February is a tough month for sewing. I’m sick to death of winter clothes, but spring seems as if it may never arrive, so no sense getting a head start on warm weather wear. I might as well make something completely out there, like this lovely metallic satin cocktail dress that will be perfect for my next stint as maid of honor at an interstellar commitment ceremony. Or perhaps I’ll just wear it while swanning around lunching establishments with the other ladies-who-lunch.
This pattern would make a really lovely wedding dress. The skirt is very, very full in the back, and I can easily picture it extending into a train. It comes in a long sleeve version, as well. So, if you’re in the market for that kind of thing, you might want to consider this pattern.
The fabric is a home dec polyester that is one of the more interesting fabrics I have come across. It has a really substantial weight, a soft hand, and it looks identical on both sides. Normally I only sew with natural fabrics, but this fabric deserves to be an exception. It is really amazing, but boy, was it hard to photograph.
The pattern is Vogue 1084, a re-issued Vintage Vogue. I’m not normally one for sewing vintage, but this really caught my eye. I like the low back and high front necklines. The skirt, as drafted, is really long. I took off 4″ before I cut, then ended up taking another 5″ off the front.. I left the back long, for a sort of mermaid effect.
My serger is the devil. I did without it for 2 years in London and did not even miss it. I left it in storage here because of the power issues with 220 power there. Now, it sits next to my sewing machine tempting me with its less-than-couture seam finishes. I caved for this dress, seeing as it may never actually see the light of day anyway.
I determined a while back that there is no point to sewing for the life that I have, which is really boring, but this dress is so out there that I could not even begin to imagine a life where I would need to wear something like it. Occasionally, I like to wear something costume-y to go to museums in the city, so it may be handy for that. Just the kind of thing to sew in February!
Front
Side view. You can see the difference in length between the front and back skirt.
Back
I embroidered a bird on the back facing.
Rolling in Cloth 