After I made a swing dress for the Day and Night Dress Challenge, I knew there would be another in my future. What is it that makes a swing dress so fun to wear?!? For me, it’s the way the skirt moves. It’s not quite ‘twirl-worthy’, but fun just the same.
This dress is another attempt to fill in a hole in my wardrobe. The ‘dress up’ category is woefully lacking. So, now I have another ‘date night’ outfit and I used up some of my stash too! This fabric is so yummy; a black ponte knit that’s embellished with a silvery rose lace pattern. I knew it was destined to be used in a garment that had simple lines so that the interesting fabric could take center stage.
I do like to combine laces and patterns and textures from time to time just for the fun of it, so I enjoyed mixing and matching laces here. I used a very airy lace from my stash for the yoke and sleeves, then a silver embroaidered lace for one of the contrasting yoke bands. I also added a yoke band of solid velvet to add some contrast to all of the patterns and textures in the lace.
This dress is a mash-up of a couple of different patterns, Vogue 8817 for the yoke and contrasting yoke bands, and Vogue 8952 (view B) for the swingy bodice. The reason I used two patterns is that I know that the bodice of Vogue 8817 has too much volume for my frame, so I used the bodice of 8952 to draft my a-line bodice.
I did a bit of the high-low thing on the hem to give it a bit more swing. I also lined the bodice with stretch satin so that it won’t cling to my legs. For even more contrast, I made very narrow velvet cuffs for the sleeves.
I love the fun, flirty shape of this dress. It isn’t too serious, if you know what I mean. Lots of party dresses are a bit too fussy for me, but this one is simple enough to let me be free to party!
I’ll say one thing though. That yellow cat better not think he can lay on it. Those claws would absolutely destroy it.
Okay, I might be finished with swing dresses for a bit now :). My only concern with this dress is that I might have overdone it here a bit with the lace mash-up. I’ll probably wear it all the time anyway!
I’ve been eyeing my closet, and evaluating. I realize now that some of my makes from a couple of years ago aren’t getting worn enough to justify the space they take in my closet. Some of the fabrics are lovely though, so I might give refashioning a try, although I’ve very little experience doing this. Have you refashioned older makes to keep that fabric in your life? How have you gone about that?
Happy sewing and thanks for stopping by!
Just gorgeous. Love the combo of lace and lamé!
Thanks so much! This might be my first truly shiny dress!
Thanks!! It was so fun to make!
Really, really so creative! This is a winner! I love the textures and color. You are right about the fun and flirty factor. This is a dressy dress without the fuss factor.
Thanks so much! The best part of this dress was that the sewing wasn’t fussy either, just straightforward fun.
I agree that it is the fabrics that really make this dress. I love shiny (but I am not sure it loves me) but I think broken up with the lace and the ribbon it is just great. Also the colour is a little bit unusual and therefore particularly classy. Well done !
Thanks! I was a little nervous about combining all of the textures, but went for it. That shiny fabric sat in my stash for a long time, because I just wasn’t sure just how best to use it, as I’ve never worn a shiny dress before.But this one is so fun, there might be more in my future. We’ll see 🙂
I love how you put this one together! It is just the right combo of soft lace and flashy flowers! Interesting comment about you checking out your closet – I guess we all get to that stage eventually when some serious thought has to go into what we have and what we need yet. Have fun!
Thanks! Yes, it’s time to say goodbye to some of my older makes. I just can’t bear to let go of the fabric though! I might share a refashion or two in the future if I can figure out how to do that….shouldn’t be too hard on dresses since there’s usually a far amount of fabric, but the tops are another story! We’ll see..
Well, I’ll be watching for it. It’s always great to learn a new trick!
Ah, the velvet! It adds just the right amount of luxe detail and cohesion between the various fabrics. My “dress up” category are rather lacking also. Perhaps the ultra-casual Colorado vibe I’ve been trying to avoid has made more inroads than I know! 😀 I’ve refashioned lots, but not my own stuff, though I do have a yellow print jersey dress made from some Milly fabric I bought from EOS almost 6 years ago. I made it after my second son was born–and whoa my, he’s the one I really gained all the weight with. After much boot camping, it all came off, and now that dress is far too big, but I love the fabric. I’ve thought recently that I should try to make it fit. If it means I get to keep the fabric, I’m willing to give it a try.
I know what you mean. The Oregon vibe is ultra casual too, and it’s hard to get behind anything anything else when it’s monsoon season around here. Yeah, for me refashioning is all about the fabric. I have a dress I made a couple of years ago that just isn’t quite right and I think I’m going to try to figure out how to make it into something I’ll like because the fabric is so cool. I hope you show me how with your Milly fabric dress!
I totally remember now that my Bleached Marigold dress incorporated an old make. I had this Burda woven tank I made from batiste–it just never worked. It was a bad style, bad fit etc. etc., but I had made it with a pretty floral batiste that I special ordered from Vogue Fabrics on the phone even. After I bleached the linen for the dress, it came out to match the floral bit perfectly which was fortuitous because I didn’t have enough linen for the entire dress. I think that’s the trick with refashioning. Sometimes you have to be creative with cutting, but ultimately, fabric is just fabric.
Good point! Fabric is just fabric so if I look past the old style to the fabric, it will probably work better.
Very pretty! Love the mixing of the laces and addition of velvet.
Thanks! It felt a bit risky to put all of those textures together.
I never thought to mix laces, but it looks so good. Great dress!
Thanks so much!
awesome! love this
Thank-you!