My Halloween Dress
What do you do when you only have half a yard of fabric?
Do a front panel on a dress, with straps, and maybe a small hem or a bow. It’s exactly the right amount of fabric.
This problem has come up more than once for fabric hoarders [like me] who can’t seem to DO anything with that last half yard scrap, but don’t want to throw it away.
To avoid having piles of spare fabric, my ultimate sewing goal is to utilize all the fabric, so there aren’t any substantial bits remaining. I usually find flaws with sewing patterns because they have unnecessary seams, which creates weird little scraps of fabric which would not have existed if the pattern pieces were conjoined. I also think larger pattern pieces are easier to work with, because you can see how they’re supposed to connect, versus smaller pieces that take precision assembly to make functional. The more pieces there are, the more likely it is to be an error with the assembly [the wrong edge sewn in, or misaligned, or unsymmetrical]. I wrote more on this topic in the workshop additional info page regarding hats, makeup and sewing.
Lately, I’ve started leaving a point of alteration in my clothing. A large seam that makes alterations easier, or an area of overlap where moving a button would significantly alter sizing. People forget that taking an inch out of a garment is a lot easier than adding one in; so all garments should be constructed slightly oversized, and then tailored down to fit.
Do a front panel on a dress, with straps, and maybe a small hem or a bow. It’s exactly the right amount of fabric.
This problem has come up more than once for fabric hoarders [like me] who can’t seem to DO anything with that last half yard scrap, but don’t want to throw it away.
To avoid having piles of spare fabric, my ultimate sewing goal is to utilize all the fabric, so there aren’t any substantial bits remaining. I usually find flaws with sewing patterns because they have unnecessary seams, which creates weird little scraps of fabric which would not have existed if the pattern pieces were conjoined. I also think larger pattern pieces are easier to work with, because you can see how they’re supposed to connect, versus smaller pieces that take precision assembly to make functional. The more pieces there are, the more likely it is to be an error with the assembly [the wrong edge sewn in, or misaligned, or unsymmetrical]. I wrote more on this topic in the workshop additional info page regarding hats, makeup and sewing.
Lately, I’ve started leaving a point of alteration in my clothing. A large seam that makes alterations easier, or an area of overlap where moving a button would significantly alter sizing. People forget that taking an inch out of a garment is a lot easier than adding one in; so all garments should be constructed slightly oversized, and then tailored down to fit.
This black and pattern dress is made because I had exactly a half yard of fabric' Halloween clearance, tiny skull polka dot. very subtle.
Majority of the dress took less than an hour to make, and it’s really only 3-4 pattern pieces. The panel down the center front, the rest of the black top [shaped like a vest], and the gathered skirt, and the collar pattern bits [if you want to count that]. I'm also wearing a little lace shrug on my shoulders.
What I like about it, is how easily I could change the size by letting out the seams to widen the front panel or just moving the zipper out an inch.
I don’t think this is a real character, it's just something I threw together for my causal Halloween outfit.
I'm wearing a spider headband and some purple skeleton pins.
I made this dress because I had the spare fabric.
I impulsively bought it last year, and felt obligated to make something small, since there was only a tiny bit of fabric. But then, I figured I could do something like this, and really showcase the novelty fabric the way it deserves.
See the Workshop page for some additional thoughts about sewing and stuff.
Pictures were taken at home. IF YOU LOVE HALLOWEEN, ALSO SEE MY OTHER HALLOWEEN DRESS
Majority of the dress took less than an hour to make, and it’s really only 3-4 pattern pieces. The panel down the center front, the rest of the black top [shaped like a vest], and the gathered skirt, and the collar pattern bits [if you want to count that]. I'm also wearing a little lace shrug on my shoulders.
What I like about it, is how easily I could change the size by letting out the seams to widen the front panel or just moving the zipper out an inch.
I don’t think this is a real character, it's just something I threw together for my causal Halloween outfit.
I'm wearing a spider headband and some purple skeleton pins.
I made this dress because I had the spare fabric.
I impulsively bought it last year, and felt obligated to make something small, since there was only a tiny bit of fabric. But then, I figured I could do something like this, and really showcase the novelty fabric the way it deserves.
See the Workshop page for some additional thoughts about sewing and stuff.
Pictures were taken at home. IF YOU LOVE HALLOWEEN, ALSO SEE MY OTHER HALLOWEEN DRESS
All photos are copyrighted.
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