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Made by a Fabricista: Structure

Hi everyone!  I can’t believe the year is nearly wrapping up already and this is my last post for 2024!

You may have noticed but the barrel silhouette has been very much in right now from pants to sleeves.  To be honest I was a little bit hesitant about hopping on to the trend.  One I was not sure if the proportions would work for my body also I considered would this be a long lasting trend to keep incorporated in my closet?  But after a few seasons the barrel seems to stay in many variations, I think exaggerated proportions are such a thing now. 


I saw this Cult Gaia x Gap denim dress collab with the barrel sleeves and wanted to remake it.  When I saw this brown distressed denim twill I knew it was perfect.  I had been debating between making cargo pants but I wanted to try to do something different and went for the dress once I saw the inspiration.  

I used McCall’s pattern 8139 as my base with the following modifications.  Instead of a front button placket I installed a separating metal zipper.  I redrafted the sleeves to make the barrel shape like in the reference image.  It's a two piece sleeve by adding fullness and a dart to the upper sleeve.


The fabric used was perfect, it was able to hold shape well and gave it this really nice finish.  I love the distressed wash of the fabric.  It even paired well with my Bestie Bag that I made a few months ago using some Camo I got from the Fabric Mart site.   I wore my look out while visiting St. Louis, MO.  The Gateway Arch is a national monument and created the perfect backdrop. 




JASMINE  @sewmuchjazz

Comments

  1. Great make!!! I like a barrel sleeve much more than a barrel leg, personally, and your inspiration recreation is perfect with a great choice of fabric and re-drafting the pattern! Also great photos!

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  2. Jasmine, your dress is spot on. Your version looks even better IMO. Thx for the inspiration to sew something fun!

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    Replies
    1. Wanted to say just this - much nicer proportions in yours, especially sleeves! Love it!

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  3. Jasmine, your creation is spot on. Your version looks even better. Thx for the inspiration to sew something fun!

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  4. Wonderful make. So many great details and the sleeves are perfect. It would be a great bomber jacket with a few modifications.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you!! A bomber would be awesome!

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  5. This is great and you look so good in it! Great fabric choice for the dress!

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  6. Love the fabric selection, the whole vibe - awesome!

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  7. Jasmine, your choices are perfect. You picked a great fabric, and your drafted sleeves and look overall are miles above the inspo dress. So impressive and inspiring!!!

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  8. Beautiful sew, I really love the sleeves, and awesome fabric choice.

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