Style Inspired DIY Jacket/Dress
A few months ago I saw this gorgeous jacket on social media! I saved the pic to my phone and immediately sought out to find some Ankara (African print) fabric so I could make my own version of this jacket.
February was a month of starting and not completing projects. Right now, I can count about 6 things that I’ve started and gotten hung up on at one point and haven’t been able to pick them back up. I’m not sure what I’m doing, but I keep getting stuck.
In the midst of all of my pending projects, I have had the opportunity to sew a few things for a very close friend of mine. This pattern from Vogue is one that was actually my very first (handmade) dress that I made this time last year! You can read more about my first attempts at making this dress HERE & HERE. My husband still gives me a hard time when talking about them…….
Materials Used:
Alterations Made:
Pattern Review:
This is another Very Easy Vogue pattern, which means that it can be tackled by any beginner! If you are trying this pattern for the first time and new to sewing, I think the only step that may cause you to stop ‘n think is Step #9, attaching the BODICE FRONT to the BODICE BACK, at the shoulder. There are 3 seams meeting at this point, but when in doubt, if you run into any gaps in your main seam you can hand sew and close the gaps.
Creating the bodice has a lot of detail for the beginning sew-er, because you’re creating darts and pleats. Vogue does a good job of making this seem easy – don’t think too much into it & use the illustrations to your advantage.
Once you get past the bodice, it’s downstream from there – creating/attaching the skirt and cuff for the sleeves.
I did deviate from the instructions when attaching the side seam. Instead of sewing the top to the bottom, I created the bodice and did not sew the arms at the side seam. For the skirt, I attached the back pieces together (center seam) and attached the skirt back to the bodice back and the same thing with the skirt front/bodice front pieces. This made it extremely easy to attach the front to the back at the side seams.
Next was adding the cuffs and hem bottom.
To create the hem, I folded the hem twice and sewed at about 1/4 inch. I did iron before sewing the hem. This helped out a lot!
Final step – I went back over all of my seams and did a zig zag stitch. This fabric frays and without the fray, I wouldn’t have needed it, but since I don’t have a serger yet… the zig zag stitch is the perfect alternative.
The fabric I chose sews like a dream! It is a durable, 2-way stretch knit that has clean, neat ribs. It was great using this fabric and this dress came together really quickly.
My mannequin never does any justice, but the 3rd time is the charm for me and V8825. This is a great, easy pattern to follow and if you’re a seasoned seamstress, looking for a quick project >> this is the perfect pattern!
After finishing this dress, it’s time to re-up… on my thread! 🙂
I hope you found some of this info of good use. If you did, please scroll up and subscribe to the blog! Feel free to comment below!
-XOXO
It’s redemption time folks!
After this epic fail, I had to get to work on the remix! I found this great, thick knit fabric from Joann’s.
This time around, I took my time. I’m a visual person and sometimes I have to take time off the project to visualize what I’m about to do. I literally took this step by step and when I started, with each step I took at least a day in between moving on. I would wake up in the middle of the night and think about how to construct the next steps… I was a bit determined to make this dress happen and wearable.
Pattern Alterations: I changed the width of the belt from it’s original width to match the widest part of the belt from beginning to end.
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You’ll notice… no hidden holes / awkward lines…
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View of the back of bodice
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I LOVE this sleeve! I can see other dresses with this sleeve.
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These pictures really doesn’t do this dress any justice. It hugs the right curves, the sleeves are the perfect length, with flare… It really is a great dress – I can’t wait to wear it!!
After seeing this dress on fashion blogger Mimi G Style, I was awe inspired to go for the gusto and make this dress! I absolutely had to have it! Off the top, this was definitely out of my league, but in order to become a better sewer I have to take risks. So why not just dive in, right? Right? Right….
Side Note – If you’re new to sewing, please note that as you’re using pattern pieces to cut your fabric there are special things called “markings” that come in the form of little triangles & small circles that you will need to “transfer” onto your fabric. If you’ve heard the term ‘transfer your markings’, this is what is being referred to. Being the GENIUS that I am – I took this very literally and put holes where there were HOLES in the pattern. {sigh} Gotta love having a new hobby! This dress and I got off on the wrong foot. You’re supposed to use fabric chalk to place the markings on the fabric, matching the pattern pieces.
I ordered this gorgeous, lightweight knit fabric from Mood Fabric. I definitely suggest ordering swatches first. Mood makes this easy. I don’t know of any other online fabric stores that offer swatches as low as $1! This fabric, although it feels wonderful, was probably a little too thin for this project. Well, I actually take that back. This could be the perfect fabric for this dress. I should have used some test fabric for this project, because it was my first time using the pattern………. lesson learned.
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If you look closely, you’ll see where I’ve gone back and covered the holes…. This took longer than I’d like to admit.
Pattern Review: Vogue rates this pattern as “Very Easy Vogue” and as a beginner, I would agree. I think the instructions are very easy to follow and can be accomplished by a new sew-er.
Alterations to Pattern Size: The fabric is quite stretchy to be so lightweight. I took in about an inch on the skirt and added a 3 inch band at the bottom of the skirt.
Would I make this again? Absolutely. Once I figured out where I went wrong, I know that I will try this again. I have to have this dress in my closet!
I was pretty defeated after this one turned out to be a flop, but give me time! This will be re-done.
More to follow…
Have you ever attempted a sewing project that turned into a major disappointment? How did you overcome it?
