Today’s post is a dress that I’m very excited to share. I so often make basic wardrobe builders. So when I have something as dramatic as this dress, I feel extra excited to show it off. I bought this pattern years and years ago and have been waiting for just the right fabric. Part of the problem is that this pattern calls for a good 4+ yards of fabric, due to the gorgeously dramatic circle skirt. And you know, I generally do not like drama, but this dress. It’s my kind of drama.
So let’s start with the pattern. The pattern is Vogue V8577 and as I mentioned, I bought it years ago. According to my pattern catalog in Evernote, it was first recorded in January of 2013 so at a minimum it’s been in my stash for 6.5 years. Sometimes, after that length of time, a design can feel dated but I think this shirtdress is just too classic to go out of style. If you disagree, please do not tell me. 😉
I’ve always liked Vogue patterns and have been sewing with them since the beginning of my sewing journey. I really learned to sew using Big 4 paper patterns and some of my favorite designs are from Vogue. This dress has so many lovely details: big scoop pockets with facings for structure, back yoke, bust darts and strategic gathers at the back waist. I think the V-neck is really flattering and helps balance the overall volume of the dress.
I graded between a size 16 and 18. The fit is a little loose but I really like that. The only thing I’d change is to raise the armholes a bit because if I lift my arms, you can get a peek of the side of my bra. I sewed this up in June and recall the construction being fairly straightforward, although I did deviate a little bit. The pattern calls for doing a lining but with this much fabric, I feared that would be too hot. I did a self lining at the yoke and midriff and finished the arm holes and neckline using a bias facing.
I hand stitched the bias facing in place for a little touch of luxury and for that gigantic circle skirt I used the narrow rolled hem foot on my sewing machine. If you’re curious about these techniques, make sure to check out my video tutorials for how to sew a hand sewn slip stitch and how to use a rolled hem foot. Because the skirt is cut on the bias, I let it hang overnight and then did my best to trim it evenly. I think it’s not perfectly even but it doesn’t bother me so I left it as is.
So this amazing fabric!!! I found this in a literal pile on the ground at Angel Textiles in the downtown LA fashion district. It was a surprisingly large off cut that I bought super cheap even though I was on a fabric buying diet and I’m so glad that I did. It was the perfect match for this pattern.
I really love the drama of the red fabric paired with this skirt. Sadly, it’s been finished for over a month now and has yet to make its debut. It feels too special for an ordinary grocery run (totally a #sewfrosting project!) so I’ll need to find just the right occasion and hopefully soon because I do really love this dress.
