Oh Vogue V1501. Dearest Vogue V1501. You have been on my list for years now. And I’m so glad that I finally took the plunge and made you. According to my blog notes, you came on the scene about 3 years now and you’ve been on my list ever since. This pattern is part of the Vogue Designer series and is designed by Rachel Comey. Interesting side note, I recall reading once that the images on the pattern envelopes are of the actual designer garment, not a garment made up using the pattern. This design is described as a “mock-tuck pleated dress”. The front hem of the dress (where the pleats are located) is attached to the skirt but the rest hangs freely, giving the appearance of a little tuck in the front.
The bodice is finished with facings and has a shaped hem. There are no darts and it’s rather oversized. The skirt has pleats in the front, darts in the back and an invisible center back zip. The pattern also calls for shoulder pads. I actually bought shoulder pads and tried them out but because my shoulders are already pretty square, it just looked silly on me. The construction was fairly simple except for sewing the gusset for the shoulder pads.
I don’t know what size I sewed because I cut the pattern out too long ago to remember and have already stashed it away in a box that would be very inconvenient to unearth. So, my advice would be to mostly look at the waist measurement. Everywhere besides the waist is not so fitted but the waistband will need to sit at your natural waist. You can find the finished measurements for Vogue patterns on the pattern tissue itself. Just look for a circle with a cross in the middle and the measurements will be next to it (on the pattern pieces, not in a chart). Anyway, I think I did add about 3/4 inch to the length of the bodice to adjust for my height. I’m really happy with how the fit came out and would not change anything.
I used two different black fabrics for this dress. I lightweight silk/cotton blend for the bodice and a heavy, textured cotton for the skirt. I had originally wanted to use the silk blend for the whole thing but didn’t have enough fabric. Fortunately, I had this textured fabric leftover from the Sophia Dress I made two years ago. I love the contrast of the two textures. However, the skirt is very heavy in comparison to the bodice and this dress will absolutely not hang properly on a hanger. (By the way, in the above photo, I totally forgot to fasten the back button. oops!)
This dress was on my 2017 Make Nine list and I put it on my 2019 list because I still wanted to make it. I decided to finally start sewing this dress on a bit of a whim. I was grieving the loss of my dear great-aunt and decided that I’d make a new dress for her memorial service. It was good to have a project to work on, to put my energy and emotions into. I didn’t end up wearing this dress to the service. I can’t remember why except that I think I thought the dress was too dramatic. But I think she’d like this dress. She loved sewing and fashion and was always ready to talk about what I was currently working on. I think she’d appreciate the unique design of this dress and contrasting fabric. Just as I do.
I hope to one day soon have a fun event that I can wear this dress to. It deserves a fun party. I don’t have any plans on making this pattern again but I’m glad that I finally did.
