Red Retro Dress - Colette Patterns Oolong #1008

Finally completed UFO!!

Pattern: Colette Patterns Oolong #1008 (2009)

Pattern Description: Lined bias-cut dress with central ruched bodice, v-neckline, slim six-gore skirt, and no closures.

Pattern Sizing: Using their size chart I ended up using a size 6 for bust and size 10 for waist and hips. As it turned out the bodice was still too tight across the chest.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, minus the sleeves.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes! Colette produces very detailed and well illustrated directions with their patterns.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I loved the slinky 1930s feel of the dress and its bias skirt.A very va-va-va-voom kind of dress. However, I found that the sleeves cut in my size were too tight to be comfortable.

Fabric Used: A lovely red cotton twill with a wonderful drape and Pellon Easy-Knit fusible interfacing.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: As seen in these posts, I had issue with the back neck to waist measurement being too long (16") for my strangely petite sizing (there and only there!) of 15.5". As I did not notice this even when constructing the lining I had to make adjustments on the final dress by changing the seam allowance on the back bodice piece and altering the darts some.

Note: I completed the dress in 2010 as designed. However, the sleeves were too tight, so I re-cut the sleeves with more width but they were still constricting. Finally, I decided to remove them completely, remembering how sultry the dress looked before the sleeves were originally constructed. Therefore, I took out my handy seam ripper and not only took off the sleeves but decreased the seam allowance on the upper shoulder of the bodice to provide more room. Turning some fabric leftovers into bias tape I then enclosed the raw edges of the dress and lining, slip-stitching the tape by hand to the lining on the inside.





Would you sew it again? Probably not. It is very unique and I would have to deal with fitting the back again because I did not transfer my changes to the paper pattern.

Would you recommend it to others? Yes, it's very flattering and easy. Just make sure that you are honest about your measurements. The dress has scant wearing ease so even a fraction of an inch can make a big difference. Therefore, do not over fit, there are no closures to this dress and it must go on over your head and shoulders. If too tight it will put too much stress on the seams. I had to reinforce some seam intersections with fusible interfacing.

Conclusion: The resulting dress from this pattern is a lovely curve-revealing, date-ready red dress with a strong 1930s vibe.

 
Images: my own photographs

Flora, Food, and Fantastic Oolong!

My birthday flowers! Along with the beautiful lilies, daises and crysanthemums from a dear friend, my boss ordered a truly delicious gluten-free pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting from Ellwood Thompson. A huge hunk of it is now in my freezer and I am so tempted to defrost it already!

But, what do you say? Did I finish the dress? Well...





YES, I DID!!!



Worn with brown fishnets and my superstar brown suede 1940's-inspired shoes.
Yes, those are criss-crossed ankle straps!

Detail shot.

Moody film-noir shot.

Another Year Older...

It is my birthday today! And what a day it's going to be...a full day at work and then a three-hour class on Medieval Art & Architecture. Do I know how to party or what?

No, I am not wearing my Colette Oolong dress today but the goal is for tomorrow! I finished the lining hem a day ago and am attempting the dress hem tonight. However, because the dress is bias there was a lot of distortion and the front of the dress is a full 1 1/2 inches longer than the back!

My obstacle is that I don't have a dress form or someone to mark the hem for me. I had planned on buying one of these but it won't help me tonight. I think I will do a little creative cutting and put in a temporary basted hem just so I can wear it now and of course photograph it. I will be a bit dressed up for casual Friday but that's the way I roll!

I know this dress has taken a long time to finish (start date: October 2009!) and its completion has missed a lot of my self-imposed deadlines, but it WILL make this one. In addition to being finished on my birthday I had also proposed that it be finished in time for Chinese Lunar New Year, since I had missed two New Years opportunities. Luckily, it will and it might also help that the dress is red, which I heard stands for prosperity.

Come on, prosperity!

By the way, a floral delivery place just called and they have a delivery for me! I have no idea who it could be from but my day just got 50% better.

Oolong Dress - Colette Patterns #1008 - Part 4!

To see earlier updates read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

I wasn't going to post another update but after seeing just how incredible this dress looks with the neckline finally stitched, I just couldn't keep these in-progress pictures away from you.

OUTSIDE:

Well, as you can see the grading worked! The neckline came out gorgeous. Look how neat and professional it all looks? Now, this isn't personal bragging, no, the way it looks is a testament to Sarai's design.



INSIDE:

Check out the inside of this dress! The rear neck facing sets off the back nicely. Because it is stitched on top of the lining there is no worry about the facing ever flipping out.



Surprisingly, my favorite part of this dress is now the part I was most worried about in the last update...the front facing.

I LOVE the facing that Sarai developed for this dress. So much, in fact, I wish I could wear the dress inside out because of how cool it looks and because the colors are amazing together. Another ice blue and winter red dress is definitely on my wish list now. I am seriously tempted to make a dress where this color combination and that neckline detail would be seen on purpose. Perhaps I'll attempt it with the Chantilly, my next favorite Colette Patterns dress.



I kind of wish the sleeves were also going to be lined in blue so that the interior of the dress would be as impeccably finished as it is on the outside. However, I think I may have a fix for that.

TEASER:

Yes, Imma Tease...

Look what I did this weekend!

More details to come later this week...

Oolong Dress - Colette Patterns #1008 - Part 3

To see earlier updates read Part 1 and Part 2.

I can see the end in sight!

First step: I tried on the dress after a couple of months of it hanging in my closet mocking me to find that it was now a bit snug in the chest area. Since this dress has no zipper or opening other than the neckline, I didn't want to risk ripping the seams when I put it on over my head. Apparently I only gained weight in my chest and it was giving off a mono-boob appearance. So I opened up the side seams and reduced the seam allowance to 1/2", resulting in a dress with 1/2" more ease.

Second step was adjusting and reinforcing the front gathers with a strip of twill tape on both the dress and on the lining.

Next step was attaching the facing (made of the fashion fabric) to the right side of the lining (wrong side is showing in picture) As you can see when you stitch on the facing, you have to stitch across the bust gathers on the lining too. I have to admit I was worried how that would effect the fit of the lining later.

Where I am now:

I am sewing the neckline seam that joins the dress and the lining. Then I will have to notch and grade the seam allowances so that the neckline lays flat and has a defined v-shape at the center, like this one:

The very last steps will be attachment of the sleeves and the hemming of essentially two dresses.

Woo hoo - the end is near.

What's Going On Now

I know I have been bombarding you with lots of long, photo-packed posts, but I hope you've been enjoying them because I have a few more to go.

Updates:

• There are new patterns in the shop (these are even cheaper!) and there will be additions every week. Please check them out.



• I have a post almost ready on the unique cuff, collar, pocket, and other details once common in sewing patterns (1940-60s) that gave a garment an extra zing. Most of these details could be revived as additions to modern patterns already in your home.



• In need of a new top, I finished this muslin for my Built By Wendy-Vogue pattern mash-up. I reinforced the basted seams and replaced the elastic. I know it's still muslin but no one who doesn't sew will know the difference. Maybe, one day when I have the facilities, I'll dye it.
  



• I am finally working on the last item of my long overdue mini-wardrobe; the 1960's Butterick button-back top. Don't know what my procrastination problem was with it. Still up in the air about the bound buttonholes and looking at related tutorials.
  


• Working on fixing the muslin for the yellow dress. I realize I never followed through on it's progress on the blog. Long story short, that sheet was the worst fabric for this dress and also for this top, but I still wear it. It's far too stiff, has NO give and I had not added enough width to the pattern's hip seams. Of course, the pattern did say Recommended For Knits...which I then ignored. Once I alter the pattern though this will look great in one of the new stretch bengalines that Jo-Anns has right now.
  
  
• I am about to tackle the alterations I need to make in order to finally finish my Colette Pattern's Oolong dress. Following a suggestion to decrease the seam allowances in the hip area and therefore allow more ease, did in fact, eliminate a lot of the sway back lines in the yellow dress above so I am going to apply that knowledge to both the slip and fashion fabric layers of this dress. Also, it seems I need to decrease the seam allowances on the sleeves or bite the bullet and cut a sleeve with a larger arm opening. The sleeves seem a bit too tight now. Luckily I may have enough leftover fabric. I'm also tempting to substitute the sleeves from this dress, Simplicity 6034, which has a similar look but gives the sleeves some more interest. I have also seen drafting instructions for similar sleeves here on Vintage Sewing.info.

Oolong Dress - Colette Patterns #1008 - Part 2

I made the shell garment out of the red twill I have had for over six years. I remember the dress that this was meant for and maybe one day I will make that dress still. Cute isn't it?

I know I should probably take more length out of the back (see wrinkles above) but after taking the two sections apart and adjusting them I just don't want to do it again. Also the dress seems to fit a bit smaller than its lining so I'm scared to adjust the size any since I have to join the two and still be able to pull the entire thing over my head. What do you think?

Well, I have duplicated the fit of the lining for the body of the dress and I have taken some pictures of the details. Since the dress is constructed the same as the lining, the top and skirt portions are uniquely attached, not by a regular right-side facing seam but instead the skirt portion is placed over the bodice piece at the seam line and attached by top stitching as seen here:

Because I used two separate sizes, a 2 (34") for the bodice and a 8 (39" hips) for the skirt portion, I had to make some adjustments to match the seam lines after I had to shave some width from the waist (27") area.

More images of the dress at this stage:

side view

The neckline gapes only because the center gathers are not secured like this:

What is next:

• Tighten the gathers at bodice center on both lining and fashion fabric.


• Add sleeves to outer dress instead of attaching them last as in the printed instructions. Because I want the inside of the dress to have a clean finish I will achieve that by slip-stitching the lining to the sleeves over the raw seam allowances.


• Attach the neckline facing.


• Hem both skirts. Not looking forward to this part at all.Who knows how long that will take me?

Next post (whenever that will be*) will show the finished dress.

*Anyone want to take bets on which month, which year? Hey, money could be made!

Yeah, It Didn't Happen...

but I did get more done on the dress and I even FINALLY took pictures of the most recent work I've done on the Colette Patterns Oolong dress*. So as long as there has been some kind of progress, I'm happy.

Good luck to everyone who made the Patternreview.com deadline! I can't wait to see all of the entries and vote.

*If you get impatient to see these before I get around to writing posts on them the pictures are here and here in my Flickr sets.

Oolong Dress - Colette Patterns #1008 - Part 1

Style 1008: Oolong, the bias dress

Yes, I started this dress last year in October. I am JUST now blogging and finishing it. It went from a possible Thanksgiving dress, to X-mas, New's Year, my birthday, and then even missed Valentine's. So, it's now or never!

The pattern was a bit difficult from the beginning. While I compliment Colette Patterns on covering a large range of sizes, (I mean, wow, I'm only a 2-4 in her line) it sure makes it difficult to differentiate the lines specific for your size. I've never traced out a Burda pattern so I guess this gives me a little idea what that process is like. I ended up using colored pencils to trace over the lines, green for the size I need for the bodice and red for the next size up that I needed for the skirt portion.

Color tracing the size cutting lines

Just some of the pieces hanging all over my apartment for 24 hours at a time to let the bias stretch as directed.

I was originally going to make a muslin first, but then I pondered the pattern layout, all laid out single with no cutting two or more pieces on the fold involved, combined with the fact that the cut out pieces then would need to hang for 24 hours. My new lazy, procrastinating sewer self decided that it would be better for me to just "Go For It" instead of dragging this out. (HA!)

My ice blue poly lining

So I cut out the pieces from my final fabric and purchased some ice blue polyester for the lining (Sew Classic silky solid Silkessence in Denim Blue from JoAnns for only $4.99!). Still being a bit scared, I decided to construct the lining first before sewing the fashion fabric. This way, if there were fitting issues I could correct them in the lining first.



Look at how crisp these pressed edges are! This is my new favorite lining fabric!

Check out those Sophia Loren hips! That's why bias is so great. (Forgive the fit on the bodice, the gathers were not pulled up where they should be in this photo. The front actually fit great.)

And that J.Lo butt! See the need for a sway back adjustment? I have it pleated here to show the excess in the lining. However, you can see it fits great everywhere else it should.

Since this dress has no buttons or zippers (Hurray!) once I'd sewn the lining bodice I was so scared to slip it over my head. What if it didn't fit? I might possibly have fabric to recut it but the pattern had already been cut too. Luckily; it fit great, the only problem was a bit too much fabric in back right under the bra line and before my largest asset.

The lining after some corrections:



Next step, the fashion fabric shell...