Fashion Plate: Lavish Luncheon Dress

 

I'm so excited to share my latest Fashion Plate.  It's been a while! 

This week's inspiration is ModCloth's Lavish Luncheon Dress.  I love the colorblock.  I love the pleats. I love the polka dots.  I hope you do too.  My fabric selections for this look are Moda Bella broadcloth in 30's Betty Pink and Hello Tokyo Lattice in Ebony.  Making these fashion plates is going to be really bad for my cold sheep/cotton challenge.  I CAN make it until October.  I CAN make it until October.  Yes.  I can.  I hope.  I selected Butterick 5317 as the pattern for this look.  I don't love the neckline on this pattern.  I think I've mentioned how I feel about low fronts and low backs in the same pattern.  That creates problems for me keeping the shoulders of the bodice actually on my shoulders.  If I were to make this dress, I would probably borrow the top portion of the square bodice from New Look 6020.  I can handle that one.

For the colorblock portion, it looks like the bottom section is about 6" tall, followed by a 2" patterned break, followed by a 4" solid section.  I think the best way to recreate the look of the skirt portion is to make a new length of fabric if you will and then cut the skirt pieces out of that.  So determine how much you need for your hem, add 6" plus 1/2" for a seam allowance.  I normally use a 3/4" hem, so I would need my bottom section to be at least 7.25" long. (As long as the bottom is at least that long, you will be fine.  You should have extra for waste when you are lining up and cutting out your pattern piece.)  Then you need the black patterned section, which is 2" + .5" + .5" = 3" Then you need another solid piece that is 5" (4 + .5 + .5) and another solid section enough to get you to the top of the skirt pattern piece--it looks like at least 16" to me.  You will want to cut and sew selvedge to selvedge and be as neat and accurate with your cutting and sewing as possible.  The good thing about this dress is the colorblock part is the hard part.  Otherwise, this is a very simple pattern without any crazy details.  The pleats and the colorblock truly make this look.

I hope that was helpful and you enjoyed seeing this Fashion Plate!

FO: Black Lady Skater Dress

"LB Lady Skater"

Just the Facts:
Fabric:  about 1.5 yards of black 95% rayon/5% spandex knit from JoAnn's  $10

Notions:  Thread from stash, clear elastic

Pattern:  Lady Skater
Year:  modern ~2013
Time to Complete:  longer than it should have--I think 4 hours because I picked it up and put it down so many times

First Worn:  March 9, 2014
Wear Again:  yes again and again and again
Total Cost:  $11 not including the pattern

 

I've made a few things since my last FO post.  Just a few though.  I cut out this black lady skater in January I think.  It took me ages to finish it.

 

This is about the time I realized I was wearing a scarf. I had just finished this scarf too.  I think it's my favorite yet.  It's facing lillies stole in a great silk by Dye for Yarn.  So many nupps.

 

It's always so gloomy in my photos.  For the sunshine state, Florida does get a lot of rain.

 

I wear this dress all the time.  Maybe not every single week, but probably once every 10 days.  I think it is my favorite me made garment yet.  It's so comfy and effortless to put on and go and I can change the look by  wearing different shoes or scarves or jewelry or whatever.  I've even worn this same green scarf, but doubled it and knotted it to change my neckline.  That looked pretty fab too.

 

I don't like those upper side boob wrinkles.  Do you think I may need a larger size in the shoulders?  The shoulders seem to fall on the right line.

  

Less wrinkles on the back this time.  I graded down to the 2 in the waist like I said I would after I made my first lady skater.  I like this version much better.  The hem is still shorter than I would like, but I don't really notice how short it is when I'm wearing the dress.  It must not be so bad.

 

 

This flowy skirt is really really pretty and I love it.  That said, I have to take note of when we are going to have  a windy day because my skirt gets all kinds of Marilyn Monroe in a gust.  I channel my inner Marilyn often enough.  I don't need to do it walking into a client's office or a meeting or the grocery store, TYVM.

A closet full of lady skaters, that's what I need.  It's perfect timing that my favorite knit blend at JoAnn's just became available in a bunch more colors.  Oh wait.  No fabric purchases until the end of September.  Yeah.

MMM14: Week 1

 

Dress:  Me-May Colette Chantilly/Hazel mash-up, sweater Express circa 2004, shoes Nina Culver in ivory

I couldn't be arsed to iron the hem of my dress.  Sorry not sorry.  I decided to post my Me-Made weekly wrap-up on Saturdays.  I guess that doesn't bode well for my Me-Mades twice a week this week, huh?  I wore something me-made on Tuesday too.  That was in April though.

I have a new outfit post forthcoming.  Stay tuned!

~elle