Black faux suede dress

  

This is from one of my vintage Burda Magazines. 

This is 125, 03/2002.

 

Its  a very simple design and I just had to make it from this soft faux suede thats been stored in my stash for ages. 

 

It just seemed the right dress for that.

I like the almost 80s batwing look to the sleeves. Cowl neck could easily change into a normal Tshirt type neck or just hemmed neckline making this quite versatile as patterns go.

Probably this would look better with less halloween- type of makeup - well it was a weekend!

and maybe tights rather than leggings or even weather permitting bare legs and sandals. 

These are my red faux leather leggings.

I am still unsure about the seam down the top of the sleeve and reckon this could be better without that. One to remember next time maybe because I expect to make this dress again. It would be easily eliminated just by putting the seam allowance on a fold after all.
 

 So far I have been enjoying home working in this dress. Its comfortable but also being plain black not too OTT when I have to have virtual meetings which is pretty much every day and sometimes several times daily.

Its a great little "loungewear" dress.

See you next week

Bracken

Daenerys Targaryen dress using Simplicity 1008

 

This dress has been on my "to make list" since the pattern first came out in the UK. It made from stretch faux suede. However although this is stretch I do not think its got any lycra just polyester. Its lined with power mesh to try and keep the suede in shape.

 Since this wa taken I decided to use a couple of stitches to permanently attach the two bands to cover the dodgy pointed bit under the bust. Means I do not constantly adjust these. I read several reviews on Pattern Review about this dress, and can say I agree with others who had problems with the point at the front. It simply does not lie right. The cross over "dragon skin" straps help to hide this to some extent but I am not very happy with it.

I also read that it is very difficult to insert an invisible zip because of the thickness of the fabric layers so I decided (in my usual fashion if its even vaguely possible) to miss out the zip cos my fabric is stretch. Well I can just about get it on and off if I a wriggle a bit so this may not be the best option!

I used black rivet tape at the back rather than add eyelets because I never manage to get them to stay in the fabric and they always end up falling out and I am left with just a hole so I decided this was a better option. I noticed at least one reviewer has sewn eyelets which would have been an option but using the ready made tape was just faster and I hate hand sewing.

In fact most of the Pattern Rewviews all say they had to hand stitch in the lining. Well I did not. Mainly because I read other people's reviews so I lined the two skirt pieces and cut an extra bodice from the power mesh. Then I attached the bodice at the sleeves /flanges ( which I love) and sewed on the skirt after so the bodice lining stays in place being attached at the arms and skirt seams, although it is not actually attached around the neck because I decided how to do this after I started.  There is a facing made of satin backed something left over from this top:
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/black-top-from-pattern-sew-and-sew-b5940.html

I might eventually get round to stitching the neck lining down but it is wearable without and so not urgent.



 

In case you are wondering it is worn with these leggings:
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/24-red-lace-hoody-burdastyle-012016.html 
Well its really a costume but it happened to snow and being made of faux suede turns out to be very warm despite the lack of sleeves and it was Sunday so what the hell. I wore it all day and you know what, I like this and intend to wear it as often as possible. I am sure if I have no coat over it some people will look and think its strange but with leggings this is actually a very wearable dress and if you fancy making one I would say go for it.

Best wishes and thanks for visiting,

Bracken