Thursday, October 4, 2012

''On The Town'' Ann Miller Green Dress














This dress was a custom request that i began offering as a made to size option over at my Etsy shop Morningstar84. I started using a vintage Hollywood pattern with princess seams that run from the shoulder to the hem. The cuffs had to be re-shaped for the little points and the neckline lowered. I then draped a wide bias band around the neck to create the collar. There are two pleats at the neckline front to help the collar curve around. If you notice there is actually a front collar drape that tucks under the corners of the collar hooking on the left side under the collar and the bow sits at the center. This detail could easily be omitted by just continuing the collar to the center front.
The first set of pictures were using the customers chosen fabrics, a green cotton twill with a silk crepe plaid lining. The silk fabric was very drapey and had to be adjusted and re-adjusted because it hung differently than the twill. It was quite a pain, i do not recommend using silk crepe as a lining for this dress. The second time I made the dress I chose the fabrics and went with a woven cotton plaid for the lining and it worked perfectly the first time with no drape problems. I interfaced the cuffs and the collar to help hold the shape. The dress and lining are sewn separately and then together at the hem and the front seams. The neckline and armholes are then sewn together, the collar attached and finished with a narrow bias binding. This dress takes a LOT of covered buttons but it really finished the dress off nicely. Possible extras are the hi-waist dance shorts, and the matching handbag :-)

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