After finishing the baste stitching on the final pattern and trying the dress on, I discovered that the flare at the bottom of the dress is more prominent on one side. This means that there is more fabric on one side of the dress and the seams are not quite right. So, I decided to pull out all of the baste stitching and start again from scratch.

Since both pattern pieces match up evenly and the mistake was made in the pinning process, I did not need to rework the final pattern. To make pinning the dress around the form a bit easier this time, I started out by pinning the front and back panels to each other on all seams. After balancing the material out, draping the sides and finishing pinning, I baste stitched the seams again. I tried the dress on and it appears that the seams are matched up evenly this time. The fit is good and the bottom of the dress flows beautifully when I walk.

Once I was happy with the fit, I put the pattern back on the dress form and stylized the armhole. The armhole turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the dress and it wasn’t even in the original sketch! It dips down underneath the armpit and shows enough skin to look sexy chic and not too over the top. I also started on the pattern for the shell shape that will cover the right breast by cutting a large enough piece of muslin and attaching interfacing in the middle for stiffness. Unfortunately, the stiffness is not enough to hold the material up (the material is pinned to the form in the photo) so I am looking into other options. I read about using pellon interfacing for extreme stiffness and decided to explore that as an option…

After removing the draped top pattern from the dress form, I ironed the material and cut around the edges to smooth out the lines. I then cut the pattern from another piece of muslin to create the top back panel.

Now that I have my two top pieces, I strategically draped them on the dress form. They both require bunching on the side and I wanted to make sure that the lines matched up from front to back. After I was happy with the way the bunching looked, I baste stitched the top panels together at the side, top and shoulder seams.

I placed the skirt panels back on the form and baste stitched them to the top panels with all seams matching up. I left open the seam that will hold the zipper so I could easily slide it off and on for fittings. After trying the dress on, I feel that it is ready for the final pattern. The only changes that will be made to the pattern are fusing the top and bottom panels into one. I also decided that I love the way the armpit hole on the left side is open which steps away from the original design. It adds just a touch of sexy to an overall classic gown.

After cutting out the bottom panels from muslin, I started to work on the pattern for the top. I can’t imagine how one would be able to draw the pattern out so I decided on the draping method with the help of Draping for Fashion Design by Hilde Jaffe & Nurie Relis. In order to determine the length of muslin I would need, I draped the fabric true to design and cut around it leaving at least 2 inches extra for movement and seam allowance (to be determined).

Once I had the muslin cut and draped for the top, I decided to baste stitch the bottom panels to test out the pattern. I’m very pleased with the skirt panels and didn’t feel the need to make any changes to the original pattern. I then draped both of the panels together to determine overall look and possible changes. The hem was also pinned up to see how the dress would fall. It turned out to be an exact replica of the original sketch. I’m loving it!

My ultimate goal is to somehow combine the top and bottom pattern into one. The design calls for an overall smooth, clean-line look. If I keep the dress in two panels, it comes off as too bridesmaid-y. After the top pattern is completed, I am going to try to combine the panels on paper. We shall see how that goes!

I needed to take a break from the pencil skirt that I have been working on recently and decided to start on a gown that I designed for the Venice-inspired line. This dress embodies the romantic feel and aesthetic of the city with it’s rich scarlet-red fabric, flowing lines and black and white striped silk on the bust.

Since I am new to design and construction, I am learning what works for me in terms of my own creative process. After sketching, my natural next step has become draping. This helps me to determine the functionality of the dress. It also helps with determining if I would like to make any changes to the original design. I draped with muslin and some old upholstery fabric that I used for pillows several years back. In this case, I am in between three different styles for the black and white striped fabric that covers the left breast. One is based on the original concept and the other two are slight variations minus a strap. What do you guys think?

After taking measurements, I started to draw out the first pattern draft. I finished the draft for the bottom but am still working on the top part of the dress. I ultimately would like for the dress to be in two panels (front and back) for a smoother, cleaner look. This is proving to be a bit challenging due to the asymmetry of the top. Any tips?

I made my monthly pilgrimage today to the Garment District in search of fabric for the skirt I am currently working on. Believe it or not, I found the exact fabric that I was looking for at Paron Fabric’s. Paron is one of my faves because they have a good selection and the people there are helpful. I purchased 1.5 yds (extra for mistakes) of ivory-colored linen with a little stretch.

I opted against interfacing for both waistbands since the fabric is thicker than what I originally had in mind. They should maintain stiffness on their own. After folding and ironing the fabric, I pinned the pattern and cut the pieces out. The skirt panels are pinned at the seams on the dress form and are ready for dart placement tomorrow.

On another note, I found this amazing rust-colored fabric at the store. A few months ago when I conceptualized the Venice line, I designed a rust-colored gown with a built in corset. Needless to say, I am in LOVE with this fabric. It has a wet-shine look to it in certain light and an interesting texture. I spent some time draping the dress form with the fabric for new inspiration and ideas. I’m working on a design based on this concept: