Vogue 1174 - Cynthia Steffe Dress

Project Detail:

Pattern: Vogue 1174 - Cynthia Steffe

Description: Close-fitting, strapless, lined dress has seam details, piping trim, princess seams, foundation with boning, side front pockets, pleats and darts, above mid-knee length.

Pattern Sizing: 4 - 18. I cut the 16.

Did it look like the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, it does.

Fabric: 55% Linen/45% Rayon

Lining: China Silk - 100% silk

Notions: 12"/14" Invisible Zipper, Hooks and Eyes, Two ¹/2" Hook and Eye Closures, 1¹/4 yds. of ⁵/8" Grosgrain Ribbon, 1³/4 yds. of ¹/4" Covered Boning, 2 yds. of ¹/2" Seam Binding.

Were the instructions easy to follow? The instructions were good, there were parts that made me scratch my head... I'll get to that later.


What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love that this is a designer pattern. This dress is actually still in the stores now and retailing for $345! I love that the dress had a "foundation".

But I didn't like the the way the foundation was attached. This is what had me scratching my head. I've never constructed a design like this. I would have *assumed* that the foundation would be on the INSIDE... as in between the shell and the lining, instead of the outside. Well, for this design, I was wrong. I do however appreciate that this dress is constructed with a boned foundation and a waist stay. This is NOT something you see often in RTW. I don't recall ever seeing a waist stay in HIGH END RTW. And I do a lot of snoop shopping. I have seen a lot of lower end RTW versions of this type of dress that did not have boning and I thought, "How flimsy." And I wondered if the strip of clear elastic around the inside of the neckline would really hold this dress in place?!

I really liked the piping. I thought that was a great detail!

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: I added 1" to all of the bodice pieces. I added 3" to all of the skirt pieces. I didn't want a "mid-thigh" length dress and thought that one stopping at the knee would be more "appropriate".

Like I said, with RTW dresses, they use a strip of clear elastic that sticks to the body to keep the dress in place. Well, instead of doing that, I put a 1/4" elastic strip in between the foundation and the lining.
Even though I made a muslin and "perfected" the fit, when I made the shell it was still excessive fullness. I understand that different fabrics reacts differently once you start handling them. But this one grew once I started sewing and applied heat to it. I added the elastic so that it would mold to the body. Before, the sweetheart neckline stood away.

I also added hem tape to the hemline of the shell and lace to the lining.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I wouldn't sew it again. It's simply too many more dresses I want to make. But I do recommend it.