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Made by a Fabricista: Made for Mom

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This month's post features a special person, my mom! Everyone says we are twins. We don't see it but we've heard it enough that we just accept it. However, we do concede that we share some of the same mannerisms, traits and tastes. Fashion is one thing we typically agree on, so I'm pretty sure that I'll be dressing like her in another 30 years.


As soon as I saw Vogue 1550 I thought of my mom. It just screamed MOM! She had recently shared that she needed a few outfits for a summer trip and I knew this look would be perfect for her.  I am typically a pretty selfish sewer but this summer I've set aside some time to sew for my immediate family.
I have to say I really love Vogue's Summer 2017 patterns as proven by the fact this is the third one I've sewn up (See V9259 and V1546). The recommended fabric is linen which happens to be one of her favorites so using Fabric Mart's Designer Quality Linen was a no-brainer. The only question was color. She desired a summery blue and narrowed it down to Ocean Blue and Sky Blue before selecting Sky Blue.

Bound Facing
The pattern itself was very straight forward (just 4 pattern pieces) but as usual for a designer Vogue pattern it included some finer finishing touches, like bias tape for facings edges. There is a pattern piece for this but I opted to purchase some pre-made bias tape in a complimentary color. I also took it a step further and enclosed all the seams to protect the linen from fraying.

Mitered Corner
Another extra touch was the hemming technique for the side and bottom of the top which produced these beautiful mitered corners. I worried I may have some issues with the step but after reading the instructions a few times I was fine. They turned out great (especially for a first try) and I think I will look for other opportunities to utilize this hem.


Lastly the front inset was a tad tricky. It is difficult to see on the envelope photos (I can barely see it on View A) but there is a slim inset along the front center. This can be highlighted by using a contrast color but I decided against that and thank goodness I did! The center band isn't difficult to install per se, but it is cut on the bias which made it difficult for me to get a straight seam as the band itself was stretching. This isn't very noticeable in my finished project, but would have stuck out terribly had I used a contrast color for the band. Going forward I will consider omitting the band altogether or cutting the band along the grain. 


My mom wants the shorter tunic and the pants so I still have some work to do. I am glad she loves it!



Until next time...
Tiffany
TipStitched


Comments

  1. Pat GottshalkJune 24, 2017 at 8:46 AM

    Your mom looks beautiful, rocking some pretty great shoes. Your seam finishes are great.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Linda TJune 24, 2017 at 9:04 AM

    I agree! You look so much alike. :) The color is wonderful on her.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TipStitchedJune 26, 2017 at 10:41 PM

      LOL, most people think so. I look like my dad too, until you see my mom.

      Delete
  3. RoryJune 24, 2017 at 10:09 AM

    She looks just beautiful! I love that color on her and you can really see the movement of the garment in your pictures. The tunic and pants seemed so overwhelming to me, but I love this as a dress.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TipStitchedJune 26, 2017 at 10:52 PM

      I agree the longer tunic with the pants is a bit much, but alone the dress is nice. I still plan to make the pants for her as she wants the option to wear them together or separate.

      Delete
  4. RobinReneeJune 24, 2017 at 10:12 AM

    Beautiful! well done.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Deep PJune 24, 2017 at 10:17 AM

    Beautiful! That's a great color and your Mom is wearing it well. I love how you enclosed your seams. Made the garment look neat and polished. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. ShamjJune 24, 2017 at 5:49 PM

    Great job on the dress! I'm glad your mom likes herdress and she selected such a beautiful color this just looks great on her

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TipStitchedJune 26, 2017 at 10:53 PM

      Thank you! I'm glad she likes it too, the sky blue is gorgeous!

      Delete
  7. That Black ChicJune 24, 2017 at 6:03 PM

    Momma looks nice in this dress. I also love this pattern and your color choice was perfect.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TipStitchedJune 25, 2017 at 12:09 PM

      Thank you! She picked the color and it was perfect.

      Delete
  8. ElizabethJune 25, 2017 at 8:34 AM

    Really beautiful summer dress, and how sweet of you to do some unselfish sewing :) Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ann BrodskyJune 25, 2017 at 10:00 AM

    This is beautiful and your Mom looks fantastic in it. Thanks for the info about this pattern and especially about the tricky center band!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TipStitchedJune 25, 2017 at 12:10 PM

      Thank you! I'm sure most more advanced sewists will have no problem but the growing from the bias cut was a slight challenge for me.

      Delete
  10. AnonymousJune 25, 2017 at 12:32 PM

    Your mother looks beautiful! The linen looks very cool and breezy. Did you have to make any adjustments to the pattern itself? I am thinking of making this pattern; however, I will need a full bust adjustment. the pattern is very loose fitting which is very forgiving.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TipStitchedJune 26, 2017 at 10:56 PM

      The dress is very loose fitting. I didn't make any adjustments, though I believe I should have made it a size smaller. It is quite long as my mom is 5' 8" ish. Good luck!

      Delete
  11. Miss.UA!June 25, 2017 at 12:44 PM

    Very nice! your mom looks great, beautiful color.

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousJune 26, 2017 at 3:34 AM

    How great your Mom looks in this dress, and beautiful work on your part! I have this pattern and had been dragging my feet in starting to sew it because of the front detail, as I have not sewn much over the past few years. Now I am inspired! Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TipStitchedJune 26, 2017 at 11:01 PM

      Thank you! I say go for it!!!

      As I said I would cut it on the grain, I can't see the advantage of the bias cut and it just makes the small strip more difficult to sew straight. Or eliminate it by cutting the front on the fold (the added seam allowance should closely match the width of the strip)

      Delete
    2. Hilary CatronJune 27, 2017 at 10:41 PM

      My thought exactly. For all the trouble you had, there's not enough benefit in that front slot seam. A line of fancy machine stitches might add the same type of vertical accent in much less time.

      Delete
  13. LindaJune 26, 2017 at 2:57 PM

    Beautiful dress for a beautiful mother, from a lovely daughter!

    ReplyDelete
  14. NorthladyJune 26, 2017 at 3:45 PM

    Your mom is beautiful and her dress is very becoming.

    ReplyDelete
  15. AngieJune 30, 2017 at 10:58 AM

    dress and mom are beautiful. great job

    ReplyDelete

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