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Made By A Fabricista: Two twill suiting sheath dresses (Vogue DKNY 1809)





Hello everyone! I usually gravitate towards fit and flare silhouettes when it comes to dresses, but this time I decided to fill a blank in my wardrobe and make myself sheath dresses!

I digged into the marvelous Milly collection again and selected two twill suitings for my August makes. When I saw them 'in person', I thought they would lend themselves well to that type of dress plus, as a bonus, I think those 2 sheath dresses will transition well into the cooler season ahead!



The pattern: Vogue DKNY 1809





I bought this Vogue Donna Karan pattern earlier this summer on Ebay and could not wait to try it; this is a sheath dress pattern with 3 options. I chose view C, size 10 - cannot be more classic than that!

This is a very well drafted pattern; you can find many beautiful versions of it on internet. The only modifications I made were to add 3 cms to the hem on view C as I could see it was shorter than views A and B which are already short themselves, and to pinch .5 cms at the inner point of the shoulder line and at CB seam, tapering to nothing, to solve a mini gap issue. I must have a small neck base or something 'cause I always experience some gaping in that area.

Dress #1: Made with lucky green/black/espresso floral cady suiting by Milly





I had originally selected this bold twill print by Milly to make something else, but when the fabric arrived the hand was different than what I had expected (much more supple and drapey) so I changed my plans accordingly. 

That fabric is just gorgeous and it would be right for so many projects: dresses, blazers, skirts, dressy pants, etc. It is substantial and has a little stretch widthwise, and the wrong side is white and has a rubber like feel. If you are interested, there is still some left here: Milly floral suiting fabric

My goal was to break the bold print as little as possible, so a sheath dress like Vogue 1809 seemed to be ideal (not too many seams, and front and back darts for shaping).




Some tips to work with this fabric:

1- This poly/spandex twill presses beautifully, but don't put your iron too hot
2- A Microtex Schmetz sharp needle is a must to get through the texture of the fabric
3- Pin inside the seam allowances; otherwise you risk snagging on the right side
4- Better make a muslin first; unpicking a seam might leave permanent white holes that are visible even after ironing
5- This is a 'technical' fabric - scuba like if you will - , you don't have to finish the seams if you don't want to

That fabric was very enjoyable to sew, and this garment, although simple, feels like a designer dress because the print is so special. It hugs your curves while allowing freedom of movement, and a big plus is that it doesn't wrinkle! Just perfect for going to the restaurant, a cocktail or for a corporate type of even somewhere!


Dress #2: Made with red drapey twill suiting by Milly 




I had originally selected this beautiful red drapey twill with nothing specific in mind; I'm like that, I like a fabric, and I order it knowing I will eventually chose something that will showcase its nature and qualities.

Since I had just made Vogue 1809 and it fit so right, I thought I would use that pattern again and make myself a red sheath dress. 

The fabric sewed equally beautifully. This particular color is now sold out, but here are other options that would be great substitutes.


Or why not browse the suiting pages, where you will find plenty of other colors?

I really enjoyed working with those twill fabrics, they were easy to sew, press, and they don't wrinkle. I know those 2 dresses will transition well into fall (just add some nice pantyhose and a nice jacket) and they really fill a gap in my wardrobe. I have no idea why I waited so long to make myself sheath dresses!

Thanks for reading, and see you for next post in September!

Virginie
from

Comments

  1. I have that pattern too! Great fit and it looks easy to make. You did a great job on both.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad I was able to find that pattern on Ebay! It's beautifully drafted and I like the fit indeed; will also make view A and B. Don't wait and sew that pattern! :-)

      Delete
  2. Hi, the dress looks so nice! I have been trying to locate the Vogue DKNY 1809 pattern without any luck. Any suggestions. Thanks - Alice

    ReplyDelete

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