Review: Simplicity 1650 | Devil in a Blue (Lace) Dress!
10:00 AM
Let's call this look,"Devil in a Blue Lace Dress".
When the Mood Sewing Network decided that it was time for a group project, that was not what I wanted to hear. I don't even do sew-a-longs because I truly prefer to roll solo when it comes to sewing. It's not that I don't play well with others, it's that my sewing is personal. It's dictated by my mood and what's inspiring me at the moment... not a consensus plan. And to be quite honest, lace was not on my radar. Sure, it's pretty and one of the hottest trends of the season. And even though I probably would've gotten around to doing a lace project eventually, I was just not in the mood now. I'm obviously not oppose to lace, I've made a great lace dress before. But, being part of a group means that sometimes you have to go along to get along.
I can't even begin to tell you how difficult it was to decide on a project. I even began to curate a Pinterest board dedicated to lace, for inspiration. Then there was selecting the fabric. Have you any idea as to how many variations there are of lace? The only thing I was definitive of is that I wanted it in a bold color. And thanks to Carolyn, I found the perfect one in the brick and mortar NYC store.
The lace is beautiful, but has a lot of stretch. I knew that would be a nightmare to work with. So my way of working with it was to spray it down with fabric stabilizer, allowing it to dry and smoothing out it's crinkly texture with my iron. After that, this beautiful lace was a dream to handle. I underlined with a matching blue fabric... a stretch satin. I opted not to line the dress. I actually like the way the dress wears... it has the look of a dressy/cocktail frock, but the comfort of a knit.
At first, I had my heart set on a lace trench coat, a la Burberry Prorsum. Ambitious, I know. But the varying factors (i.e. the weather here does not permit spring coats; and who really wants to underline all of those pieces?) swayed me. So I went with something more wearable: a lace dress.
Lace dresses can be really conservative or coquettish... really twee. Or they can look really skanky and trashy. And neither look define me. So I picked a style that suited my personality... a peplum sheath. I used Simplicity 1650.
I altered the pattern by adding 1/2 an inch to the waist and 3 inches to the skirt. To me, it ran short.
Now that I'm no longer feeling all devilish about this project, all in all, this was a great project that allowed me to challenge myself. And what I learned? That sometimes when you go ahead with an "out of the box" project, you just may learn some things and enjoy it.
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48 comments
Gorgeous, Erika, you did that lace justice!
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrea!
DeleteThat is awesome! So, now the devil wears Bunker?
ReplyDeleteHa! Thanks Mary!
DeleteGorgeous dress
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharenda!
DeleteI totally agree with you about lace Erica. It can go the wrong way so fast. That being said though, I think you chose a great lace, a great dress pattern and you made a beautiful dress. Not a whiff of grandma, skankiness, or tweeness.
ReplyDeleteThanks SEWN!
DeleteNot Devil in a Blue Lace Dress, but a STUNNING Devil in a Blue Lace Dress..... Fabulous dress, Erica!!
ReplyDeleteThanks KayoticSewing!
DeleteOMG! Erica your dress is lovely. I have waited to see what you would make for the lace challenge and you did not disappoint. That lace is gorgeous and you look great. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteThanks Brenda!
DeleteWell, get along you did! This dress is stunning!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kelly!
DeleteSo fab! A real head turner.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tess!
DeleteThis is fantastic! I really like your choice of a bold lace colour and current design- lace can too often look twee and chintzy if not handled well. Fabulous work :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Amanda!
DeleteGood work, looks great. I want to see with lace,but have a feeling I would ruin it haha
ReplyDeleteThanks bestitches!
DeleteBeautiful dress that suits you so well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Vicki!
DeleteIt is stunning.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lori!
DeleteLove the fabric and the style...you look beautiful in that color!
ReplyDeleteThanks Trish!
DeleteSo beatiful, and this color is my favourite
ReplyDeleteI really love this. I have not yet gone down the lace or the peplum path, but I think you are fast convincing me! Great job!!
ReplyDeleteThanks BusyLizzie!
DeleteI think you made an excellent choice using this pattern for your lace project. Even though I think the burberry coat would be fantastic, this dress really shows up the beauty of the lace and the color is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI would've been mad after all of that work on a trench and we're having mid 70s weather. Thanks Toy!
DeleteThe color is killer! That is really what makes the dress, in my opinion!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mimi!
DeleteThanks Sing!
ReplyDeleteGORGEOUS dress Erica, as ever! I have the exact same colour lace in my stash, & you have inspired me to make it up in a similar style. Love, love, love the peplum!
ReplyDeleteThanks Neney! You should definitely give it a go!
DeleteBeautiful! I love the color.
ReplyDeleteThanks M. Inez!
DeleteI love how your dress turned out! It would be perfect to wear for my sorority events:) Oh and that lace trench is divine!!!! I think you should make it still:)
ReplyDeleteRosa
thanks Rosa
DeleteDitto to Rosa! And thank you for that nice tip on how to handle knits. A keeps for me so when I'm ready to tackle, it will be one less hassle. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Wannasew!
DeleteStunning colour and dress, and good for you for making the lace challenge suit your style so well.
ReplyDeleteThanks AllisonC!
DeleteGorgeous dress, the color is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Levone!
DeleteOooh I love it! You better WORK IT!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm getting ready to attempt to redo a dress (semi-fail) to this pattern. I love my fabric, but I hope I can make it around to this. You made it look so good! Love the blue, love the lace. Mine is a white background with forest green and red flowers. Wish me luck!
ReplyDelete