What was I thinking?!

Under Construction...

I was thinking that I have wanted to make this dress ever since the day I stumbled across it inside InStyle magazine! When I did a Google image search for "Milly, Banana Republic, striped dress" look who popped up all over my screen!

You know that if Zoe Saldana is wearing this dress, that it deserves to be knocked off! Granted, I could buy this exact dress off ebay right now for as little as $50, but I've already purchased the fabric, and feel compelled to complete the challenge!

Fabric: 3 yards of striped voile from Joann's. I found it on the Red Tag Bargain table of all places, but it was exactly the print I wanted (and a great price, if I messed it up). It's a cotton/poly blend, and quite sheer, so I also picked up a couple yards of navy poly lining.

Pattern: Simplicity 4070. I'm planning on wearing this dress to work, so the sundress straps are non-negotiable. I'm using view F, but obviously not including the lace. I needed a semi-circle skirt, and the first pattern I chose (Vogue ????) wouldn't work because the skirt was too full for the 3 yards of fabric I had to work with. So, was perfect, even allowing me fabric to spare after laying out the pattern so the stripes would match!

I laid the pattern out for the skirt on a single layer of fabric, as stripe matching was a priority for me, with a center front seam. I marked my pattern paper with lots of lines 45 degress from the marked grain line. Once I had the first layer cut, I just flipped it over (now right sides together), and matched the stripes, pinning and cutting carefully.

I used the crayons to aid in moving the paper and cutting the 2nd piece, but flipping it directly over was so much easier!

The bodice pieces being smaller, I felt more confident being able to cut 2 layers of fabric and keep the stripes matched. I had about 1/3 yard left over, but may still use it for a band/belt at the waist.

I started assembling the bodice first, matching the stripes at the front had priority, but finding that the side seam matching also worked made my heart sing! When I moved onto the center front seam of the skirt, I paused. The skirt being cut on the bias meant my seams might stretch, and I didn't want anything wavy or wonky at the center front. I cut a strip of sheer ribbon the exact length of the center front seam, and once I had the stripes matched, I used the sheer ribbon as a stabilizer to hold the seam true.  After stitching, a breathed a HUGE sigh of relief... the stripes matched AND the seam was firm! I need to cut away more of the left over ribbon from the seam, as it's creating a small bubble, but I'm beyond happy with my progress!

So, this is where it stood when I made myself go to bed at 11pm last night. I was actually having fun matching the stripes, stitching the seam and checking to see if I had success. Sick, right?! I still have to cut and construct the lining layer, and decide what to do with the waist, as it seems like it needs a band or something... Thoughts?