1.25.2016

The Dress That Would Not Stand Still

oonaballoona | a sewing blog by marcy harriell | draped cotton dress

STOP MOVING, Ruggy commanded. SERIOUSLY YOU ARE MOVING SO MUCH YOU NEVER MOVE THIS MUCH.


OH HAI !!! HAI SEMI-FAMILIAR PEOPLE WAVING FROM YOUR CAR!

oonaballoona | a sewing blog by marcy harriell | draped cotton dress

wait i don't think i actually know those people


RUGGY!! MAKE SURE YOU GET THE BACK!

oonaballoona | a sewing blog by marcy harriell | draped cotton dress

DIDJA GET IT? WAS THAT GOOD? SHOULD I TURN AROUND AGAIN?

oonaballoona | a sewing blog by marcy harriell | draped cotton dress

In Ruggy's defense, I was moving around an awful lot. In my defense, it took 4 months to complete this dress and I was so happy to have it on, I couldn't stop boogying. Also, there were about 3 million people out on the street when we took these shots. It was (almost) warm enough outside to traipse around just as you see me, so I guess everyone had a similar desire to pound the pre-snow laden pavement.

You wanna know something about the sewing, don't you? ALRIGHT, IF I MUST. I actually began this dress last August, when Susan of The Smuggler's Daughter and I were chatting about, of all things, race related sewing blog posts. Anyhoo, that led to a super sweet birthday offer of fabric from her shop, and I pounced on this cotton print. So lofty! So deliciously squeezy!! The only thing that prevented me from cutting into it the minute I unboxed it was Ruggy's admonishment that I had not pre-washed it yet. QUE DEMANDING, RUGGY.

oonaballoona | a sewing blog by marcy harriell | draped cotton dress

I stomped to the washing machine, did my duty, and cut and draped that very day. It seemed like I could use the print to mimic a waistline seam, so I set myself the task of getting away without one. I almost accomplished only side and CB seams, but, I had somehow made her a scoche too teensy, so instead of using the rest of the fabric for great big ginormous patch pockets, I got a CB godet and an exposed metallic zipper. (And sum fisheye darts inna back, and a coupla bust darts, uh huh.)


She's cut on the crossgrain--it seemed to add to the bell effect, so I went with it. The dress goes from selvage at the neckline to selvage as the hemline. I WANTED TO WEAR IT IMMEDIATELY. And I would have, if I hadn't stalled, trying to decide on the right straps. I waffled between cloth, and straw, and braiding, and in the end I went with my first choice: this leather trim. SO MUCH WASTED TIME. SO MANY CAPITAL LETTERS.

And yet, such a calm repose you have, oona. The close ups were ever so much more tranquil.


I lie. This is a shot of me mimicking the high school boys who just teasingly called oh you loooookiiiieeee so caaay-UUUUTE to which I immediately hollered back oh THANKEEEEE yoooooUUUUU HOOOOOOO!

I will take a compliment any way you dish it out, yo.

As previously stated, this (really exquisite, there's some left, you should absolutely go get some) yardage was gifted to me by Susan of The Smuggler's Daughter. Thank you Susan, for the birthday fabric, and thanks for waiting eight years for me to make something out if it!

35 comments:

  1. Amazing dress, and the CB godet is brilliant.

    Luv'd your post (L-U-V)!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. l-u-v, that's LUV (wasn't that a song?)

      thank you! necessity is the mother of invention. not that i invented CB godets, obviously...

      Delete
  2. Ruggy is just looking out for, when he admonished you for not pre-washing, you would have been devastated, if you had made this fabulous dress (the fabric is gorgeous), washed it and then having to realize, it had shrunk. So - GO RUGGY - for being such a lovely attentive sewing companion ;)
    you've trained him well

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. though you are most certainly correct, there will be NO LIVING WITH HIM when he reads this!

      ;)

      Delete
  3. OMG, you are all sass all the time! I LOVE IT!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful. I love the happy lively colors!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Fantastic dress, and thanks for the link to the note on sewing machine usage during the civil way. Sewing and clothes making is such an insanely overshadowed part of our history and our present, instead replaced by commercialised 'fashion' and extreme consumption. Also an incredibly important part of women's history. Awesomesauce.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. susan's post is great, right? glad to share it, i love it when we delve into more than just seams & fabric :)

      Delete
  6. Holy smokes. Fish-eye dart? Godet? I am still waiting for godet, as I have yet to build my skill level up to the point of even taking a deep enough breath to sew my first (actual) waistline in my first muslin (happening momentarily). I love that fabric and that dress. So deceptively (would be in italics if I could make it) simple, so chic, so pretty. I am forgoing buying any more fabric (except for muslin or something VERY VERY VERY VERY cheap) until I learn how to sew a straight line around a curve. You're such a great seamstress and involuntary mentor, Oonaballoona, and your post came just in time to get me sewing, today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hahaha!! godets are just triangles, my sleeved friend! i'm glad to get you sewing.

      Delete
  7. Wow, for the godet not being part of the original plan, the leftovers worked so well for pattern matching! The dress looks so cozy, and I would have guessed wool if you hadn't said cotton. Thanks for the link to the article, too-- I'd never heard anything about a possible connection between sewing and the outcome of the Civil War, and it was such a fascinating read.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i did wonder if there might be a little bit of wool in it, it's really so wonderfully lofty! and yes, i loved that post.

      Delete
  8. I love your writing. Just thought you should know :) Dress looks fabulous. You are all 70s lately, non?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. well thankya!! and i just can't quit the 70s vibe. seems to come back into style every 3 years or so, luckily :)))

      Delete
  9. Great fabric and I love the straps. Perfect choice!

    ReplyDelete
  10. what an interesting fabric, looks like a wool to me! you look gorgeous in this dress, sis!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Cool work, lady. The placement of that jaw-dropping fabric is divine. And to match that godet is genius! I can associate with the banta one gets posing in a city street... and at waving to complete strangers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you! the dress form really came in handy on this one. which reminds me, i should share the story of strangers in the street watching me carry a legged dress form...

      Delete
  12. That is GORGEOUS! I love the fabric and what you did with it. Also, thanks for the history link.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lovely dress, and brilliant print matching!

    ReplyDelete
  14. What I gorgeous dress! I love that fabric! Looking good. Goes to show I have a lot to learn.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. eh, so do i! luckily there's always more to learn in sewing, i think that's why we never get bored with it.

      Delete
  15. THESE COLORS! This turned out fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Groovy dress! And that's some seriously cool fabric. Love the whole look.

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is not merely a pretty frock; it is an extravaganza of color and pattern. Your execution is imaginative, creative and flawless. I admire you and covet the dress. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you so much!! the fabric was really inspiring to work with, i wanted to do it justice.

      Delete
  18. Beautiful ,love the whole look.

    http://ayselmelike.blogspot.com.tr/

    instagram ayslklyc

    ReplyDelete
  19. LURVVVV this! fabulous fabric and such great straps!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Ha ha this reminded me of my husband and I trying to take photos! Love the dress. The colours are just gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. it's a circus sometimes! i keep thinking people will eventually grow disinterested, what with selfie sticks and all, but nope, it's still a novelty.

      Delete
  21. I want this dress!! I love everything about it!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Such a great and happy dress!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Superbe pattern matching job. What a dress !

    ReplyDelete

i thankya truly for taking the time to comment, i love a good conversation-- and hope you know my thanks are always implied, if not always written!