This might just be my most favorite creation ever.
I've been holding onto this fabric for about a year now, ever since my lovely friend Juliet sent it to me. I was searching for the right pattern when I came across Simplicity 2219 during a Hancock Fabrics $1 Simplicity Pattern sale. Yes, please!!!
Almost from the moment I started sewing this, I envisioned myself strutting off the plane in New York in my black boots and big 'ol sunglasses. Knit fabrics + not being all wrinkletastic on the plane = winning.
My favorite part of the whole dress, without a doubt, is the front bodice. For this challenge, I knew I wanted to paint on fabric since dyeing clothes still scares me a little. I cut out all the bodice pieces and painted on the front full bodice piece. I just doodled until I liked it and considered it "done." Once the paint dried, I stitched the bodice together. My high school notebooks are filled with doodles like this - I like unpredictable curves and dots.
The side bodice pieces are gathered where they meet the front and back bodices. I love the extra bit of detail this adds to the dress and how it draws the eye back to the doodles.
I'm also a big fan of not hemming things. I didn't hem the skirt or the sleeves and the fabric is not fraying at all! Yay!
The skirt is gathered both in the center of the front and the back. A strip of 1/4 inch elastic is encased where the bodice and skirt meet, making for a snug fit that required no zippers or buttons.
This is not a picture of the ceiling falling on me. It's me doing my version of the "Party Girl" move from my cardio dance class. From the look of it, I am partying hard!
I also got my hair cut. I am so glad to have actual bangs again! (My head also feels 18x lighter than before. I am sure this will knock a full minute off my running pace.)
I absolutely love the end result of this project! When I was little, puffy paint was all the rage and I was worried that this project might reflect my younger obsession with the stuff. Instead, it has fueled a grown obsession with fabric paint ... it may start sneaking into more projects soon...
Have you ever used fabric paint? Or the epic puffy paint? Let me know - I'd love to hear how you used the stuff!!
Have a fabulous weekend, all!