Before I had Wallace, I ordered some of this print from Jones and Vandermeer knowing that I wanted to use it for a dress after I gave birth. In my mind, that was going to be right afterward, but in reality I waited three months because it has taken that long for my body to feel normal. I formulated a plan for this dress (a must, as I do not experiment with my Liberty), and got started.
I’m nursing Wallace, so I knew I would need a button placket on the bodice. Because the Michelle, My Belle dress is my most favorite, I started with that top, and went from there. I’m chestier than I was prior to pregnancy and giving birth, so I added an inch to the total circumference of the bodice. And because I needed the button placket, I cut two separate front pieces, and added the center section after I had sewn the lining to my front pieces.
I wanted a fun, flirty, and very feminine skirt, so I went altogether different with that part of the dress. I decided a partial circle skirt would work best for the look I was going for. I’m so glad I did that, because the skirt is my favorite part of the dress! Isn’t it fun?!
As always, I fully lined the dress with Free Spirit solid voile. And it occurred to me that I’ve never showed you what exactly that looks like, so I had my sister take a couple of shots of the inside of the dress.
See? It basically makes the dress reversible (if only the zipper were reversible and this fabric wasn’t sheer). I guess what I’m saying is, its finished; the inside is just as clean as the outside.
Thanks for dropping by! Be sure to come back tomorrow for some fabric eye candy- as in some of the most beautiful fabric you’ll ever see!
-Meredith
It looks so good!
That is a real pretty dress. Looking at some older posts regarding Liberty prints made me discover prints that I have previously overlooked several gorgeous ones.
Anyway I just wanted to ask if you leave edges raw between the lining and the Liberty, or if you finish those, too?
I do finish the interior seams a lot of the time, but not all of them. I’ll often finish the top edges of the skirt exterior and lining together just so I don’t have extra little threads to deal with when I’m hand sewing the bodice lining down. Most people will tell you its totally unneccessary to finish seams that are enclosed, but I’ll finish ones that I think will undergo stress just as an extra bit of protection! After all, I want my garments to outlast me!
so cute and flirty! bravo…you more than did justice in transforming that thorpe fabric into a masterpiece!
Love this dress Meredith ! You look gorgeous in it !!!