Green Velvet Drape - A homage to Ceil Chapman 1950
Over a year ago I found the image of this amazing vintage dress on Pinterest, compliments of Mill Street Vintage. Unfortunately (for us) it has been sold and is no longer in their shop. So I made up the back view to hopefully balance with the wonderful design detail on the front.
All the pattern making instructions have been moved to the website blog. :)
Now this would be a gorgeous dress to wear.
ReplyDeleteI agree! :) And I also think the dress would be stunning if you could take the time to include the corset structure in the bodice.
DeleteAs a new commenter/subscriber, I'd like to say "Hi!". I have experience sewing, but haven't done a project in a few years. I am familiar with drafting, having lucked across a copy of M. Rohr's Pattern Drafting and Grading, more years ago than I care to say:) I am looking forward to doing some new projects, and this looks like a great place for support and inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI am impressed with your blog. What lovely and helpful presentation! I love the idea of the Saturday Pattern Puzzle, too. I stumbled upon your blog through a link to the Erte jacket on Pintrest. I'd like to have a go at that jacket at some point. But, that's a subject for that thread.
With regards to this dress: what a stunner! I was looking at the photo of the back of the original, and I think I like your interpretation better. Because the form it is on is so small, it is difficult to tell exactly what is going on at the back neck. It looks as though it is angled in, rather than square. I do think the pleats at the back are nice. But, they also serve to highlight the placket between them.
I am thinking I'd like to have a go at this design. I am going to have to do a basic block, first. I have not done one in eight years, so I need a new one:/ I do have some questions about interpreting this design, though. What do you think about it being done more casually?
I have had a project in mind, for a vintage style summer dress. This design is very close to what I had imagined. I have fragments of a (real) vintage Hawaiian dress that was in my mother's scrap bag when I was a child. I am lacking just a few square inches of the repeat. Fortunately, my husband is a graphic designer. He is planning on reconstructing the design, so that I may order the fabric from Spoonflower. That means my fabric choices would be narrowed to: basic combed cotton, silky faille (100% polyester), cotton/silk (my personal leaning), or organic cotton sateen. Treating the dress in this way, I would not want to do the hidden structure that surely accompanied the original. Do you think this dress would function well, with a lining and waist stay?
Thank you so much for the add; I'm happy to be here!
Welcome Wundermary, and thank you for your generous compliments. :) I am very happy to work through this style with you casually in this comments section. Sometime in the New Year I will have set up some forums in the website but until then this is the best place. I check the blog each day so will be able to respond in a timely manner.
DeleteYes I do think this dress will work with a lining and waist stay. You could also block fuse (iron on interlining) the bodice lining for additional support.
I have had a quick look at the Spoonflower website and think the cotton/silk may be too light for this job and wonder if the cotton sateen isn't a better weight? Hard to tell without swatches and I am not familiar with ounces as we use gsm (grams per square metre) here in Australia.
Let me know if you have any more questions. Very happy to help. :)
I am sure I will have questions. I've got to get my basic block done, and then a first draft. And, there's the fabric design, itself. My goal is to resurrect this beautiful design that has always fascinated me. This is what I am working with:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pinterest.com/wundermary/hawaiian-dress/
I've only ever seen the back of the bodice, the rest of the dress was gone by the time I was a child. So, I think that's licence to be a little more fanciful than the original likely was:)
That's a big task and yes you have the license to make the front how you imagine it. :) Wishing you the best on your Hawaiian journey.
DeleteI found your blog,while i was searching for solution to a draping problem in my pattern, and am so glad i did.Its by far the best pattern based websites around.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much rUbhieeH! Let me know if you have nay questions about your pattern. Happy to help. :)
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