Spool River

It’s not at all unusual for me to make a dress for an event, but when I put on eye make-up (and take off my specs)- you know it is a serious occasion. Such was the case on Thursday for our big gala at work. This annual fundraiser was also a celebration of our organization’s 150 years of service and completion of a major housing project. This shindig called for extra effort: both a new dress and extreme power lash mascara.

I found this fabulous green silk at Treadle Yard Goods. It has a satin finish, but it is much heavier- which is perfect for a winter event here in the North. I had my eye on the new Vogue 1654 special occasion dress and here was the opportunity. Even though the pattern calls for stretch woven fabrics or knits- and even though I had a couple modifications in mind- the sewing and fitting part of this project was – shall we say- smooth as silk.

This pattern is a “custom fit” pattern sized for A, B, C, and D cup sizes. The A cup bodice was a perfect fit right out of the envelope. Hallelujah! Thank you Vogue for offering a pattern with customizable cup sizing!!! There is a lot of information out there for people who need to make full bust adjustments. But, I find significantly fewer tips and tricks for modifications for us petite chested gals. And- because I am a self-taught pattern fiddler- I struggle with making these fit adjustments. Personal goal is to figure this out in 2020. Anyway- no need to struggle with bust adjustments with this pattern.

I skipped the pleat- by cutting the skirt front on the fold of the fabric- and omitting the pleat line. I graded the skirt to a larger size to make sure I had enough walking and sitting ease.

Now here is where we hit a minor bump in the road. It’s the day before the gala, and I try on the dress to determine skirt length for hem, and the sleeves are simply overwhelming. So I completely unpick the sleeves and recut them to be basically a fitted sleeve. It was actually an easy alteration- but I was working last minute- per usual. I also made the sleeves bracelet length- because- well, bracelets!

More trouble: I was very careful with pressing the darts and seams. I ironed on the wrong side of the fabric and used a press cloth. But I was having difficulty getting a nice pressed finish- because the fabric is fairly stiff.

So I increased pressure- and oops- the seam dart impression from the other side showed through. So I skipped ironing the other dart. As an alternative to the pressure, I used a bit of steam and the iron dripped and suddenly I had water spots, discoloration, change in texture- and almost every other fabric disaster!!! And this is the evening before the event.

I went to the internet and found a thread that suggested when pressing silk satin- generally a warm, dry iron and light pressing is best. Hmmm. The post recommended using a seam roll and brown paper strips to avoid seam and hem impressions which may show on the front of the fabric. This seems like great advice, but I didn’t go that far- I only had an evening to finish- and actually, the hem looked fine with a wrong side pressing. And while the water spots are basically invisible, I had the most trouble with photos and crease lines!

I remember reading somewhere- long ago that workers who steam and press in the tailored garment industry make more money than the workers who sew. I have never been able to substantiate this – but it makes sense to me. I really struggle with the iron. I don’t know if ironing can be taught- but I could use a lesson.

In any case- despite a few bumps along the silk dress-making road, I learned a few things and am still pretty pleased with the final outcome!