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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:
via Pinterest

2 more weeks until the event!

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11 comments:

  1. UnknownSeptember 5, 2013 at 9:19 AM

    Can't wait to see you model it!

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    Replies
    1. SewPetiteGalSeptember 6, 2013 at 5:46 PM

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

      Delete
  2. Sydney's Fashion DiarySeptember 5, 2013 at 1:10 PM

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

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    Replies
    1. SewPetiteGalSeptember 6, 2013 at 5:46 PM

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

      Delete
  3. UnknownSeptember 6, 2013 at 4:47 PM

    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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SewPetiteGalSeptember 6, 2013 at 5:45 PM

      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!

      Delete
  4. AbbySeptember 14, 2013 at 4:10 PM

    I like both dresses. :)

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    1. SewPetiteGalSeptember 15, 2013 at 11:58 PM

      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

      Delete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 11, 2014 at 1:06 AM

    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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    Replies
    1. SewPetiteGalJanuary 11, 2014 at 9:27 AM

      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!

      Delete
    2. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2014 at 5:46 PM

      Thank you so much!!

      Delete

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