Drape Drape no.5 V-neck Drape Dress

oh Drape Drape. You are so quickly becoming my favourite patterns. you're made of knits, your shapes are unique, and flatter the figure. Simply magnificent!

This is dress no.5 from Drape Drape. With extreme V-neck in both the front and back, gathered bodice, draping at the hips and a dipped hem at centre back. Such a beautiful design. 

This dress in no way is bra-friendly. Nor is it modest. So to retain some sense of mystery, I wore a tank top underneath (I'm thinking a bandeau would be beautiful too - for next time)

Another thing to note is that I cut the XL size which again is for a 90cm bust. 14cm less than my bust size. I think it fits fine. I don't feel it pulls across the chest to the sides but the back is more exposed than in the models photo. But, it still fits me so realize the sizes are very forgiving in a knit fabric.

When I started to make this dress, I feared that those hip drapes might look horrendous on my already prominent hips. But I'm extremely pleased with the outcome, as the drapes don't make them look larger so much as showcase their shapely appearance. Which I like! 

But that draped skirt didn't come easily. This fabric is a lightweight rayon knit. Beautifully soft to the touch but freely clings to tights and leggings. I spent a long time arranging the pleats and basting them in place as I knew that anything out of place would ruin the drape and effect of the dress. Manouvering a rayon knit into pleats while trying not to stretch the fabric is no easy feat; especially when the cut edges have a tendency to curl. I had these skirt panels in needle shackles by the end; one needle every 1mm apart - ridiculous right? but oh the end result is SO worth it!

But, like the idiot I am, I forgot to add a seam stabilizer to the shoulder seams. And not having shortened the shoulder length, the straps do appear to be growing with wear. Sad. I don't want to take it apart as it's fully lined with all seams enclosed, but I may have to if they don't shrink back in the wash. 

And, as I noticed the fabric didn't have a lot of elastic to help with stretch recovery; I added fold-over elastic to the inside waist seam to help keep the waist-shaping, carry the weight of the skirt, and reduce the stress on the shoulder seams. I may have made the elastic too tight as it is making my back bulge over a little, but what I can't see I shouldn't care about right? Right!

All and all this is a wonderfully easy dress to wear with some great features! I wore it many times to the beach and around the city!

Details

Pattern: Drape Drape no.5 V-Neck Drape Dress

Size: XL

Fabric: Rayon Knit

Required: 2.10 metres

Price: $14
Alterations:

• Omitted the back zipper
• Added fold-over elastic to the waist seam

These photos were all taken while wandering El Matador Beach in Malibu on a beautifully sunny day!

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Renfrew Mod of Me

When I go to work and I am not wearing a turtle neck and skirt people comment. You know you have a style when. And I am happy that I embody the turtle neck. I can rock a turtle neck. So I decided that I would rock my turtle neck in dress format in a bold print. It is winter after all and a bold print contrasts the dreary weather and makes me oh so delightfully happy.

I used my Renfrew pattern as a base. From making my last Renfrew I understood the alterations I required to make my turtleneck dress a reality. For the bodice, I cut a size 8, as my fabric has some good stretch and I needed it to withstand the weight of the skirt without pulling any excess fabric downwards. Cut an 8 and cut the waist at the lengthen/shorten line. Then to make it a turtle neck I raised the neckline 2 inches. Next I measured the neckline and cut a rectangle piece 1" shorter than this length. 

I made a circle skirt late at night. Never make a circle skirt late at night. I was clearly too tired to function as I cut my waist circle correctly, but then cut the skirt 18 inches from the corner, NOT 18 inches from my waist circle. Ooops. So this made my skirt length WAY too short. Damn. So I solved my problem by cutting two 4" stripes of fabric and adding them to the hem to length my skirt. It is like a pieced circle skirt now. No problem for me. The skirt is still very much on the short side as the bodice sits slightly higher than my natural waist. I didn't add length to the bodice when I cut a size 8. I didn't accommodate for the horizontal tautness of the bodice raising it by an inch. My bad. 

Otherwise, the dress went together quickly. Sent everything through the serger. Added clear elastic to the shoulder seams to stabilize them. Full length sleeves. Turn and stitches the hem and the sleeves. And done. 

The shape and the high waist make me feel like a figure skater or that I'm wearing a leotard. But I don't even mind, this dress makes me so happy. You can barely see my arms in many of the photos as I did the ENTIRE dress in the fabric. Why? because the fabric is a luscious Rayon knit with a very soft hand with a slightly fluffy feel to the outside of it. YUM. 

This is my Renfrew Mod of Me: Turtle Neck, Circle Skirt, Bright Print, and Needs Slight Modifications. 

Details

Pattern: Sewaholic Renfrew - Modified

Size: 8

Fabric: Rayon Knit

Cost:  $7/metre - 2 Metres used

Alterations:

• Raised the Neckline by 2"
• Cut the bodice at the lengthen/shorten line
• Added a circle Skirt + hem band
• Added a Turtle neck
• Made the sleeves full length

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