Thursday, September 5, 2013

Paisley Gown Black Tie DIY (Part 2)

After making this Black Tie DIY a few weeks ago and deciding it wasn't "right", I went back to the drawing board for a different fabric and bodice design.

Material: 4 yards polyester (feels almost like a taffeta - thin and papery) from Fabrics R Us

Pattern: Bodice from Butterick 5182, self-drafted skirt (120 x 45" rectangle)

Difficulty: Intermediate bodice, easy skirt

Time: ~8 hours over 3 days (had fit issues with bodice) and still need to insert the zipper

Paisley Gown DIY

My favorite part - the drapey effect of the top

Little pleats for the skirt

High back for full coverage

Butterick 5182
Though I loved the sleek look of this, I knew that every midsection bulge would show in this type of silhouette.  I also made the "keyhole" in the bodice much smaller in mine.

I'm planning on curling my hair and pulling it into a low side bun a la Carrie Underwood:

2 more weeks until the event!

11 comments:

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    1. Thanks! I'll definitely post pics here or on IG after the event :)

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  2. Looking forward to see you model it. The dress is gorgeous!

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    1. Thanks Sydney! I'm so excited to see you again soon!

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  3. That is a beautiful dress! Just curious though, fabric isn't exactly cheap. May i ask roughly how much it costs to make a dress? I'd like to learn to sew my own dresses but I just wonder about the cost (especially since as a newbie, i'm bound to go through lots of fabric).

    Maggie
    lovestylehappiness.blogspot.com

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    1. Hi Maggie! I hate to give you a "it depends" answer, but there are quite a few factors in pricing. Stores, materials, and dress type are all variables. To give you a ballpark, most of my dresses take 2 yards of fabric and cost about $5 / yard. A zipper is usually around $1.50 so net cost is ~$12 for most dresses I've made.

      For the gown here, I got an AMAZING deal on the fabric (I think around $2.50/yd) so this cost ~$12 as well. As a newbie, I would recommend starting on a cotton or cotton like fabric. It won't wiggle around on you or slip during sewing / cutting. It's also relatively economical to purchase. Hope this helps!

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    1. Thanks Abby! :) It was fun to make both! It's hard to justify *buying* frivolous items, but much easier to pshaw away *making* frivolous items :D

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  5. I absolutely love this dress! I'm still pretty new to sewing but I'd really like to give a try! :) Do you have any tutorials for a similar skirt?

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    1. Hi Nikele! Thank you for your kind words! You can use this tutorial for something similar http://sewpetitegal.blogspot.com/2013/05/j-crew-inspired-skirt-diy-tutorial.html If you like the maxi length of this one, you can use the dimensions I did - 120 x 45". Hope that helps!

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    2. Thank you so much!!

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