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V8469 review

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The eagle-eyed of you will have spotted an unfamiliar dress in my blogger meet up post.

In honour of the day I decided to dress up! I wore V8469. This is from their Very Easy Vogue range and I have to say it was pretty darn easy.

I used a polyester I’ve had in my stash for ages. I love the delicate petal shapes in such lovely colours.

It’s OF COURSE from Jack’s Fabric… yes I am addicted to that stall. It was £1 a metre, back before they put their prices up by a dizzying 50p.
V8469

Doesnt the line art look frumpy?!
I made a muslin in size 16 a few months ago but then doubted my fabric choice. Fast forward to last week and when I tried it on it was far too big. I retraced at size 14 (smallest on my pattern) and figured I’d adjust further on the real thing if needed.

I’m super pleased how it turned out. And I got compliments off my family, a very stylish Auntie of mine (who used to buy for Selfridges) and some lovely fellow sewing bloggers at the meetup.

V8469 Review

2013-05-02 20.40.07A semi-fitted dress with a lined bodice, midriff pieces and ties, and back zipper closure with optional sleeves and top-stitching details.

It used all two metres of my fabric (mostly because of the ties) and a 22 inch zip. I used medium weight fusible interfacing and a pale blue polyester lining that was as close to the blue in the petals that I could find in my stash.

Negatives:

I think unfortunately given my fabric, plus all my faffing with the waistband I contributed to a troubling impact on the fusible interfacing. It’s started to come loose. I can feel it bubbling a little. It’s not visible but you can tell when you run over the dress with your hands. Doh.

2013-05-02 20.43.52

And I really wanted to make a tulip sleeve. I used a tutorial off the internet which don’t get me wrong, made total sense and I was following it all the way, but the curve of my sleeve just looked stupid. I tried it three times on scrap cotton before giving up and cutting the regular sleeve. Sulk.

The other thing that got me a bit miffed is that they said I had to make the ties different lengths. I didn’t believe this at all but I followed the pattern. Stupid. I should have totally made them the same length! My bows look all lopsided now.

Positives
I think this style really suits me and the fabric is perfect for the dress. I feel a little like a 50s housewife but in a good way. A chic way. The dress turned out much classier than I thought it would. I imagined it as a day dress when I was cutting it.

Plus the fit is pretty amazing I’m pleased to say!

AND I’m pretty damn smug about something I tried with the sleeve insertion.

2013-05-02 20.37.17

The sleeve is just a very small cap that just attaches at the top (not under the arm). I was thinking very intently about how they wanted me to disguise the raw sleeve edge between the lining and outer fabric. It just was too faffy and involved slip stitching for goodness sake.

So instead I basted the sleeve to the outer fabric then sandwiched it into the shoulder by folding it up tightly and squashing it in place. Then I sewing the lining over the top nice and taught. Finally I used a chopstick I coaxed out the lining out through the shoulders as per the instructions but I also coaxed out the sleeve too! Voila a perfectly sandwiched sleeve between the layers!

Would I make it again? And what would I do differently?

Yeah will totally make this again! I have a wool and a gingham version in mind on my Dresses Inspiration pinterest board. I think different fabric will give me that day time look I’m after.

Next time I’ll use an invisible zip though. It seems the better my buttonholes get the worse my zips get! Plus I still haven’t tried out my invisible zipper foot.

mmay13

Oh and if you’re a follower on instagram or twitter you’ll have seen I’m taking part in Me-Made-May.

Seemed fitting to step it up a year. Although I wear my self-made clothes nearly every other day I want to aim for 6 days a week.

Also, after laughing at the amazing amount of self-made polka dot items in my wardrobe I want to coordinate a FULL WEEK OF POLKA DOTS.

Oh yes, my work colleagues won’t know what hit them.

(36) Comments

  1. Oh i want to try tulip sleeves too! Which tutorial did you use? Your dress looks lovely. Can’t wait to see the polka dot week…!

    1. I used this tutorial http://www.sewchicpatterns.blogspot.co.uk/2011_04_01_archive.html?m=1 but hoping Marie will set us straight on the right way!

  2. Lovely fabric! 50s housewife is always a good look 🙂

    1. Heehee thanks very much!

  3. Your dress is beautiful, hope I told you that at the meet-up…if I didn’t, I totally meant to! Was the fabric really £1 a metre?!? Wow! Really sorry the tulip sleeves didn’t work for you! What tutorial did you use? Maybe I should try and make the pattern piece I use downloadable for people, with a tutorial? I’ll look into that…

    1. Thanks lovely you did say before. I’m amazed it was so cheap and not static-y at all. Please do a tute! This one was ok but just didn’t work for me http://www.sewchicpatterns.blogspot.co.uk/2011_04_01_archive.html?m=1

  4. This is such a lovely dress, I really like the classic shape and it looks lovely on you!

    1. You are so sweet! And next up might be some birdies 😀 (massive grin)

      1. Can’t wait to see! I’ve got a tiny bit leftover from my Alma that I’m hoping to squeeze a Deer & Doe Datura bottom section out of….

        1. Clever! I have to say you might be disappointed what I’m doing with mine

          1. Never!

  5. Very pretty dress, and you could definitely make it in so many fabrics.

    1. Thank you! I totally think it could work in gingham. Still unsure about wool but got plenty of time to worry about that

  6. Judy Galligan says:

    Love your dress looks great on you also. Fantastic job

    1. Thanks Judy!

  7. So lovely! This is a fab shape and fit on you! And those sleeves are so neatly set in *swoon*

    1. Thank you! Means a lot from a dress pro like you!

  8. Gorgeous dress, and I love the idea of polka dot week!

    1. Thanks! I hope I don’t look cuckoo!

  9. I loved the dress at the meetup and chic is the word. Also – a full week of polka dots? BRILLIANT.

    1. Thank you! Figured you’d be a fan of polka dot week 😉

  10. it’s a gorgeous dress (as i think itold you) – your sewing is so precise! £1/ m? no way! love the idea of polkadot week!

    1. I think I have ups and down with my skills. Wish I was precise every time!

  11. Camilla says:

    Gorgeous dress – I said as much on the day. You’ve made me re-think polyester. Lovely to meet you. Hope you made it to Libery in the end.

    1. Was lovely to meet you too! You were great dinner company 🙂

  12. Your dress is fab! I love how you put the sleeves and lining in. And I say “yey” to a week of polka dots!

    1. Polkadots are wonderful. Can never have too many!

  13. Absolutely lovely! I don’t even know what tulip sleeves are, will have to google them. Sleeves you have look just fine though.

    1. The name doesn’t initially match up with what they are but they are cute!

  14. I really love this dress. The fabric looks really lovely and fun to wear and the pattern is awesome!!

    1. Thanks Rachel!

  15. That is one gorgeous dress and the sleeve bodice lining bit is beautiful! You look stunning in it and the fabric is beautiful as well as a bargain!

    1. You are too kind. Hope I get to meet you one day!

  16. Ooh, I’ve not seen this design before – really lovely and a superb fit. You have every right to be very chuffed with this!

    1. Thanks Rosie! I’ve been reading your blog. Lovely stuff! Though you might have elisalexitus 🙂

  17. […] A fresh faced sewing enthusiast called Amy made her first version of Vogue 8469 back in 2013 and said, “oh yes this is lovely I better make it again”. She used £1 a metre polyester she found in Leeds Market and wore it to one of her first sewing meet-ups in London – the epic V&A event. […]

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