Almost Done...

Here's a shot of the almost finished S2588:

All I need to do is hem it, and I'll do that in a little while when I get off of the computer. Hmmm.... I almost like the muslin better. I let the waist out 3/4" on both sides by taking a 1/4" seam allowance instead of 5/8". The fit is perfect now- I can breathe. But clearly this dress doesn't look as sleek as the muslin. Oh well, I guess it's better to breathe than to look a little slimmer. It could have something to do with the dark print of the muslin versus the crazy print of the dress, too. Now that it's done, I'm not loving this Kaffe Fassett print so much anymore. I'm still going to wear it, it just won't be a favorite.

Chris asked in the comments of the last post if I lined the dress, and if so, with what? Well, I didn't line the muslin, and I didn't line this either. The quilting cotton is opaque, so I don't need to worry about modesty, and I prefer to wear a separate slip under these cotton dresses. It gets really hot here in Oklahoma, but a slip doesn't bother me, and the cotton breathes beautifully. Especially with bare legs and sandals. You could line a dress like this (made out of quilting cotton) but I'd be careful to choose something "slippery"- at least for the skirt. Batiste wouldn't work, I don't think, because it would want to cling to the dress fabric and would get bunched up inside of the dress. It would be okay for the bodice, though, since it's fitted and the layers won't shift against each other. I have used broadcloth before in a similar dress, but only for the bodice. I've also used polysatin. It's slippery and not as easy to work with as cotton, but it feels really nice against the skin.

Christina in Canada asked about interfacing the bodice of a smocked dress, specifically if I have had problems with "rippling" after washing. Unfortunately, yes- I have. Not on every interfaced bodice, though. It seems to have more to do with the quality of the interfacing rather than technique. My suggestion is to get the best stuff you can find. I can't recommend a specific brand (because I'm lazy and disorganized and I don't always keep the plastic wrap that comes with the interfacing) but anything you get from an heirloom sewing shop should work. I've found good interfacing at Hancock's, too. It wouldn't hurt to make a test swatch and run it through the washer and dryer just to see. Of course, you could always just underline the bodice with a piece of batiste. That should add enough body to the bodice to hide the yoke seam allowance and you wouldn't get any rippling.

Alright, well I guess I'm off to hem. Hopefully I'll have some progress to report on Summer Fields soon. It's still lying in the sewing room, all smocked and lonely.