Parisian Chic

Monday 26 April 2010
It's finally autumn around these parts, and we've been enjoying cool but sunny days. Time to put away summer skirts and shorts but I'm in desperate need of some winter smart casual clothes so that on my days off work I can maintain my yummy mummy look (ha! as if). Despite knowing that, I've made a lovely dress that is too smart for the playground but perfect for work or high tea sans grubby toddlers of course. What can I say, I'm more motivated by want than need I guess!

I made another Burda dress, happily much easier than the last one. I made dress 128 from the 8/09 issue which looks like thus:

And here's my version:

Just in case you're bored with the background of my loungeroom where I take all of my photos because it has the best light and space to get a good shot, I popped over to Paris especially for a photoshoot. Luckily we had a long weekend here this weekend.....

Only kidding, just a bit of photoshop mischief!

This was such an easy dress to make, very quick to sew up and the only trouble I had with it was due to not checking the length of the dress before cutting it out. Because the model is sitting down, you can't accurately tell from the photo the finished length of the dress. Normally I just leave off the hem allowance to Burda dresses when I trace them and the length is (sometimes) ok, but this time it was about 10cm too long for me. But because the dress narrows dramatically from the hips to the bottom edge it's not a simple job of just turning up the hem to the height you want because the bottom edge isn't as wide as the point where it turns up. Technically, pegged hems need to be cut out like this:
But I didn't want to take anymore width off the sides of the skirt to recreate this at the length I needed just in case it turned out too tight to walk properly, so I took the easy / cheater's way out of just doing a super narrow hem by sewing on some bias tape and turning that under. Problem solved, the hem turned up and sewed down flat nicely due to the stretch in the bias tape.

I haven't made a matching grosgrain ribbon belt, but I think I will because it is a pretty look. The fabric I used is from the stash (yay!), again an opshop buy I think because something else had been cut out from it. I think it is wool or has a high wool content because it gets that wet dog smell when wet and presses really well, but it's very soft like a flannel or brushed wool. It's a dark grey / black herringbone pattern and is just right for this dress. Although it has no stretch, so I'm going to have to take dainty steps instead of striding out purposely in the normal manner I get about in, due to the narrow width at the bottom of the skirt.

I also made a full lining by cutting out the pattern pieces in a grey bemsilk and making the pleats at the waist because I was too lazy to figure out and redraw the pattern piece without the pleats. But it doesn't add too much volume there at the waist so once again the easy way out wins the day.

Thanks for your lovely comments for Anna's shirt. Thankfully the ear infection cleared up very quickly due to the antibiotics she had to take, but I'll make sure I try your olive oil tip JBranley next time first in preference to dosing her up with antibiotics. Pixie your comment had me laughing out loud!

And Verobirdie, yes a 6 hour meeting is crazy and probably not useful at all but since we had staff fly in from our regional offices we crammed as much into the day as we could. I'm sure they were as glad as I was to get out there!

Well it's a very short working week for me this week with today (Monday) being a public holiday and Wednesday I'll be out in one of our regional offices about three hours away to deliver some training. Happily I should get some op shopping in too!

30 comments:

  1. Your dress looks fabulous. The grosgrain belt would be lovely too.

    I think I am off to Photoshop myself onto a sunny beach!

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  2. Your dress is wonderful, great job.

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  3. Awesome dress! Very elegant and classic. You did a great job all around on this one. From pattern selection, fabric selection to final outcome--perfect!

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  4. So beautiful! Such a flattering dress for you. I am so glad you posted about the hemming issue of a dress with a narrow hemline. I sort of parlays to an issue I am having when hemming a men's long sleeve shirt to a short sleeve shirt due to worn out elbows. Have you ever tried this? Because the sleeve narrows from the shoulder to the elbow, to cut-fold-hem you always get a little bunching. Any suggestions?

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  5. Great dress. Looks wonderful on you.

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  6. This is a gorgeous dress! Why didn't I buy that issue of Burda? I want such a chic dress myself. Well, no, I don't think those pleats would look good on me. What's sure, though, is that your dress looks wonderful on you!

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  7. Lovely dress! I saw a very nice grey wool dress in Ojay's window today (0ut shopping yet again with the girls). Seeing that and yours I will add that to my list of things to make. And you made me laugh at the photo in Paris. Ah, if only we could just pop over for the day!

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  8. What a beautiful dress! It looks great on you.

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  9. Kristy this is a beautiful dress but dear you must learn to sew another color...if only for my sake! :)

    Isn't it amazing how much Anna has grown and changed in the last year!? She is a precious princess!

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  10. Lovely dress Kristy...it's been on my radar and now I need to get busy! Love the photoshop hijinx too! Maybe I will have my dress done and can get pictures next fall when we actually go to Europe!

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  11. Love your new dress - it does look very chic and Parisian!

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  12. Great dress! I love the Paris picture... so cute!

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  13. Great dress! Looks so sophisticated and chic on you! Love the Paris shot, if you can't go there for real, go there by Photoshop :)

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  14. This dress looks stunning!

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  15. It looks great, I have just pulled this magazine out myself to delve into a few of the patterns, I am trying the high waisted pants, and the lavender cape. Hope they turn out as well as your dress has! I agree about the pictures though, it would be nice to have just a standing straight back and front view as well, I too find it hard to establish how things will work on me due to the fashioned poses.

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  16. I was looking at this pattern the other night and I'm glad to see it on a real person. I am always frustrated by the way Burda photographs their clothing so that you can't actually see it properly. It always makes me paranoid that there is a design fault that is hidden by the model's posture. Now I've seen it on you, I think I will make it. It's a good dress to add to my winter wardrobe.

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  17. Couldn't agree more with Carol. Interestingly I've been thinking about this pattern for my grey wool. I'll think again as we live in the same city!

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  18. Your dress is absolutely gorgeous.

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  19. Very, VERY good looking dress on you. Congrats on a winner.

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  20. Another lovely dress! It is very flattering on you.

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  21. Very nice! This turned out really well for you.

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  22. Okay, I'm new to your blog, but I love everything that you have made. I already have this dress and #119 from the 10/09 issue on my list. Stop already, you're making me drool.

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  23. your dress look fab - it's the kind of style that always gets my attention but looks terrible of my because of my lack of waist.

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  24. Adorable dress! Duh, i really need a copy of that Burda issue!

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  25. Gorgeous dress!!! I've been thinking about this pattern whole winter,but..Maybe one day...

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  26. that dress is gorgeous! well done... it fits you perfectly and looks like it cost a lot of money :)

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  27. I think Catherine Deneuve would approve.

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