My sister is a scrapbooker and obsessed with photographs. She had an album out that she had rescued from my grandparents' house after my grandfather passed away. He and my grandmother had maintained albums for all the families (my dad has six(!) older sisters) and my sister made sure to get ours. I was looking through it and found a picture of my prom dress! I mentioned in my sewing backstory, part 2 that I made my prom dress but didn't have a photo of it. Here it is!
It's hard to see the details because of the way I'm standing, but you can pick out the sweetheart neckline and drop waist (and the fact that my poly satin needed a good pressing!).
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I also got my mom to put on her outfit of the Knip Mode 04-2008-13 top and BWOF 10-2008-103 skirt so I could get a picture. Smash could not resist getting in on the action. Actually, it's just that nobody was petting her at that exact second and my mom was just standing around doing nothing (in Smash's mind) so Smash gave her a job.
Growing up I looked a lot like my dad, but as I get older I start looking like my mom--even my sister noticed this. Good thing she is cute. And she looked so good in her outfit! It was motivating to find more projects to make for her. It's difficult because she had thyroid surgery while she was pregnant with me and has a (very faint) scar at the base of her throat that she is self-conscious about, so she likes high necklines. We also share the same pear shaped figure with protruding tummy, which she is also self-conscious about. So there are very few patterns that fit her preferences and of those even fewer that fit my preferences (I want her to look cute, not frumpy!).
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I finished BWOF 03-2009-104 but I find myself in a pocket situation. That show through is terrible, and renders the skirt unwearable. **edit since I've already received two suggestions re: lining** The skirt is fully lined already. I *thought* I had dealt with the problem of sewing in white by lining the skirt, but obviously not. The lining is behind the pockets, and it is not possible to pull the pocket bags through to the back of the lining; I pinned together the yoke and the front to make the front lining one piece and I just don't think that cutting a hole in the lining is going to work.
I received a suggestion on flickr to use flesh colored fabric for the pocket bag. I don't have any flesh-tone woven but I do have some knit; I can look for woven if that will help. Is this the solution? I was thinking of replacing it with white batiste, but maybe that would still show through. I'm afraid my only real option is to cut away the pocket bag about an inch beyond the line and just stitch down to the pocket opening to make it a false pocket. I'm quite annoyed about this! Suggestions welcome.
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And while I was in Texas I ended up at WalMart, my parents' favorite place to shop. I had to stop by their fabric department, since they still have one. The two fabrics on the left were $1.50/yd and will be used as knit linings. When I saw the knit print I was like, "Cute, it's kind of like Missoni." The bolt end said "Missoni knit," which I think is very dicey from an intellectual property standpoint. I don't think "Missoni" has become genericized like aspirin or elevator. However, regardless of legal issues involved in its name, I took all that was left on the bolt for $2.74/yard. I ended up with nearly 3 yards. I think I will make the Burda 7890/BWOF 11-2006-116 (Karen offered to loan me the issue) top for winter, and the rest into some sort of dress. Probably a summer one because I don't think that's enough fabric to make two long sleeved items.
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31 comments:
Your mom is really cute! From experience, I can tell you that one day in years to come, you'll walk by a mirror, and your mother's face will be staring back at you! White fabric, such as for a skirt or pants, most often benefits from unerlining. That prevents show-through of details, like pockets.
I love that prom dress, I think I am older for it to have been high school era, but wore things like that to college formals. You did a great job on your mom's, too. On the white skirt, since you did not underline, could you add a lining and take away the pockets or rip out just enough to put them on the inside of the lining?
Oh my goodness, how much do I love that prom photo! Now I have to go dig up mine.... :-)
I loved seeing the picture of your prom dress. You did a great job.
And your mom looks so cute.
I live in Texas, in the Houston area. I have also shopped for fabric at Wal-Mart for $1 and $2 a yard. That's how I initially built my stash when I started back to sewing years ago.
www.sewingwithtrudy.blogspot.com
ooh your mom looks so cute in that top! I hadn't even noticed you raised the neckline until you said, either...
AS for the skirt, my first instinct would be to underline that front panel with white or flesh coloured woven to stop the see through (because you KNOW you're going to forget some groggy morning and forget to wear beige underwear with it!), but I think that'd involve way too much work at this stage of the game, unless you sewed it to the seam and hem allowances inside as a cheat?
Your mother looks beautiful.
I know the D.C. summers are hot and sticky, but if you could stand the additional layer of fabric, a white half-slip should solve your problem.
This is such a great photo post! I love the prom picture and you're right, you and your mom look a lot alike, but she's adorable so it's all good.
I'm in the camp of flesh toned pockets. That's what I have to do when I sew with white.
I agree its skintone every time - prevents any showthrough. Hard but fact. Took me a long time to get that too.
I am responding to the post on my blog from you, yes that Butterick top is OOP, I found it at the thrift shop. It is a Large/XL, so the bust is 38-40 on the large, which I am, not because of ample endowment, but all around & broad shoulders. It is #3070 from 1985. I also have another partially done in knit crepe that I extended the center front and made a few pleats at the neckline. I have it put away as everything went away for the party. If you can't find one somewhere online, let me know, I can trace another from mine and you would have to take it in.
Definitely use the flesh tone fabric for the pockets! This was a fun post - thanks for sharing the pics!
Nice prom dress!
About the white skirt. I am afraid that is it is too late to put in an underlining in addition to the full lining.
Theoretically, it is possible to pick apart the seams and retrofit with a full or front-only underlining.
Realistically, that is not very slapdash. Live and learn.
The new Threads discusses how to prevent pocket show-through...by using flesh tone fabric next to the fashion fabric. You look beautiful in your prom dress and your mom looks great in her outfit.
Oh, that reminds me of my prom dress, which I made for myself back in the 80's. Mine was purple poly satin, with a weird halter strap that I designed myself in an attempt to copy a $300 dress I saw in a magazine. I remember hand-hemming all afternoon the day of the prom (it was a very full skirt), and then when I finished with only minutes to spare my mom said, "It's not even!" Oh, well, too late, I wore it anyway.
A few years later, when asked to make a similar full-skirted dress to wear in a friend's wedding, I hired someone to sew mine, mostly because I was nervous about the hem!
Your mom looks GREAT nhe outfit you made for her. And I LOVE your prom dress.
Please tell your mother how great she looks in the outfit you made - it's feminine and flattering. Hope your father continues a speedy and full recovery. BTW, all Walmarts here have closed the fabric departments, which is bad luck, because I got some surprisingly wonderful fabrics there.
Great post! Love the photo of you in your prom dress and the one of your mom. Me too, I look like my dad but sometimes I'll catch a glimpse of myself and think MOM!
Love the prom dress! It's a really pretty color...not that I was surprised.
I never thought of flesh tone for pocket bags, but thinking about it - it makes total sense! Then again, I am terrified of white pants/skirts (especially with a toddler) so I don't have to think about these things...it's the same concept as wearing a nude bra under a white shirt. Genius!
And if that "Missoni" knit were really Missoni, they would totally lose their designer cred - selling their leftovers at WalMart. But it's definitely pretty! Great find!
What a doll you were in that prom dress and your mom looks great too. I for one would rip the pockets out of the skirt and stitch the tops closed. I have a phobia (dating back to my fat high school days!)about pockets placed at that point on my body. And Smash looks a lot like a greyhound! Is she? I used to date a man who had greyhounds and I just loved them!! And last of all, I hope your dad continues to get well.
Non-ripping suggestion for the skirt - topstitch those pockets/bags and the hem (and even waistband) in a contrast color to make them "design elements." A thick black thread, using a triple straight stitch to make it look almost handstitched. Other than that, you'll have to rip, rip, and find some flesh-tone fabric if you want to save the pockets.
You do look like your mom and she IS cute! Love the prom dress. You haven't aged a bit! ;-)
Great pictures! Your mother is cute and the outfit looks great on her. You are adorable in your prom dress.
I am happy that your Dad is on the mend.
The new issue of Threads has an article on show through and shows flesh tone pockets and even Hong Kong seam finish in flesh tone fabric to hide your seams in light colored fabrics. I have white pants in my future so I am definitely going to look into finding some lining in my skin tone. The question I have, is how close to your skin tone do you have to get for them to be invisible?
I love that prom dress. Ah prom. I ended up going to 4 of them, two with home sewn dresses. Your mom is adorable too!
For the pockets, I was thinking along the same lines as Debbie Cook - sewing rick-rack, braid or a pretty bias tape to the front of the skirt in a line following the edge of the pocket bag. That way you'd only have to unpick a tiny bit at the waistband and side seam to insert the ends of the braid, and it might disguise the contrast between the pocket and non-pocket sections of the skirt.
Mom looks adorable in her top, glad to hear dad is on the mend, LOVE the prom photo, and I'll pop the 11/06 BWOF in the mail tomorrow.
And I'm with Debbie Cook on making the pockets into a design element - otherwise, it's way too much time with the seam ripper!
Great prom picture! I'd say you already had very good taste at that young age. As to the skirt, I hope the suggestions here will help, because it's a very nice and flattering shape. And a white skirt is such a good summer staple!
P.S. Best wishes for your dad's recovery!
Best wishes too for your dad's recovery! How does your mom feel about a narrow scarf? Also, you look lovely in your prom dress, and I kind of like the crinkled effect. I thought it was intentional. :)
Lovely ladies, both you and your mom. And lovely Smash! My heart melts when I see a sweet dog's face. As for the skirt, I agree with those who suggested making this little annoiance seem intentional or at least not so noticeable with a bold topstitching (although that would change the look you probably had in your mind). It's a very nice skirt anyway. And I think nothing makes you feel fresh in summer like white.
Look at that little hottie in her beautiful prom dress. Amazing you made that yourself when you were so young. Your Mom is a cutie. Looks like her outfit fits wonderfully. I would use flesh colored lining on your white outfits. I don't know why it works but it does. Love your Wal-mart fabric finds. Love a good deal.
Your prom picture is adorable! You were quite the seamstress even back then. Love the pose.
Wonderful promdress. Good you found the picture. And good picture of your mother. Wishing a good recovery for your dad.
Ahhh! The picture of you in your prom dress is fab! Very stylish, and I love your hair!!
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