A Journal

A personal journal that invites readers to design their own journeys through the world - with travel, dress and taste.

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Wardrobe Frances Lawrence Wardrobe Frances Lawrence

Mavala purple polish, Black Cherry

Colour scrutiny of Mavala’s Black Cherry nail polish

This is so deep, and so dark, it was hard to even capture on camera the fact that it’s purple.

A super rich vampy purple, right on the verge of being black. Right name for it…

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Wardrobe, Winter, Dressmaking Frances Lawrence Wardrobe, Winter, Dressmaking Frances Lawrence

A wool dress from Givenchy 1970’s Vogue Paris Original 1950 pattern

Main lesson: get more knowledgeable about fabric weights and gsm…..it not enough to know the fibre…

TOTAL TIME COMMITMENT: 31.5 hours including toile (note this dress is unlined)

Toile (without buttons, lining, interior seam finishing, basting stitch removal or hemming): 12 hours

Cut out & transfer all pattern markings: 5 hours

Main construction: 10 hours

Lining construction: none

Finishings (buttons, hem): 5.5 hours



ADDITIONAL SEAM FINISHING, CONSTRUCTION NOTES & EXTRAS

  • 4x side seams, armscye & pocket bags – bias bind together

  • Pocket-to-dress seam – French seam

  • Underarm – French seam

  • Shoulder seam – bias bind each side separately

  • Sleeve seam – French seam

  • Handworked button holes

 

VERDICT & LESSONS LEARNT

This fabric I chose was a poor choice for both my petite frame and personal style – it felt too dark and heavy for me to wear as an all over colour, especially in a loose-fitting dress like this. I felt my frame was ‘weighed down’ by both the colour and weight of the fabric.

In addition, it was ill-suited to the dress design in two ways; it was quite thick for the tucks which added lots of bulk to the bodice; it was heavy and structured so lacked the fluid drape that I think this design is better suited for.

When a panel is going to be button-holed (like the front of this dress), the interfacing should blend into the fabric colour-wise, otherwise it will show through when you cut for the button holes

 


Other Wool Sewing Projects

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