Bodycon dresses: Givre & Prescott

Suddenly I needed a flaming yellow bodycon dress in my wardrobe.  I also really wanted a skin-coloured dress.  I knew that these probably wouldn't be very flattering, but I wasn't sure whether I would care. 

I've had the Prescott and Givre patterns in my stash and have made Givre as a tank top a few times.  I hadn't bothered making the dress yet but I have a see-through designer dress I stupidly bought recently and in hopes of wearing it often enough to be worth it, I wanted a merino bodycon dress to wear underneath for winter (it came with a slip.)

I started out with the Prescott tank dress, as I was very curious how the bra works. I mean, I mostly could sort of imagine the process, but I've never put in a shelf bra before.  I elected to use my very precious piece of Milk viscose in a body-colour for this, for better or worse...I didn't have much.  I had to line it with something else. 

I made a size 4.  As usual the question of which bust measurement to go by. The high bust matches my bust, and the waist and hip measures are spot on.

I didn't have enough for the back hem so I added on a piece. 

I had to follow the instructions as the construction was a little bit fiddly. It was helpful to be told when to use the sewing machine instead of the overlocker - often because it's not the direction of stretch and will decrease bulk.  Unfortunately the instructions for elastic application were confusing - they say to put it on the right side, but from my way of thinking that's the wrong side.  

I see that there are pull lines on the model and I can see those on me too.  The way it shapes below the bust is kind of loose.  Overall I think I like the shape to the level of the hips, but I don't really like the way the underneath bra and the overlayer interact.  It might be that using super strong elastic wasn't a good idea - I didn't realise as much of the support comes from the fabric of that bra layer, rather than just from the elastic.  

I have the feeling that I might turn this into a tank top to salvage the fabric, which I love.  I'm not actually finding that I want to wear it much.  I left the hem raw because I don't have coverstitch thread in a close match, and because my machine isn't behaving very well lately. If I'm going to turn it into something else, no need to suffer extra...

2. Givre, dress version

This is green merino from Otara in Auckland.  The cheapest place to get merino!  I had a really exact colour in mind and this is exactly what I wanted.  

I did the same as making the tank top: 36 at the bust, 38 everywhere else.  The fit is spot on - perfect amount of room.  Flattering?  I would say absolutely not.  But I might not care.  Maybe I should have fallen into my bodycon lust right after coming back from life in Nepal, when I was anorexic thin for a few months.  I love the feel of this but I'll have to be in the right mood to wear it without something over the middle section.  To wear under other dresses it's perfect.  It was easy to make - really not any different than making a tshirt.

I have some plans towards the Lola tank and dress and maybe making another Mission dress (it's been awhile since I had one in my closet) but other summer sewing is taking over so we will see what happens later in the summer! I'm still holding onto the neon green rib fabric so I'm sure it will show up eventually.

The last Clyde pants!

 I know I keep saying I won't ever make any more Clyde pants.  Maybe I'm finally done with them?

After my experience with Pietra, I wanted to try some crotch adjustments on pants I've made a few times.  The crotch on these is not satisfactory and the rise is too high so I thought they would be good to work on. 

I shortened the rise by 1" on the front and back, but in order to not mess with the pockets, I shortened the side piece below the pockets.  

I added the Persephone butt and front crotch.  Instead of pinching out fabric, this required adding fabric, and it did feel weird to add when I thought the problem is too much...

The fabric is beautiful textured green suiting from The Fabric Store, it's part of their new stock in now.  Run and get some! It's scrumptious.  

I put these together despite a terrible viral gunge, worse than covid forreal people. 

 

The top with them is a Deer and Doe Givre, I am not planning to blog it elsewhere.  No excitement just a nice tank top.  I might make the pieced dress version soon. 

I definitely see the butt has more definition.  The front crotch really does seem to be better. Ironically, the back rise isn't enough, and I've remembered to make my elastic much looser so the butt feels a bit at risk at present, but the elastic will tighten after I've washed them, and while wearing they are pretty comfortable.  They feel much smaller than my previous ones, probably because there's an inch less fabric hanging in my crotch.  They also seem very short which is, I suppose, because the crotch isn't hanging down and making them longer. 

I guess to sum, I would optimally take that inch out of the front but taper it back in to the back so I have a higher back rise.  I do think the crotch is better.  Can I be done making Clyde pants?  I have given all my previous ones away; I don't have a huge backstash of them.  These seem like they will be nice spring pants so hopefully I'll keep them around, and hopefully I will move on and stop trying to perfect these impossible pants!  It might be worth going back to the Arenite pants, which I mucked around with a bit and then gave up on.  

Colette Mabel miniskirt x 2 and a bonus tank top comparison

I went to work one nightshift, and in the middle of the shift realised the thing missing in my life was a miniskirt.  The Mabel Colette miniskirt.  Because, like everyone before me, though I know I could draft my own or muddle my way through, the interests of a well fitting miniskirt in 1 hour flat trumped any interest I had in the self-drafting learning process.

So two days later I had two miniskirts!

First of all I took that pattern home and decided to sew the size S, based on my hips.  I shortened the version B by a few inches - making it 19" long.  The version A is supposed to be 17" long.  I removed the kick pleat.  This is a lovely purple stretchy merino with a funny texture that almost looks felted, which I have had around for a long time and really adore.  I'm happy to finally be using it.  The skirt turned out way too big though, hanging on my hips pretty loosely.  I also used a zig zag that was pretty loose and so my stitches came undone rapidly.

Version two is view A, size XS, and in a funny merino that is smooth faced with a terry like interior that is scratchy.  It is a blend with some poly and retains its shape well.  It is the perfect miniskirt, and I'm hoping the scratchiness will go away with time.  Despite that I have worn it a lot!  I've worn the other one too even though it was big, but I plan to take off the waistband and take it in when I can get to the overlocker.

The pictures of Skirt 2 are with a bonus Deer & Doe Givre tank top.  It's a size 36 at the bust sloping to a 38, and other than needing a little scoop out of the armscye it fits great.  I was comparing it to the Patterns for Pirates Essential tank, though I know they have quite different shapes I was curious how they would compare.

The P4P top is a size XS.  I shortened it by 2 inches but kept the shape of the hem.  I made these two tops too fast, and so the hems are not done very well.  That bothers me a lot.  The shape of this tank top is otherwise really nice and I like the racerback.  Probably it's good to have both some racerback tops and some plain tops in my wardrobe.  I also find the Mission Maxi tanktop to be a perennial favourite (that's what the jungle plant top is, above).