Wanted: Tutorial for simple dress!

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Kittycat
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Wanted: Tutorial for simple dress!

Post by Kittycat » Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:47 pm

Hey you guys! I was wondering, this dress on this, I am sorry, swedish link, it looks so really simple! An old friend of mine wants me to sew it for her prom. Does anyone have some simple tutorial for it?
http://oliviaaeriksson.bubbleroom.se/20 ... alklanning
I made my own dress with no patterns at all, but then I could afford to make a mistake, here I can't, since she will pay me for it.


She is also very tall and not really big at al, yet powerfully built, so my mannequin doll is too small for her dress. But I guess it would be enough to have her measurements and drag her here sometimes to try it out or so.

But I would be glad for some help here! :D
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iamdolleyes
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Re: Wanted: Tutorial for simple dress!

Post by iamdolleyes » Fri Mar 25, 2011 3:42 pm

well from looking at it, i can tell you the top part (bust and halter neck) are a really wide rectangle, which has been twisted into a rope (think just like you twist a dreadlock when sealing it). Then it looks like the two ends are untwisted slightly, gathered quite a bit and attached to the body to make "cups" for the bust, while I believe there is probably an invisible stitch through the top of the bust area so that it doesn't unravel completely, and stays twisted. I hope this makes sense.
the lower part is just a large gathered skirt, and it it topped off with a braid made of matching fabric

Its actually a pretty simple yet really beautiful dress. If you haven't checked already, I'd look through craftster for similar patterns on the lower body (or adapt something you already have, or can look at in a store) and for the top, just take a fabric tape measure and measure from under one boob, around the neck halter style, and down to the other boob. add seam allowance and then make a mockup with a cheap fabric or even an old sheet or curtain. you can play with width (I'd start with about 2.5 times the width you want to end up with over a single boob) and adjust up or down depending on how much gathering you want, maybe even start with 3 times. so if you want the cups to be about 5 inches wide you'd make the rectangle 15 inches wide, and however long you measured

sorry this isn't really a tutorial, but it does seem pretty simple so you should be able to manage it without a pattern.
if this made no sense, send me a pm and i can quickly draw up what I mean in photoshop
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Kittycat
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Re: Wanted: Tutorial for simple dress!

Post by Kittycat » Fri Mar 25, 2011 5:48 pm

iamdolleyes: Thank you for your answer! It was really great, the skirt is a simple matter, it was the bust part that I was wondering more about. And your idea of it being one single square that's been twisted really makes sense! It indeed looks like it.

So then the biggest problem is solved :) Now I just have to think how much fabric I must buy.. Chiffon is kind of thin if I remember it right, so there will probably need to be some underskirt, in some soft fabric, like silk. It says on the page that they also used silk underneath it, chiffon would have needed loads of layers.
And it also said that even though it's a thin fabric, the twisting of the bust part made it impossible to see through! The skirt is 4 pieces that gets thinner up in the waist. Stupid that I didn't read the page before. But it didn't say anything of the twisting that you saw, so that tip was gold worth!

But thanks a bunch! Now I will go and make my friend happy :D
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iamdolleyes
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Re: Wanted: Tutorial for simple dress!

Post by iamdolleyes » Fri Mar 25, 2011 8:45 pm

right on, glad to help! I'm terrible at drafting patterns (I would need help with the skirt part..hah) but I can always seem to figure out the more sculptural parts of patterns. go figure

I hope it turns out great, I bet she'll love it
i like my coffee black
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Kittycat
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Re: Wanted: Tutorial for simple dress!

Post by Kittycat » Sat Mar 26, 2011 9:58 am

I never use patterns, I tried once, for a wedding dress, but I didn't understand it at all, so I did it all by head, and it turned out great haha. But I guess that not everyone can do so :o
What about that skirt part? I have an old pattern somewhere for a skirt here, if it's a short one. Perhaps I could help you :)
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