- Bin it
- Cut it off and make it into a top, although I will probably have to reinstall the zipper upside down - stepping into a top seems kind of weird
- Unpick it and recut the front so that the skirt part is on the straight grain if I have enough fabric (Kristy just tried this and it works)
- Add a waist seam and recut the skirt on the straight grain
Any other thoughts on this? I didn't have any of these problems with version 1 so I think this is due to the looser weave of this fabric. Here is the dress as it stands now, you can see the side seams which I have already redone 3 times are swinging to the front, plus I have lots of puckering going on and I won't even talk about how bad it looks when I attempt to hem it.
This has been driving me so crazy I even started making a jacket of all things in between working on the dress, you can just see it hanging in the background, I'm pleased to say I'm making good progress with it and no doubt that will be finished before this dress.
one thing I started doing when making things on bias was to hang the fabric before I cut it out. letting it get a chance to stretch ahead of time. I think the red looks good, there appears to be more body in the skirt, and I would probably measure/cut the hem up a couple inches to even out, and it should be good. Have you ironed out the side side seams yet? i would be good to see the dress on you for sure, but it looks likes it coming along.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a pity, the colour on this dress is so pretty. What a difference the fabric makes. Your first version gave you no problems at all and now this! I cannot offer any ideas,sorry, never worked with bias, but I´m sure an expert like yourself will find a way to solve this.So this is just an encouraging comment. :D
ReplyDeleteAt least your still trying. I usually give up when things go wrong with a project. Lovely colour.
ReplyDeleteIt's too good to give up on. I think I'd go for the option of cutting the front on the straight grain. I am not sure how a waist seam would look with the gathers. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWell, I can see it's not the usual way to do bias. But look at it objectively - are you sure you don't like it? I think this way gives the whole dress a more 30s flavor, which is pleasing to me..
ReplyDeleteAlison, I just came across this on my RSS feed. Thought you might like to have a look at it and see how this dress is draped
ReplyDeletehttp://www.polyvore.com/blue_drape/set?.embedder=2189415&.svc=blogger&id=61910193
Cynthia in UK
Despite the puckering, it's a gorgeous dress. I have no idea how to tackle the darn bias :-( though the third option you named sounds like something, I'd try.
ReplyDeleteIt's so gorgeous, but I do see the skirt issues you are talking about. What about cut off the skirt and wear it with black pants? Good luck!
ReplyDeleteOuch! I think your fabric let you down. The problem really begins very high up in the side seam of the skirt. Sometimes it is best to just move forward! You are such a good sewist, this should not hold you back from other things :-)
ReplyDeleteYou might only need a rolled hem on this baby.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I don't quite understand...but could you use some very soft sheer knit interfacing to stabilize the seams and him - like fusible tricot
ReplyDeleteYou have worked so hard and it is a great dress
Hmm, I'm thinking of structural things. Perhaps the front was slightly more stretched in the cutting and now the back has stretched more. That would account for the forward dragging. If you're inclined to finish it - as others have said, it's a beautiful dress - I'd separate front from back to just above the waist, and put a waist seam (taking out a wedge)in the back, effectively shortening it in CB but not so much if at all at the side seams. I'd also let it hang with the side seams unpicked, which should give you an idea if front & back want to stretch differently. That COULD solve the problem. Finally, you could shape the back skirt part by taking the back skirt's sides in towards the bottom, making it a tulip shape - subtly done, it'll be invisible and may straighten the seam. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMaybe a different fabric would do the trick? Until you pointed out the puckering, I thought it looked lovely on your dress form. One thing that might helps is adding some clear elastic to the seams to reinforce them, as the fabric is pulling against the stitching.
ReplyDeleteMaravilhoso. beijos
ReplyDeleteIf you make a seam under the bust and put in a new front skirt on the straight of grain it would solve the problem of the side pleats. Of course you would need the extra fabric.
ReplyDeleteOh, it's gorgeous! I would probably go with trying to add a waist seam with a straight-cut front skirt, as the least onerous of the options. But it's still onerous. Thanks to you and Kristy I will definitely be cutting this with the skirt on grain (which is how every other pattern in this genre I've made--I think at least 3--is designed).
ReplyDeletewhen I read a book about Vionnet I found out that she would actually hang little weights off the bias to get the stretch out of it . Maybe you could hang t is your wardrobe with pegs hanging off the hem and leave it for a month and see what happens . It must stop eventually !!!!
ReplyDeleteI didn't even think of the issues cutting the dress on the bias would cause to the side seams and hemline, so I'm very happy I cut it out on the straight grain! Love the colour of your dress though, glad you had enough left over to recut the front piece
ReplyDelete