High-fiving a million angels!

ZOMG you guys, I DID IT. I actually finished my #SewDollyClackett number on time! (barely.) I also realized, like YESTERDAY, that it also fulfulls the Sew Vintage Pledge!

I’d been procrastinating on actually, like, SAYING I was joining the pledge because I didn’t want to feel like a doof if I didn’t finish it. But here it is, a vintage dress I finished, WOOT! Back to the dress…

So, as I mentioned in a previous post, I used Butterick 5748, which Roisin herself has already used several times. (So did Shelly at Cuckoo Chanel, woot!)

I had some *troubles* with this one. The last dress I made that required any amount of fitting was my graduation dress, I had problems getting it to fit around the bust, and I had to take it in a ton. On this dress, I started small, and ended up eventually just cutting pretty much a straight size 14. When I got most of it together yesterday, LSH looked and was ACTUALLY IMPRESSED. He said, “It looks really good!” I pretended not to notice his surprise and just take the compliment. 😉

But lookie here at this little target-

What on earth is that thing pointing at? Is it marking the nippular area? I don’t get it.

Anyhoodle, I made four freakin’ muslins of the bodice. UGH KILL ME NOW.
As you can see in the photo above, it’s not perfect. There’s a weird little ripple-y part on the bodice front that disappears if I stand just right and tug it just the right way.

I ended up essentially drafting my own skirt because I didn’t have enough fabric to do a circle skirt. I ended up cutting a couple of trapezoids, because I wanted it to be poofier at the bottom than with a straight-up gathered rectangle. I did some box pleats at the front, and then one over each back bodice dart as well.

I didn’t line the whole dress, just the bodice (although now that I think of it, I can’t remember if the directions call for lining the whole thing anyways.) It’s actually fairly pretty on the inside!

The instructions say to “understitch as far as you can.” I tried on two parts, and to steal a(nother) page from Roisin’s book-

So I gave up on that nonsense pretty damn quick.

I’m not always sure the “right” way to actually finish things with the lining (and by not always, I mean NEVER), so I just catch-stitched around the whole waist and at the zipper.

It’s a skill I’m working on, but it’s passable, I think. I’ll let you in on a secret- I haven’t finished the skirt seams off yet, because I needed to quick get photos and slap this blog post together before the deadline!

I tried really hard to do careful pattern placement of the cowgirls, but I didn’t have a ton of fabric to waste, so I ended up sacrificing a couple of them.

Pour one out for the lounging lady on the left who got her face mauled.

There are still several fitting issues- I think next time I’ll take a bit out of the center front, and use a smaller size at the armholes and then grade out. I had to add some width to the center back on each side because I do not have a vintage-y waist (or much of a waist at all.) Having LSH around to help pin me together and then mark the lines on the fabric was super helpful. He’s a handy type of fella. I also made the scoop back less scoop-y- I think I raised it about two inches. I kept a journal of all the changes I tried to make, so hopefully next time there will be a few less muslins (like maybe only two!)

Now for fun photos!

I had to include this- it’s, like, my first AND LAST selfie ever. Derrrr.

From the back! (whilst spinning)

So yeah, I like to spin. Wackily.

This was between spinning and trying to do a funny pose, so yeah, here it is haha.

Obligatory Dolly-Clacket-Style shoe shot!! 😀

In a future post, I’ve got photos from my vacay to Los Angeles- I think some from LACMA will interest people who like clothes!

Did you manage to finish your #SewDollyClackett in time?!