So now that summer is officially over, and Fall has started, why not have a look at more summer dresses! I'm on track for my friends in the Southern Hemisphere. Ha ha! I actually made these dresses in the early days of July, but never got around to blogging about them until now. I wore them quite a bit though.
So just in case you are new to the sewing/blogging world, this is the Southport Dress by True Bias. I think when we look back at the summer of 2015 as sewing bloggers, it should be known as the Summer of the Southport Dress. I've seen so many of them pop up over the summer and it seems to look beautiful on every one. It's such a great staple, easy to wear and pretty easy to sew too.
It's quite hard to see, but there are little green buttons on this version. My placket is sewn shut because I don't need it to get in and out of this dress, and I didn't want to leave it open to any potential gaping issues in these slippery fabrics.
This gorgeous floral fabric came from Fabricville in Montreal. It feels incredibly soft and silky, and the colours are nice and vibrant. I have no idea what to call it, but I'm sure it's some sort of polyester - maybe a polyester crepe de chine?
My second version here, is exactly the same as the first only with 100% more flamingos!
I am really satisfied with the fit, although this one looks like it could use a good press.
Pug Photo Bomb!
I also like that this dress has a drawstring. It makes it really comfortable, and if you are having one of those bloaty days or going to an all you can eat buffet, it's easy to just tie the drawstring a little looser. This lovely flamingo rayon came from Gold Hawk Road in London. John wasn't overly enthused about it, but I just had to have it!
Now for the fit details. I made these two exactly like my last version, except I went up to a size 8 in the bodice. It was hard to see in my last Southport post because of the busy fabric, but it's slightly tight across the back. Going up to a size 8 fixed that issue. So for those of you interested, here are the gory details:
- a 1 1/4" FBA (For 2 1/2" total)
- a 1/2" high rounded back alteration
- a 1/4" forward shoulder adjustment
- used a size 12 skirt
- sewed the front button placket shut
I could probably just sew a straight size 10 like my very first version, but I found it gaped at the neckline and didn't fit me in the shoulders as well. Fitting is not for the faint of heart and I really think it takes a lot of trial and error. But with every make I learn something new, and I'm getting to know my shape just that much better. It's all part of the adventure.
Also, I've read a couple posts, and listened to a couple of podcasts in the last little while that talked about sharing measurements. I am always a bit hesitant to share my actual numbers, but I started thinking that I'm putting all these photos of myself out there and if you wanted to, you could probably take a pretty good guess at my measurements anyway (especially if I'm telling you the sizes of the patterns I make). I also think that sharing your measurements helps other sewists judge what sizing/fitting fixes might work for them. So in the interest of helping others, here are my measurements: high bust - 37", full bust - 39", waist - 32.5", hip - 39.75" and my height is 5'2". Yes I am Canadian and should be using the metric system, but when it comes to sewing, I prefer the Imperial measurement of inches. I will mention that my measurements do fluctuate a bit, but these are the most recent ones that I've taken. So there you have it.
Have you made a Southport Dress this summer? Are you up for sharing your measurements? (It's completely fine if you're not.)
Gratuitous Pug Shot - Quincie during the Golden Hour :)