahead to get the look I was happy with and it seemed to work.  The only thing I am not 100% happy about is the dress isn't lined so the neck is simply finished with bias leaving an obvious stitching line which I am not sure I like. No-one else seemed to notice though, so perhaps I am being overly critical.

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Hmmm...a bit obvious I have been sitting in it today, sorry!

Pattern alterations:
- shortening the bodice length my standard 1"
- narrowing the shoulders slightly
- here's the surprise - FBA not required - I guess the pleats provide enough ease

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I know this may emphasise my boobs, but hey, they get stared at anyway, so what's the difference?!

Whilst I love the end result of the ponti, for some reason my machine hated it and the sewing was painful with the machine skipping stitches all the time. So infuriating!! The worst was when I twin needled the hem - I used a stretch 70 needle and look at the result:
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The left stitch was fine and the right kept skipping!  It was a brand new needle out of the packet.  I tried changing the thread, the bobbin, the tension and I tried a non-stretch needle. I threw it aside for a couple of days in disgust all prepared to take my machine to the shop, although it was sewing other fabrics fine. But then I had an epiphany, try every single twin needle I have!  I ended up using a size 75 twin needle with a blue marker on the top, I can only presume this is a blue tip needle?  I have no idea as I don't even know where the needle came from, it is part of a large number of loose needles I inherited from somewhere. Anyway it doesn't matter - it finally worked!! I was contemplating buying a new machine!!  (any excuse right?)  Perhaps a coverstitch machine might be the way to go forward.....hmm I digress.

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Have you ever had a frustrating experience like this?  Did you persevere, or give up??


25 comments:

  1. Lovely dress, great color!
    I have the same pattern but haven't made it up yet since I wasn't sure about how it would look. I really like the way it looks on you ~ funny thing is - I have the same color ponti and I had the same problems with the last ponti I used for a dress. I have a Brother and it skipped stitches, even with a new needle - the exact same problem. Luckily I have a serger so I used that to secure my stitching. I've also been thinking of buying a coverstitch machine but it's $400. Sigh. But I really, really want it so I may end up buying it soon. This fabric is great so I want to make more dresses out of it.

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    1. Ooh $400 for a coverstitch seems ok, they are heaps more than that here I think, I say go for it! Hehe enabling!

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  2. Your dress looks great Liz and you really suit that blue. Matches your eyes!!! I think your neckline is sitting really well compared to mine and the skirt looks good too. Yes, a stroke of genius by putting the 2 patterns together.

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    1. Too kind - thanks again for the lend, to me a wardrobe winner :)

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  3. Yes, that blue is you! Box pleat front is a nice detail- I think you have a bustal accentuating winner here!

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    1. Ohhh yeah I totally agree. Perfect colour on you

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  4. The dress is really cute and I think the mash-up was a success! I had a similar problem when using the twin needle on my larecent Denim Ginger skirt. It kept skipping stitches, but it coul be due to me using a stretch twin needle to pretty heavy denim... oops. :) Well, what to do when you want to finish your project quickly?! I guess I'd better buy a selection of twin needles...

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    1. A selection of needles is a good idea and in my case saved the day!

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  5. ughh... yes. i can't tell you how many dresses and shirts i have been wearing unhemmed because i don't want to deal with the twin needle. My machine seems to have a very narrow range of instances where a twin needle actually works appropriately- namely the knit has to be just thick/stable enough, but not TOO thick! so tempted by the coverstitch machine. anyways, the dress looks great and is very flattering, so i don't think anyone will be looking at the hem (at least thats what I always tell myself).

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    1. At least my hem worked in the end so nothing to hide!!

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  6. Oooh, this is so cute on you! The bodice and skirt look like they were meant to be together! And the color is really nice on you, too!

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  7. Very pretty dress ..Looks great on you.. Happy sewing.

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  8. I've been trying to dream up excuses for a cover stitich machine too! ;)

    I love that neckline as well, it looks great on you and I don't mind the top stitching at the neck. I think that skirt change looks better than the original, the box pleat adds a little more interest without taking away from the neckline pleating.

    I just used ponti for the first time last month, I can't believe I've never used it before and I am in love, my new favourite material right now, I went and bought more in a pretty fuchsia, thinking about Vogue 1317... :)

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    1. Fuchsia sounds lovely I can't wait to see it!

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  9. Hehe, new machine... love it :)

    Your dress is fantastic too- it looks like it's going to be really versatile and easy to wear, but it has enough details to keep it interesting. Winner!

    I also occasionally have trouble with skipping stitches when I'm trying to hem knits, and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the machine resolving its issues! Could be operator error in my case though :p

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    1. It is super versatile, I can also wear it to work and it feels like wearing track pants, so comfy!

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  10. This looks absolutely smashing on you! I love the blue ponti- it makes you look so fresh and sassy. Fierce!

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  11. Liz, I'm so happy I found your blog! I admire the fit you achieved with this dress. It is FANTASTIC. I'm new to sewing and we have the same figure. I am struggling with achieving the perfect fit.

    You have become my inspiration. I can't wait to dig through your archives to see what I can learn from you.

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  12. I love your dress! The neck line is great, it was the first thing that caught my eye when I saw your photo of the pattern. Re the needle, I had the same problem with a single needle. It turned out it was the wrong length for my machine, because the eye of the needle didn't line up with the needle threader. I took great pleasure in throwing that packet of needles in the bin!

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    1. Machines are so fickle sometimes aren't they and sooo frustrating. Can I get a new one? Can I, can I? ;)

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  13. I can only repeat what has often been said to me, "If you've got it, flaunt it." I don't, usually, but sometimes it's unavoidable. What a lovely dress and, as everyone else has said, the colour really flatters you. Fabulous. As to having problems with twin needles, oh, have I ever been there. In one case I attributed it to the thread I was using (a Coats Drima), but in general I can say that there's not a lot of rhyme or reason to why I've had problems on other occasions. :( I love my twin needle WHEN IT WORKS and I really like the finish; so for me, it's a matter of persisting till it looks reasonable.

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  14. It definitely wasn't the thread for me, after making a couple of other things since, it is definitely the fabric, I had no issues with other fabric or needles. So annoying though. I have another lot of ponti, wonder if I will face the same issues

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  15. I really like that neckline!

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  16. Your dress is lovely, such a great colour on you and an excellent neckline detail with the pleats.
    What a pain with a misbehaving twin needle. I have a coverstitch, and I know they are incredibly expensive, but mine has earnt its keep. I am much, much happier with my knit sewing now that the hems mostly behave. However, I have to change the needles quite often for tricky fabrics with poly in them, so skipped stitches are not necessarily a thing of the past with a coverstitch. I have some wicking poly in 5 different colours, bought when I was making endless exercise clothing, and for some reason the navy blue alone hates being hemmed, sometimes fabric is just uncooperative ;)

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