Michelle, ma belle... tres bien ensemble
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Michelle ma belle, sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble,

Tres bien ensemble

Not So Practical.

4/1/2013

24 Comments

 
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Tah Dah! My second Sew for Victory project is finished and photographed! And in the knick of time. Thank goodness for extended deadlines. Thanks, Rochelle!
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In contrast to my forties flavored blouse, this dress is about as far from practical as I imagined it would be.  Still, I'm OH SO GLAD I decided to sew it. It's pretty fun-tastic and pushed me outside my comfort zone. 
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If I'm being completely honest, up until I reviewed the pictures for this post, I wasn't sure I would ever wear this dress again. When I first put it on I felt really uncomfortable, and pretty costume-y. 
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But, there might be an occasion when I could bust this out; I can't think of any off-hand, but it's possible. 
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There are a lot of things I really like. To start, the silhouette is MAJOR flattering; it hugs and clings in the right spots and doesn't in the wrong ones. Also, the bust line is beautiful and really dramatic. And the color(s).... I think I need to wear more blue; it's working for me. 
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The fit is good, not great. I have some shoulder gap that needs tightening. Also, I could have benefited from shortening the length of the bodice a smidgen; which I think would have eliminated the wrinkling over the hip (improved posture might also help). 
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Also, I prefer a more fitted sleeve. So, I would adjust that accordingly in the future. 
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Construction was fairly straight-forward and fuss-free. I did need to hand sew the bust seam, because it was too bulky to run through my machine. It wouldn't be a problem on single layers of fabric, but the addition of the lace overlay made things too dense to feed under my presser-foot. 
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My favorite aspect of the way this pattern is designed is that it was created with ZERO facing pieces. This, of course, meant self-bias and top-stitching; a fair trade, in my opinion. The pattern is Companion Butterick 2257. I bought it off eBay a while ago from a seller who found a pile of unused patterns in an abandoned shop (Can you imagine?!?!)  It's the only one like it I've seen and I fought to have it. Then, by some strange twist of fate, the post office screwed up shipment of my parcel; the next thing I knew, the seller had refunded my purchase cost AND reshipped the pattern to me. AMAZING.  We were meant to be together and we always will. 
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My main fabric is a rayon faille. I bought it a while back for a project I never got around to. It has a good amount of stretch to it- enough that I was able to completely eliminate the side closure and still maintain the ability to pull this dress on and off over my head. The lace is also a stretch fabric, so it's equally accommodating. 
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Before I wrap things up, I want to say a HUGE *THANK YOU!* to Rochelle for hosting all of us during the progress of this SAL. It's been fun. Let's do it again sometime! Also, if you're hungry for more forties flare, hop over to the Flckr group and see all the outstanding contributions! I'll be back later with the March Giveaway winner. See you soon! 
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24 Comments
Stephanie | mabelmakes.com link
4/1/2013 01:52:14 am

It's amazing and you look beautiful. The navy colour is very flattering on you! I was really excited to see this finished when you posted it on twitter. It's turned out really lovely. Well done!

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Elisabeth Andree link
4/1/2013 01:56:01 am

How stylish, you look like a moviestar:)

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Lisa link
4/1/2013 01:57:29 am

Michelle, I absolutely LOVE it! I think you should wear it regularly just because you CAN! You pull off this look so well and I do love the blue on you! Fabulous!!

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Sue link
4/1/2013 02:08:32 am

I think you need to find an occasion to wear this dress it looks so well on you

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zilredloh link
4/1/2013 03:07:47 am

This dress is fantastic! You look like such a Betty in it, too. So I heartily agree that blue looks superb on you.

Can't wait to see it in real life, since you HAVE to wear it out and about. :)

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Renee Anne link
4/1/2013 03:23:43 am

Not that I could pull anything like this off, or sew for that matter...however I'm curious what the back looks like. But that's me :)

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PendleStitches link
4/1/2013 03:51:54 am

Oh my, this is just lovely. Blue definitely works for you and this is far too pretty a look not to be worn.

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Red Point Tailor link
4/1/2013 06:02:33 am

It is wonderfuld dress! Wow! Congratulations! You look fabulous!

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Joyatee link
4/1/2013 07:12:39 am

Oh my gosh! You look so beautiful! Stunning creation. Blue definitely suits you.

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Reana Louise link
4/1/2013 08:46:21 am

Maybe not so practical, but oh-so-beautiful!

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Jennifer link
4/1/2013 09:01:26 am

Oh my gosh. This is gorgeous! It would be perfect for a fancier-than-normal date night - and it just looks absolutely stunning on you!

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Laurie link
4/1/2013 09:19:44 am

I absolutely love this dress! The blues are beautiful and make your eyes bluer! It is a wonderful color on you and a wonderful dress! You should definitely break this out sometime and wear it! ~Laurie

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Chris
4/1/2013 01:23:55 pm

It's adorable! You could start a retro trend.

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Emma link
4/1/2013 07:36:47 pm

I love it! I would never have thought to add lace overlay like that, but it's absolutely gorgeous. The colour definitely works on you, too.

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randipants link
4/1/2013 11:17:32 pm

It's gorgeous! I say if you don't have a reason to wear it, then just plain wear it someday. Going to work, running errands, whatever.

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Erin link
4/2/2013 09:18:33 pm

Wow!! This is sooooo gorgeous! How creative for you to make this dress and its stunning!!!

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Susan link
4/3/2013 12:41:21 am

SO PRETTY!!!!

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kirsti(k)nits link
4/3/2013 02:51:18 am

That is so pretty! I could definitely see that at a nice restaurant or a wedding.

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katie metzroth link
4/3/2013 04:00:24 am

wow! that's really lovely! :)

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Lynn link
4/3/2013 10:23:38 pm

This dress is outstanding! I love it. There is not debating it- you NEED to throw a party, specficially so that you can wear that dress! Get on it! :)

So beautiful!

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Narayani
4/5/2013 12:48:53 am

Very elegant dress, Michelle. The blue lace is just the right balance with the main color. A very flattering cut and length make for a versatile dress. Just accessorize with various cardigans, shoes, and jewelry for a casual or not so casual look. Your hair looks lovely in that style btw

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dixie link
4/5/2013 02:01:11 pm

this is absolutely lovely! the different blues and with the lace overlay are really pretty!

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Heathersphere link
4/6/2013 04:01:04 am

What a breathtakingly stunning dress!

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Lelie link
4/9/2013 06:06:35 am

I love this dress! I looks so amazing on you.

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