Michelle, ma belle... tres bien ensemble
  • Home
  • Knitting Patterns
  • Contact Me
  • About Me
  • Project Archive
Michelle ma belle, sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble,

Tres bien ensemble

It's My Party.

6/5/2016

14 Comments

 
Picture
It's my birthday! 
Picture
There's not a lot exciting about birthdays in your thirties. No major milestones. No new privileges. So, to mark my thirty second birthday I decided to treat myself to something special and frivolous; I sewed a party dress. 
Picture
I don't have a lot of reasons to wear frilly dresses, so I tend not to sew them often, but I do have some special occasion fabrics stashed away that deserve to be sewn into garments. When I initially started shopping my stash, it was my plan to use a length of blue and white vintage dotted tulle for the skirt of this dress. I searched for a coordinating bodice fabric and found a length of vintage lace. 
Picture
I didn't want the design on the lace to get lost or blend into my lining fabric, so I chose to use a nude tone cotton to underline. I gathered my skirt fabric and set it aside. Then, I got to work sewing my bodice. When I'd finished, I was pleased with the way my bodice looked, however, I didn't like the way it paired with my tulle. Fortunately, I was able to reconfigure my original plan; I had enough lace to gather into a suitably swishy skirt. 
Picture
The really fun thing about sewing with fancy fabrics is having the opportunity to play with some different sewing techniques. On my skirt, I used an overlapped lace seaming method. This method gives the illusion that the lace pattern is continuous around the entire skirt and helps the seams appear mostly invisible and blend into the skirt.
Picture
Not only is this dress sewn from vintage fabrics, it's sewn using vintage McCall's 5842. This was my second time sewing this pattern so I didn't make a muslin before starting. My bodice is a little roomy, but it's not overly so, and I don't feel the need to tweak it any. 
Picture
It was fun and a little silly dressing up with no apparent reason today. We took a stroll downtown for something sweet to eat and walked around town. I felt overdressed amongst the crowds of people in t-shirts, but it also made me feel just a little bit special, and that's what birthdays are all about, right? 
“#VintagePledge
14 Comments
sew little time link
6/6/2016 12:13:21 am

wow - this is stunning michelle! I'm glad you went for all over lace as it's such a pretty effect! look forward to seeing what you do with the tulle.

Reply
Birgit link
6/6/2016 03:23:30 am

Happy birthday! That is a verrrrry beautiful dress to celebrate it in! I hope you enjoyed your day!

Reply
Ebi Poweigha link
6/6/2016 07:36:04 am

Happy birthday! Love how you made your day a special one.

Reply
zilredloh link
6/6/2016 08:20:35 am

What a great tradition to start - sewing fancy dresses for your birthday. :D

It looks great Michelle and I love that lace. Bow belt! So wonderful you were able to incorporate that detail - like icing on the cake.

Reply
Heather link
6/6/2016 10:39:05 am

Happy Birthday!! This dress is absolutely gorgeous on you!! I hope you felt like a princess all day in it!

Reply
Sue @ A Colourful Canvas link
6/6/2016 11:17:51 am

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE! And you look so, so, so pretty! And your dress is gorgeous! And you know what? I bet you brightened everyone's day....I know I always appreciate seeing people on the streets dressed for an occasion.

Reply
Alicia link
6/6/2016 11:43:30 am

What a gorgeous dress! You are so talented. Hope you had a wonderful birthday!

Reply
Morgan link
6/6/2016 12:29:44 pm

Your amazing stash strikes again! What a fun way to celebrate.

Reply
Carlee McTavish link
6/6/2016 04:08:27 pm

WOWZA! Stunning dress! The lace is beautiful (good call on swishy skirt). Happy Birthday! :)

Reply
Breenah link
6/7/2016 10:55:34 am

You look so pretty and the dress is just fantastic! Happy birthday!

Reply
Hila link
6/8/2016 01:28:34 am

Hapay Happy Birthday you gorgeous thing! Hope your day was as fabulous as your dress. I firmly believe in the adage that it is far better to be overdressed than underdressed- just like Holly Golightly🙌

Reply
Anya link
6/8/2016 07:07:39 am

It is a gorgeous dress!!! Happy Birthday!

Reply
debbie iles link
6/8/2016 05:09:51 pm

Very beautiful! One is never overdressed in a white lace dress, particularly on their birthday! ;-)

Reply
Becky link
6/9/2016 12:22:04 pm

Happy slightly belated birthday! Your dress is lovely. Definitely a nice way to treat yourself!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    “The
    follow us in feedly
    “Vintage

    Archives

    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010

Thank you for respecting the intellectual property rights protected by the copyright laws of the United States and International Copyright Treaty.
  • Home
  • Knitting Patterns
  • Contact Me
  • About Me
  • Project Archive