The amazing Helen in the UK sent me a link to her dress take on the New Look 6515 blouse pattern — isn't it great? (Now I really want to make the one I talked about here.)
Helen also let slip in her email (but I didn't pick up on it until now) that her MOTHER owns a FABRIC STORE. That is the coolest thing ever.
Anyway, she says this one is patterned viscose (that's rayon to us on this side of the Atlantic) and chinese silk, and that next time she'll make the midriff band wider. She also said she made it in two days, but don't hate her because she's talented and the dress is beautiful.
In order to get this effect, not only do you have to put a skirt on the blouse pattern, you also have to flip the facings to the outside, which needs a fairly steady hand for the topstitching. But, as you can see, it's worth it. I really want to get organized and do the paisley one linked above, and also a Liberty one in brown and maroon. (Yes, it's almost spring, which means I think it's a FINE time to do a brown and maroon wool dress. Me = Idiot. But the heart wants what it wants.)
This makes TWO dresses inspired (at least in part) by my Duro obsession. (Remember Caroline's?) Keep 'em coming, folks!
A Dress A Day 
I’m totally going to make one too! I swear! I bought fabric at Paron!
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I’ve been following your blog for a little while now, and I really enjoy it. Thanks for the great dresses! Reading it has made me want to take up sewing again.Well, I’ve been invited to a friend’s 40th birthday, for which she is having a “Roaring Forties” party. If this is not the occasion to get (or make) a vintage(-style) dress, I don’t know what is. This ought to be the project to motivate me back into sewing. But the party is just two weekends away and it’s been 18 or so years since I sewed anything of significance. If it took Helen two days to sew her lovely Duroesque dress, I think any hopes for me are unrealistic. Any advice from the Dressaday community?
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Yay! Helen!I don’t lie, NL6515 is the most recent pattern that I’ve purchased.(Before that, I bought a mass of 90’s era Telemundo-Novellaesque Neue Mode patterns for a buck each from Mynotions.com)It hasn’t arrived yet, but I’m all excited again!
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Erma, if the dresses at dangerdames.com fit you, perhaps you can find something there to your taste?
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That’s gorgeous. Dang, Helen. Lovely fabric! Excellent job on that neckline join at the V. Wow.–Lydia
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You’re not the only idiot. I’m knitting a heavy brown merino wool scarf! It’s 68 degrees outside! It’s almost April!I vote that you sew all your dream fall dresses now so they’re ready to wear when it’s actually fall! And I’ll knit my winter stuff now so it’s ready for winter and gift-giving! We’ll both feel like idiots NOW, but when we’re swanning around in our cool-weather finery during the cool weather, what we’ll really be is PREPARED.
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What a fabulous dress! I especially love the trim. You sewing gals are so disgustingly talented! I wonder how I can learn to sew…certainly not from a book. Do people teach classes?
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Helen, again, you’re a genius. And you’re so cute, too! I mean, I can only see you from your chin down, but both you and your dress are lovely. (By the way, if my poor mother owned a fabric store she’d be losing money out the back door due to my constant fabric-raids.)Littlemissme, lots of fabric stores and sewing-machine stores have sewing classes ranging from beginning to advanced. But check your local community-education catalog (if you have one), because many regularly feature beginning sewing classes where you start out making a simple skirt, and then can sign on for more classes moving up the sewing-chain.
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Erma, I totally recommend Ebay – I know some great trustworthy sellers if you like.
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Erma you could also check vintage clothing stores too. Helen Iam so jealous that your mum owns a fabric store!!!! If my mama owed a fabric store she would be in the red!!! A question for anyone that can help me. Helen your mum will know what Iam looking for. Iam trying to find short runs of fabric. Does anyone from the Dressaday community have any ideas??? I would be so grateful.
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My mum has this wonderful habit of ‘showing’ me samples of her new season stock and asks what I think (I worked there for 4 years of weekends as a teenager). I then say….ooh that floral linen would make a lovely x… then we discuss patterns, then lo and behold, I get a little package in the post in a few days… It makes me happy!!Oh, and re that neckline v, cos of the flipped facings, you actually end up with two separately faced bust front pieces, which I then slip stitched from the inside to close the indecent cleavage!And finally, in case any of you come touring to the lovely England at any point, my mum’s shop is in Cheltenham – it’s called Silken Threads and I’ve yet to find anything like it in London!!!If anyone is thinking of dropping by, shout me and I’ll give directions!Hxx
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In many counties in the U.S. there is a county home demonstration agent who teaches sewing from beginner to advanced. Look under your county offices in the phone book or online.
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Thanks, Bella, though Danger Dame looks a little too dangerous for me =). And thanks to IB and Princess for your suggestions as well. I’m checking out ebay, which is easy to do from the comfort of my own home. I may try to venture out to vintage stores this weekend. It’s all rather new to me. I’ll try taking on a real sewing project in the summer.
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Erma, Anthropologie has some kinda vintage-style dresses at some fairly reasonable prices—at least in the sale section. But they’re fun and unusual, and some of the fits and fabrics are really flattering and unique.
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Thanks Helen for telling us where your mums shop is. I was dying to know this was the next question I was going to ask.
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