This post is written by Laura of Behind the Hedgerow.
It seems as if all my sewing in recent weeks has been selfish! Today, it’s the case of another week, another new dress. I like to think of this dress as the love child between Deer and Doe’s Airelle Blouse and The Factory Dress by Merchant and Mills. My initial idea for this project was a straight-up Deer and Doe blouse but two forces conspired to make me change my mind. First, as the weeks, months and years (eek!) of my sewing going on, I’m starting to feel less satisfied with simply following the instructions on a pattern – wheels start whirring around in my head and I want to make it different – make it my own. Second, I’m not actually a blouse kinda gal. I was afraid that, as just a blouse, this top wouldn’t get much wear (and what’s the point of making something to just sit in a cupboard unloved, right?!). Dresses on the other hand, are a totally different story. I wear them all. the. time. (see here, here, here…you get the idea!).
Now, before you start thinking how clever I am to come up with this idea, please know that others have gone before me. Let’s call them the Airelle-blouse-to-dress pioneers – otherwise known as Rachel (House of Pinheiro) and Anna (Paunett). I love their versions – I really do – but I know that elasticized waists are NOT for me! So I got to thinking – what IS for me?! And I turned to my trusty friend The Factory Dress…my most loved and worn dress that I’ve sewn to date.
So, the love child was conceived!
The next challenge was fabric choice. Again, I wanted to try something a little different. I went with a very light and sheer black bobbled cotton from Robert Kaufman (bought over 2 years ago in Boston at Gather Here) paired with a heavier, wintry checked flannel (bought around the same time in London at Ray Stitch). When purchased, I had no thought of them joining forces to become a dress (the black was indeed destined for an Airelle blouse. The flannel was going to be a Tova Top). I don’t know if I made the right decision but I liked the idea of contrasting styles, textures and weights together in one garment.
The construction of this dress, stated in the simplest terms is – follow all instructions for the Airelle blouse, chop of 16.5cm and then attach the skirt from the Factory Dress. I made a size 40 for the Airelle blouse and a size 10 from the Factory dress. Luckily the width of the top of the skirt pretty much matched the width of the bottom of the blouse which meant no further alterations were needed.
This was my first time making the Airelle blouse and, since it’s undocumented elsewhere (you can see all sorts of love for the Factory Dress here), I thought I’d share a few notes on construction – in case you’re tempted to try your own.
- I like the darts on this blouse. Instead of coming in from the sides they are created by sort of pinching the fabric vertically under the bust.
(There must be a technical name for this type of dart. Anyone? Anyone?).They’re called double pointed darts! They create a nice silhouette but without having to worry about making your nipples look all pointy and weird.
- Having a separate back yoke lends itself nicely to adding piping. You could also do the whole yoke in a contrast fabric.
- The instructions for this blouse are ok. I’d say you’d need a bit of experience before tackling this. Everything is clear but there isn’t an excessive amount of detail and teaching like there is in so many indie patterns.
- The only negative comment I have to make about the construction is that the yoke is unlined which means there are lots of ugly exposed raw edges on the inside. I would have preferred a lined yoke to conceal all of these – next time I’ll add one.
Now for the final verdict. What do I think of this dress? Well, I turn this question to you – what do you think of this dress? As I type I am wearing the dress – I keep glancing in the mirror thinking, “Do I like this little love child?!” At this point I honestly don’t know. The final step of sewing the skirt to the bodice was done with butterflies in my stomach because I was so anxious to see what it would look like. When I whipped it right side out and held it up to the mirror I thought, “Aaaak! I hate it! I’ve just ruined a perfectly nice blouse to create this!”
Now, here’s a sewing lesson for you all. I’ve been sewing for 4 years now and I feel like I’m becoming slightly more mature, balanced and measured with each project. My old self would have ripped that skirt off and tried to re-attach those missing 16.5cm (which would have been a disaster) or (more likely) just crumpled into a pile of tears and anguish so that my family would run a mile and approach me for the next few hours with measured caution. I did neither of these things. Instead, I calmly abandoned my sewing room, closed (not slammed!) the door and took the puppy for a walk in the September sunshine. In fact, I didn’t even think or look at the dress until the next day.
The next day I tried the dress on, walked around and got to know it a bit, and I think we are starting to form a loving relationship. I think. Tonight I will wear the dress to Matthew Bourne’s production of Lord of the Flies at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. I think by then I will know if it’s a keeper of if the love child needs to be put up for adoption!
Thanks for reading and here’s hoping all your selfish sewing projects are keepers!
Laura x
The post selfish sewing week: airelle blouse-factory dress remix appeared first on imagine gnats.