Vogue In Splatters

I am being very brave today standing in front of the camera.  I spent the long weekend (in New Zealand) at the beach camping and got eaten alive by mosquitoes.  To make matters worse, my face seemed to be the tasty morsel of choice.

I was going to take this dress with me to get some lovely scenic back drops but a muddy swollen river in a howling gale was not going to produce the effect I desired.  I am making my break away sound really good aren't I?  Actually the sun shone for most of the weekend and a good time was had by all so I am not complaining.

I got really excited making Vogue 1351.  I had already completed the very popular Vogue 1250, but felt a little blah about it, so this dress came as a surprise.  I was initially drawn to the A-line shape but I think the lining is what really sells it to me.  Lining a knit dress may seem a little odd but in this case, it gives the bodice stability and prevents the cowl flipping out.

I chose a lycra knit (composition unknown) from Cotura Fashions in this yummy splatter pint.  I cut the dress to a size 10.  The pattern calls for both the bodice front and skirt to be cut on the bias, which I did, but for future reference I won't bother.  I left out the zip and skirt lining.   I lined the bodice in a white cotton interlock which gave the bodice stability and added the skirt last which enabled me to catch the lining in the waist hem of the skirt.  The interlock had no real vertical stretch so proved to be the perfect lining for the bodice, avoiding any potential drooping of the bodice. I did have to shorten the bodice by 1cm.

When I make this dress again, there will be some changes.  The armholes are a little large for my liking and the neckline a little big. It isn't work appropriate unless I wear something underneath as leaning forward produces awkward results.  I like the slight A-line of the skirt but may make it just a tad fuller in future and while I am at it, narrow the waistline just slightly.  All in all though, I am really happy with this dress and I think it may, with some slight modifications, become a new tnt.