Goth Hem Gingham

Or the “Monty Moonlights as a Mechanic” dress?

I’ve been thinking on this plan for months. Mid weight linen gingham, purchased maybe 5 years ago as a stash reject at a market. Cut a bodice, make an A-line skirt from the rest of the fabric. Pleat that up and hang it to control what fabric sits in the dye. Then sit it in a black dye bath.

This is a more controlled version of the dyed borders I did on the Lady Macbeth Gown. It came out neater than I expected. I thought there would be more of an ombre effect. The hem section has been rinsed, washed, rinsed etc then sun dried and ironed. It will probably shed more dye when I wash the whole dress. I didn’t want that to happen until the bodice was attached or it might look unnaturally clean. I am pleased with how black the blackest bits are. That may not be so after some more washing.

Then I built the bodice, which I remembered to cut it with a back seam so I could do the shoulder turn trick with the facing, which means the entire thing can be machine sewn.

Then the hem was faced and the skirt attached. Done.

Or maybe it’s done? I like this on the hanger, though I wanted it longer and with a deeper more complex border. I don’t mind it on but I had somehow forgotten that I’m not fond of pale dresses. Sigh.

I’m really not sure about it. It might go another round with a dye pot. I might wear it for a bit first. Hmm. I’m pleased with the pleating and hook arrangement as a non-resist dye control method. Any attempt at a deeper treatment of this sort would either require a deeper pot or be messier due to tilt and crumple resulting from lowering the fabric further into the pot. That latter wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. Hmm, musings.

Cool Stripey Linen

I’m having a minor freakout over an upcoming trip. So, sewing being self soothing for me, I’m building garments that have been in my mental queue. They might just turn into a new travel wardrobe.

This one is floaty, runkley, stripey linen. I bought it a few years ago ridiculously cheaply. I kept thinking of making a buttoned overshirt type of thing, but the runkliness would get in the way of making neat buttonhole bands. It does though make a nice simple dress. T shaped bodice with an angle down from the shoulder. The skirt is just two drops of the fabric, seamed and gathered onto the bodice.

The neckline uses a treatment I rather like for floaty fabrics. Use a thin but strong cotton picot lace. Sew it on at the seamline. Press the fabric away from it then fold under and hem. The lace prevents the edge stretching and there is no bulky facing. I’ve also done this starting with an overlocked edge and just top stitching after the pressing. I like the folded finish better but different fabrics ask for different treatment. Yes the label is crooked. Or really, the dress is cut a bit crooked. I should have put the effort into pulling threads to find true weft grain. I can usually do it pretty well by eye, but not on this fabric!

The flower motifs were a Daiso find maybe 5 years ago? It did not escape my notice that they have trefoil centres.

Here it is on. So comfy and cool. Of course it has pocketses.