Tag: SImplicity 7484

The 32nd Birthday Dress (Simplicity 7484)

The 32nd Birthday Dress (Simplicity 7484)

by Ashley ♥ 1 Comment

I’ve been a terrible blogger lately, I know! I promised you guys a maxi sewalong wrap up post, and I SWEAR I’ll write that this week. Swear it. I’ve been struggling with how to display all the fabulous makes vs. my limited technical skills. It’s a problem. Additionally, work has been nuts. Excuses I know, but I don’t want anyone to think I forgot about them! Until I can get that post up, I wanted to share at least something. This dress is equally as old, my birthday was the 27th, but I wanted to post it nevertheless. The pattern may look familiar and it’s yet another lemon dress, but I think it’s worth talking about anyway. Here we go…

The pattern is vintage, Simplicity 7484, which you may recognize as last year’s maxi pattern. I wear the shit out of that dress, so I knew I wanted to make another this year. I’m all about rayon lately, so for the the fabric, I went with this amazing navy lemon fabric from Etsy. It comes in both white and navy, and it is just a dream. It has a very lovely “wobble” and is just the right weight for summer.

Even though I love the fabric weight, I knew I would need to line the bodice cups. I prefer not to announce the temperature, if you know what I mean. I also had a bit of a problem with the bodice front gaping on my previous version, so I added a little clear elastic along the edge this time. This was all brilliant in theory, but for the life of me, I couldn’t get the fucking notches on the bodice to match up on the waistband. In end, I said fuck it, gathered it a bit, and moved on. Being honest, I don’t really love the gathered look. I might eventually unpick the seam and redo it. But…I think we all know I’m pretty lazy, so don’t count on it! Other than these changes, it’s basically the same as my previous version, I won’t bore you with repetitive pattern details.

I also didn’t properly hem this. Its’ on my list of things to do, I swear. Of course I finished this dress last minute, quite literally. I finished it actual minutes before I had to run out the door to meet friends for dinner. It was hectic. I kinda wish I had made the maxi version, but I’m not smart and just didn’t order enough fabric. I’m a hot mess, that’s what I’m trying to say in this post.

Despite the shenanigans, I have worn this dress, unhemmed 😨, since then. Don’t even care. It’s so easy to wear and fits in with my summer of no bras initiative. No zippers or buttons to fuss with, just slip on, tie a knot, and go about your day. Comfort is king around here lately, which is a big change from the corsets and boning of years past. I suppose the older you get, the less fucks you give? Or is that just me? I hope your summer sewing is going well, stay tuned for a maxi wrap up (I promise) and one more halter dress. Happy sewing 🙂

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The Maxi Dress Sew-Along-My Dress (Simplicity 7484)

The Maxi Dress Sew-Along-My Dress (Simplicity 7484)

by Ashley ♥ 11 Comments
I'm still trying to figure out photos, hush.
I’m still trying to figure out photos, hush.

How are your maxis coming? I wrapped mine up yesterday, and I have to say, I fucking love this dress. I’d say it’s up there in my top 5 favorite makes. I was really unsure about a vintage pattern, as I’ve never sewn one, but I’m really very happy with the results. It feels a bit Mistress of the Dark glam, you know? Right up my alley!

And who doesn't love a backless dress?
And who doesn’t love a backless dress?

The fabric is a black linen (possibly a linen blend, I can’t remember which one I grabbed) from Joann’s, and the pattern is Simplicity 7484, circa 1976. When I was sewing it up, I was worried that the linen would be too heavy, a maxi length wrap skirt does use a lot of fabric, but I think it came out well. It’s not fluttery, but I love the structure it gives. The pattern includes pockets, which is always a win in my book. The pattern also includes a ruffle at the hem, which I omitted. I’m just not a ruffle girl. To compensate, I did add 6 inches to the bottom of the skirt.

This is why I don't smile in pictures, folks.
This is why I don’t smile in pictures, folks.

It was a bit strange, sewing up a backless dress. It twisted my brain up a bit, but I just went slow and worked through it, I think it came out fine. The pattern calls for elastic along the side back of the bodice, which I totally thought was the front. Derp. Makes more sense along the back, right? There’s only one princess seam on the bodice, and I do think I could stand to take that in just a bit. Wrapping tight does help, but nevertheless, it needs fixing.

Blurry yet sassy pose. The humidity struggle is real, kids. The foggy lens are a problem.
Blurry yet sassy pose. The humidity struggle is real, kids. Foggy lens are a problem.

Speaking of wrapping, I had some problems there. This is the fourth wrap dress I’ve made, the others being here, here, and here. So far, all of them have featured a small slit in on side seam, to slide the tie band through. With this pattern, that slit is located on the waistband. I don’t know if I did something wrong here or if it was the pattern, but this slit was WAY too narrow. It took some widening on my part to get the tie band through. It’s a minor thing, but frustrating and worth mentioning anyway. Overall, though, it’s a great pattern. You should make this dress. As far as vintage patterns go, it’s pretty affordable and easy to find. No excuses!

Can you tell this is my favorite angle?
Can you tell this is my favorite angle?

Have you finished your #maxisewalong2016 dress yet? The deadline is fast approaching! I can’t wait to see all your makes. To enter, make sure you either: join the Maxi Sew-Along Group, send me or Amy an email, or tag your photos on social media using the #maxisewalong2016 hashtag. Happy sewing! 🙂

The Maxi Dress Sew-Along-My Pattern

The Maxi Dress Sew-Along-My Pattern

by Ashley ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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How’s the sewa-along going for you guys? I’ve already seen a few completed makes, so cute! We’ve got a little over a week left before the end date, August 17th. Seemed like it’s about time for me to announce my pattern choice, right? I must admit, I’ve had a hard time selecting a pattern this year. I told you guys in last week’s post that I’d originally planned to do the Sewaholic Lonsdale, and I still intend to make the maxi version, but I decided to go the vintage route for this…

Picture is from clarysage
Picture is from clarysage

Big surprise, another wrap dress! My love of cleavage is no secret, and there’s no better way to get that than with a wrap dress. I really did try to avoid it, though! But then Gertie posted an insanely awesome backless vintage pattern dress. Vogue 7375, don’t look for it, you can’t find it. After going deep into the wormhole searching for that pattern, I started stumbling upon vintage backless maxi dress patterns.

How cute are these vintage instructions?
How cute are these vintage instructions?

This will be the first vintage pattern I’ve actually made, so cross your fingers for me! My pattern arrived precut, so no debating the tracing/cutting of the pattern. So far, I’m really enjoying the vintage details. The pattern calls for elastic, which I was unsure of originally. But then I realized the elastic goes on the bust edges, to help hold you in. I love that, and there’s no way in hell I would have thought of that myself.

Pardon the terrible photography.
Pardon the terrible photography.

I also love that the seam/cut lines are so clearly marked. Not that I have problems figuring out seam allowances, but it’s still a cute touch. I’ll be sewing this up in a lovely, breezy black linen, without the ruffle. I know black isn’t usually considered a summer color, but I am what I am. Has anyone else decided to go vintage? All the makes I’ve seen so far have been absolutely lovely, can’t wait to see yours! Happy sewing 🙂