Update: Progress on Tempest's dresses for BurlyCon

So remember I told you about the Pink Party that's happening on the Saturday night at BurlyCon and how I don't have anything pink to wear?

Well after nagging from Hestia's Larder for a progress report, here's that gorgeous pink material I showed you, in an 'almost dress':

 

I say it's an 'almost dress' because it's hit several snags:

1. I don't quite know why, but I made it EXACTLY to the size 22 pattern pieces (it's a Vintage Vogue 2902). But I'm not a 'normal' size 22...and I'm definitely not a vintage size 22 even if I am a 21st century one. The vintage size 22 vital statistics are 44-37-46, whereas I'm 42-46-53.  So now I've got a dress that gapes at the armholes, has straps falling of the ends of my shoulders and a waistline that isn't going to do up when the zip goes in.
2. I also had this brilliant idea of using some spare black suedette for the contrasting parts of the dress - the yoke/straps and bottom hem...but I'm concerned the weight of it on the bottom of the skirt will be too much, defying any boost a net petticoat might give it.

So just for the moment, work on the pink dress has been suspended whilst I have a think about what I'm going to do to remedy the above. I'm sure it can be fixed as the bodice hasn't been sewn onto the skirt yet. I'll sort it. Somehow. Watch this space...

In the meantime, I'm working on a dress for a vintage themed get-together on the opening night of BurlyCon. I've  got a couple of rockabilly dresses but they don't really feel that vintagey. Plus, I bought a fantastic pattern (Vintage Vogue again) in a sale at Sallys Fabrics when I went there last...and it was crying out to be made.

Here's the pattern (Vintage Vogue 2494) and some material I picked up at another of my favourite shops SAS Fabrics by the Pound (which I will have to tell you about in more detail sometime, it is an Aladdin's Cave for costumers/dress-makers/burlesquers):

 

The material has a little more pattern on it than I'd have liked so you can see all the tailoring darts but I'm hoping it will also hide my bumps. It cost me a whole $13.97 (£8.82) and has a little bit of stretch to it which can't be a bad thing.

The pattern says it's an 'average' but they're having a laugh. It's blooming hard and Gladys Campbell on the Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild website agrees:

"This pattern is for very experienced sewers. The pattern is marked Average difficulty; that is a strong under-statement. It's a wonderful pattern, but requires serious study before you even begin the muslin. It will take a lot of patience, but if you want to create a glamorous forties evening gown, this is it".

I had quite a lot of fun with the facing for the keyhole in the bodice:

 

And am currently having fun with the gathers and pleats surrounding the front skirt insert panel:

 

I suspect from pinning it up on my dressform that I'm going to have to take the waist in a bit (despite on this dress managing to remember my waist and hip measurements and adjusting the pattern accordingly) because although the pattern describes itself as 'close fitting', it does seem quite a lot baggier than I expected. But I love the darts and shaping on the derrière, which unfortunately don't show up very well on photos but here's the back of the dress anyway:

 

 

And here's the front at the moment, with the inset and pleats and gathers still to be achieved:

 

So that's how it's going so far on the dresses. Working on them is taking longer than normal as it's half term here (Fall Break) so my 'unreasonable' daughters keep requiring me to play on the Wii with them, or draw pictures with them, take them out to exciting places and/or the library etc ;) but I'll get there eventually - I'm not panicing yet.

(Probably coming soon - "Tempest's mad panic about her dresses with only days to go before BurlyCon").