Thursday, June 10, 2010

Sew Chic 9005 - the Fantasia

Yesterday Mitch and I had a double celebration, both of his graduation from Residency and our 9th wedding anniversary.  I needed a spectacular dress!  So, I was doubly excited when Laura of Sew Chic patterns asked me to test run the Fantasia.  It is perfect!!  And I've loved the design since I first laid eyes on it on her blog.  I love the turn of the century/Asian fusion feel that it has.  Since I was in a bit of a hurry, I had to make do with locally acquired fabric, so the dress is a lightweight poly satin, and the sash is rayon challis.  The challis was lovely, but the satin was very tricky to work with.  It would have been much easier with a natural fiber that took a press better.
Here is a shot on the hanger (and without the sash, which I think really makes the dress).  I love the faux wrap bodice, which is repeated in the back.  The shaping is done with armholes princess seams, which I love for the soft shape it gives as well as the ease of alteration.  Although another thing I love about this pattern is that it fit me straight out of the envelope!  How amazing is that??
Close up of the bodice you can see that the facings are cut on, which gives the neckline a very smooth look.  It also made for a pretty simple construction, despite the complex look of the dress.  I was pleasantly surprised at how easily it went together.  The instructions were fantastic and the pattern pieces marked so well that the bodice could have been assembled completely without instructions.  Very nice!
This dress gave me the chance to install my first side seam zipper, and was only my second lapped zipper.  I usually use a secondary reference for zipper installation, but the instructions with the pattern were very easy to follow, so I didn't need one.  I'm very happy with the way that the waist seam lines up, although since it is covered with the sash, an oopsie here wouldn't be visible.  I do wish that I had interfaced the zipper area though.  My fabric was very lightweight and I got a little rippling under the lap.  It isn't visible, but I know it's there.
Although lovely from the front, the real action of this dress is from the back.  The back wrap bodice is lovely, and I wore my hair up to show it off.  The train in back is so amazing, and try as I might, I just couldn't get a picture that really did justice the the way that it moves as you do.  It is amazing!
You can see here how gracefully it falls.  So beautiful!  It is princess seamed with flared gores from knee down and a back inset that also shapes it.  Amazing!  I felt so graceful walking in it.
For the hem of the train, I wanted it to have a tiny bit of body, to give it some sweep, so I used a hemming technique from the current (July 2010) issue of Threads.  It was in an article called Better Basics by Louise Cutting.  Basically, you sew a narrow hem in three steps, with each step contributing another "layer" of stitching to weight and stiffen the hem.  It's subtle, but I think it made a real difference in this dress.
Here you can see that two lines of stitching are visible on the inside of the hem although if I'd been more careful and stitched along the previous line of stitching it would have been less obvious.
The lovely scenery in the pictures was courtesy of the Inn on the Creek in Salado, TX.  As you can see, it has a timeless feel that was perfect for this.  The food was amazing and we had a wonderful time there.

33 comments:

Myra said...

Absolutely beautiful, congrats on everything.

michal said...

gorgeous dress! looks pretty on you and very very special!

Kitschy Coo said...

Very, very beautiful! You look stunning :) Congrats to both you and Mitch too!

Auset's Stitched Treasures said...

Absolutely stunning! You look beautiful. Thanks for sharing the info about SewChic. I love the Constance & Pendleton Designs.
Angela

Marybeth said...

Wow - that dress IS spectacular! You look beautiful... Congratulations :)))

Little Hunting Creek said...

What a beautiful dress! Congratulations!

Joy said...

What a fabulous dress! I love the belt.

Sarahbelle said...

Stunning! Absolutely stunning!!

Both you and the dress.
Yes, I could see it made of a silk or rayon challis, and draping beautifully, but this turned out lovely.

A real work of art.
Mitchell must have been so proud, having you on his arm!

auntninn said...

You look gorgeous and the dress is so beautiful. Congratulations on your important events as well.

Uta said...

Gorgeous, gorgeous dress. And you look wonderful; I bet your husband felt like a very lucky guy! Congratulations!

Laura Nash said...

Beautiful dress! I love the spring colors. I think you were right to use that hem treatment. What a great job, and congratulations on two fabulous reasons to celebrate!

Sam Rose said...

It's gorgeous. Congratulations on anniversary and hubby's residency being over.

Adelaide B said...

Very lovely! Happy Anniversary!

Eugenia said...

Stunning dress - I totally adore it!!! So pretty and such a lovely style and the flower print is gorgeous.

meli88a said...

Gorgeous! The cut and fabric are perfect together.

Julia said...

This is one absolutely gorgeous dress from the colors, the fabric, the style and the model!!!! Congrats on 9 years of marriage and on your husband's completion of his residency.

Mary Nanna said...

Isn't it nice to make and wear something really special once and a while - how often do you get to make a dress with a train!

Great job on a show stopping dress.

Dr. Fun (AKA Sister) said...

I second all of the above! I absolutely love the style and the sash reminds me of a Japanese obi. I'll have to see if this pattern is for sale to the public yet.

Where will y'all move to now?

Angela said...

Congrats on the graduation and anniversary! What a fabulous dress to match the fabulous occasion! I love the print and flows together!

SEWN said...

Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. I love that dress pattern, especially the train. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Trudy said...

You look so elegant and gorgeous in your dress. I am in awe. The fabric is beautiful.

Congratulations on the graduation and your anniversary.

Judy Ross said...

Ooooh that's beautiful, and you look FABULOUS in it!

Oh, and thanks btw for your great suggestion on my blog re my buttonholer, it was so obvious and hadn't even occurred to me! I love the internet :-)

Beth said...

It looks wonderful . . . like it is fun to wear.

Yeah for graduation!

And congrats on 9 years!

Victoria said...

Congrats to you and your husband for reaching monumentous milestones:) Your dress perfectly reflects your celebrations. The style and fabric are lovely on you!

Anonymous said...

So lovely! Congrats on doing a side zipper. I'm still working up to that....

Sue said...

Stunning dress and you look beautiful in it!

Pam said...

It is absolutely beautiful - I think this is one of my favorite projects I've seen you make!

Lina said...

Spectacular, beautiful,gorgeous...
predivno,prekrasno,bozanstveno :)

Anonymous said...

You look beautiful. I love the details on this dress--the hem treatment lays so nicely. What a perfect dress to celebrate such wonderful things in.

The Slapdash Sewist said...

Gorgeous dress! The sash adds a nice bit of drama to it. Congratulations on the graduation and anniversary!

gwensews said...

Oh my--that is a stunning dress! And wearing your hair up is perfect with it. Wow! And congratulations also!

amber said...

What a beautiful dress! You are just stunning in it. :) Happy Anniversary indeed!

Scheri said...

Sold. After your great review I just ordered this pattern.
You look beautiful