It has been months of planning, preparing (and, I'll admit, procrastinating), but the dress is done. I've wanted to make my own
version of this Eva Franco dress ever since it first appeared at
ModCloth several years ago. It originally cost around $325 and the two
or three times I've seen it pop up on second hand sites, it still sold
for around $200. It's beautiful and brilliant, but I can't justify
spending more on a dress than I do for a week of groceries to feed a
family of four.
A few months ago I came across the same matryoshka print in
a heavy canvas fabric, so I decided to try to make an apron. It was my first attempt at
sewing anything and I didn't use a pattern. The results were less
than stunning and I ended up giving the apron to one of my kids.
In spite of that rough beginning, I was determined to persevere. I found the right kind of fabric and the right patterns, and eventually the right situation (a wind storm that kept us indoors all weekend), so that I could succeed. This is only my second attempt at sewing a dress and once again it's far from perfect, but I'm getting closer. The last dress was about 60:40 on the ratio of hubby's help to working on my own. This time I'm pleased to report I completed about 80% of it on my own.
This dress was a combination of two different patterns. That was too ambitious for my skill level, even a bit too ambitious for my husband's skill level. It didn't occur to me until all the pieces were cut and sewed, and I was ready to join the skirt to the bodice that the two different patterns might not join smoothly. They didn't. Not at all. My dear husband scratched his head, shrugged his shoulders, and left me to puzzle it out. And I did...rather imperfectly, but I've learned from it.
I'm already planning my next dress...and skirt...and I'm hoping to do a two piece dress as well as some sundresses for my girls. I've already bought all the fabric, so I'm committed to seeing it through. With typhoon season coming, I'm sure I'll have plenty of days trapped indoors, so finding time to devote to sewing shouldn't be too hard. At the end of all those projects I expect that I'll either be hooked for life or ready to give up forever. We shall see.
A few months ago I came across the same matryoshka print in
a heavy canvas fabric, so I decided to try to make an apron. It was my first attempt at
sewing anything and I didn't use a pattern. The results were less
than stunning and I ended up giving the apron to one of my kids.In spite of that rough beginning, I was determined to persevere. I found the right kind of fabric and the right patterns, and eventually the right situation (a wind storm that kept us indoors all weekend), so that I could succeed. This is only my second attempt at sewing a dress and once again it's far from perfect, but I'm getting closer. The last dress was about 60:40 on the ratio of hubby's help to working on my own. This time I'm pleased to report I completed about 80% of it on my own.
This dress was a combination of two different patterns. That was too ambitious for my skill level, even a bit too ambitious for my husband's skill level. It didn't occur to me until all the pieces were cut and sewed, and I was ready to join the skirt to the bodice that the two different patterns might not join smoothly. They didn't. Not at all. My dear husband scratched his head, shrugged his shoulders, and left me to puzzle it out. And I did...rather imperfectly, but I've learned from it.
I'm already planning my next dress...and skirt...and I'm hoping to do a two piece dress as well as some sundresses for my girls. I've already bought all the fabric, so I'm committed to seeing it through. With typhoon season coming, I'm sure I'll have plenty of days trapped indoors, so finding time to devote to sewing shouldn't be too hard. At the end of all those projects I expect that I'll either be hooked for life or ready to give up forever. We shall see.
Shop the Look:
Vogue Pattern V8789 for the top
Simplicity Cynthia Rowley 1873 for the skirt
Japanese Matryoshka Fabric.
Just beautiful! :)
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