Making A Center Front Gathered Bodice Dress
A little variation on my usual bodice styles, look at me using gathering for once! I felt like in this almost science fiction style print rayon I could get away with using a bit more of a floaty feminine design. Why is gathering more traditional feminine/girlish in my mind? I don't know (so similar to ruffles I guess?) but it just is!
I totally neglected to mention anything about the tiny bow I added at the very end to the neckline here as well, but to create it I simply cut a 2 inch wide strip of bias from the left over fabric, folded it in half into a little tube to sew shut, and then turned it right side out and tied it into a bow like a shoelace. I hand stitched the ends closed and tacked it onto the v-neck of the dress! A matching tie belt would be cute, but I've only just thought of that now...
Another small update on the writing front and the prequel chapter I mentioned in the last podcast. I recorded a test reading of the chapter I'd like to share with you all, but my voice was tired and I know I can do better. The trouble is I do a lot of voice work really, between videos and editing my writing work, as when I'm editing fiction I read it all out loud. I tend to wear my voice out, so I have been waiting for it to recover a bit before I tried recording the chapter again. So it is still coming soon I promise!
If you have ever listened to a recording of your own voice you possibly know the cringe it can induce, which I have mostly gotten past now since I edit my own voice so much for videos, but reading fiction sure brought back the cringe factor! Perhaps only I will feel this way?! Recording a chapter also means refining my character's accents and dialect really, which is another challenge in itself. More on this when I finally do post the chapter ;)
I hope you are all staying safe and well out there. I'll likely discuss this more in my next Side Husselen video, but with lockdown and, uhh I dunno, the whole "situation" at large, prospected to continue for weeks longer yet, and the wide reaching ramifications to continue for months/years, the timeline for seeking traditional publishing seems very fraught right now. The bookshop as a concept seems at record risk, especially with most consumers turning to Amazon for just about everything right now, and the publishing industry is both in scrambling disarray and perhaps even in a greater general flux altogether. More on this in the future, as for now I have the greatest pleasure of escaping back into the world of the page (how's that for sounding pretentious?).
Thank you so much for your support. I cannot overstate how much your help and patronage mean to me at this time. Sending you courage and wishes for good health in these wild times. I'll see you again very soon!
Comments (19)
I like the dress <3
Thank you Sarah!
Beautifully executed and explained Bianca, thank you so much. I think I shall be giving this dress a go .
Thank you Johanne!
I really love how this came out. And it was interesting and very useful to see how you would add gathers in an unusual place on the bodice. I shall be trying this in the future I'm sure! I think it came out very well. Thanks for the video!
Thank you Dana!
Beautiful dress as always! I always get told that I have weird speech patterns too, so welcome to the club! Personally, I think it's because I like to use a lot of idiomatic expressions and people don't really do that anymore... But I like it so I'm not gonna change that - haha! :) As a high school teacher who's been doing virtual classes for 6 weeks now, I completely understand the enormous cringe factor involved with hearing your own voice on recording. I will never grow past it. I like my deep head voice, thank you very much - no need for that shrill sound that tried to stand in for my voice when I'm online xD
Thank you Linnea! I hadn't thought of how so many are having to hear their recorded voice a lot more these days. Perhaps we will all be getting a bit more used to how we sound to others eek!
Bianca this is a fantastic frock...so much like the images you post on Instagram...thank you for that by the way...I think a belt would be fabulous as well...you could even lean goth with this frock as well, so many options. I am absolutely chuffed that you are taking this weird time to write....and when you are ready I am looking forward to hearing the snippet, prequel etc... No...you are not being pretentious as we here know that writing is your passion...please think kindly of yourself as we want kindness for you...stay safe with your loved ones and live in your written world...a place where you get to choose what happens there, a very powerful feeling indeed...best wishes... 🤓🤓🤓
Thank you Raelene! I'm equally scared and excited to share that prequel chapter ha!
Such a cute dress! I once again really enjoyed your sewing video. As patterning inspiration I would be interested in a dress where the bodice ends under the bust and the skirt piece starts from there. This is a picture of what I mean. (Isn’t this whole dress amazing btw.) https://pin.it/3HY86S6
Thank you! I certainly have never done a raised waistline or anything approaching an empire waist for myself, but I have ordered some muslin so I can show how to do styles like this since many have been asking! It's a super common 1930's and 40's style for sure, but I personally don't like empire waisted things on myself so I don't make things in the style for my own closet. Empire waists and all the gathering are really good for emphasizing and adding fullness to the bust, which I just try to avoid on my own figure as I feel I look super "matronly" (whatever that means really) in them and top heavy. I have bought some lovely floral silk on etsy that would be perfect for something more this style though, so perhaps I will finally give it a try if the muslins surprise me!
Hi Iove the fabric and style. I've got the card to do a block pattern with ... maybe I'll start with the kimono sleeve top. In the meantime, regarding programming I'd like to see, I've been struggling to make a basic turtleneck jersey top for winter. I can find them in basic colours at Target easily enough, but I'd like to have a few in the various patterned jerseys I find. However, I can never find a good matching neck rib fabric so I need to be able to make the turtleneck out of the same jersey fabric ... which I'd like better anyway, rather than having a patterned body and sleeves and a plain ribbed collar. But I can't get the turtleneck pattern to work out. I'm on to my third try now and feeling very doubtful about it so have been procrastinating. Perhaps you could do a demo of how to pattern up a turtleneck? We're in Autumn, heading into Winter over here in Australia so although it's not very season-appropriate over your side, it would get immediate use over here. Don't breathe when you're outside. :)
Thank you Michele! You have hit upon my biggest weakspot I'm afraid! I have never sewn with knits and really just don't know how to draft patterns for stretch fabrics, it's something I have zero experience with unfortunately. I would like to learn how to sew with jersey eventually, as it was such a common fabric in the 1940's for dresses and it comes in so many cute prints, but I'm afraid I'm useless with knits currently!
I really like this style - definitely feminine! It looks fabulous. I like the print. I think the rayon I've bought from a fabric chain store here in AUS is not as good quality as your rayon. Mine seems to be a looser weave and takes a billion pins just to get it stay straight as I sew. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Stay safe. Warmest wishes from Down Under <3
Thank you Rhonda! This was rather a tightly woven challis indeed, not all weaves behave themselves for sure! Stay safe down there <3
I really like the flat center front on the gathered skirt. Looks more chic and less poofy!
Thanks Anna!
I, too, hate to hear my voice on tape. It's painful!! But does, as you said, get easier. Just goes to show how indomitable is the human spirit!! 🤗