Sewing up a proper TVW dress with puffed sleeves (version 2) and navy TNT top

I made the  navy mesh top a few weeks back when I had left overs from my scater dress.

The top pattern is McCalls M6612. I have used this pattern loads of times for dresses and tops. For an accidental buy its proven a major investment. Acidental because I was browsing online in a sale and put loads in my basket meaning I needed to remove loads to afford what I finally bought. But somehow I left a very boring looking pattern in there and never realised. I was so disapointed when I got this pattern in a parcel of other wanted patterns. If it had not been so cheap I would have returned it but the postage was more than the pattern so I kept it. Its a very important pattern in my collection now.

So this is the same navy fabric as this dress:







So now progress on my The Vampires Wife dress project:


I have not done much really this week. I added the sleeves but yet to sew up the side seams, frills, skirt etc.

I feel I am in the middle of a serious experiment into recreating a designer dress(es) and so far its going pretty well. This is my second attempt at The Vampires Wife dress and so far I am just attempting to recreate the original version of this range of dresses. These are based on the blocks I made a few weeks ago and then my first muslin of this dress which was the full length street sweeper dress. I have not got as much fabric to play with this time so am making the midi version - assuming it works that is. This time though I am also adding the proper sleeve. My first version had a basic sleeve block sleeve.

So this week The Vampires Wife launched a new dress design. I do not think I will be making this one. Its really not at all me ( reminds me of the stuff my mum made me wear in the 70s!) although I can see it could be a nice summer dress - if you like the style etc. Personally I do not at all like the "sleeves". Though good idea to have a shirt-waister version.

So back to making my second dress. This dress is made from bright blue / turquoise cotton chintz so there is a slight gloss or shine to the right side of the fabric. In dim lighting ( or at night in electric lighting) I found it quite difficult to distinguish between the right and wrong sides which was a pain.




I managed though or I have not found any bits sewed in wrong side up so far anyways. I did though need to wear my glasses. I rarely do need them. I never use for real life but got them to aid in threading a needle. I suspect as time goes by I will be using them more and more but for now mainly they are just there in case I find the need ( or a very small print!).

I had some minor fitting problems with my sleeves/bodice since when I made the first dress I took the shoulder in by about 1cm at the top of the sleeve but I never changed the block. Stupid me!



So I stick on one sleeve and it just does not look right. I tried restitching like the first sleeve - me being lazy etc -but it just did not work so I ended up unpicking the whole sleeve and cutting both shoulders down and at the same time I also chopped a bit off my block so hopefully next version of this dress will work better first time. I then added both sleeves to my bodice ( no modifications to the pattern or fabric tho so will they fit now I have modified the bodice block?) and just have to hope they will fit once the zip is in because other than pinning and trying on I really cannot check it is going to fit me and look right. This may yet be a complete disaster!

I also think perhaps the sleeves need to be a bit fuller. Or change where the gathers are to more on top of the sleeve? Not sure yet and I do not have any tops with this kind of sleeve that I can compare with. The nearest is a denim jacket with puffed sleeves but they are not the same as these.

Or is this actualy how it should be? honestly do not know so will spend this week looking at RTW clothing and see what I can find out. For now I decide to leave them alone because I am not conviced whether or not these are right. I am not overlocking inside the sleeve seam just in case I decide to unpick and resew.

I think this dress is going to be wearable even if the sleeve is not quite the same as TVW. But then I really do not know until I finish sewing it together and try the finished version on. Then if I have not quite got this balance of the fullness of the sleeve right yet I can try yet another sleeve pattern for my next version before I finally cut into my lovely fabric for the The Vampires Wife dress I really want to wear.

These are the dresses its based on. Do you reckon my sleeves are full enough?
Should the gathers be nearer the top and not down the front of the sleeve?

Proper The Vampires Wife Dresses which this version is based on shown as below:

Perhaps the sleeves are fuller or am I just imagining this cos in fact in these pictures they seem not to be fuller at the top? I will decide once I try moving around in the finished dress. I might want to add some fullness either way. One thing I do think is different is the sleeves may flare out slightly at the bottom so next dress I will need to try adding some flare I think. After all this is meant to be BASED upon The Vampires Wife and not an exact copy!

Its also meant to fit me and my personal style and lifestyle.

Never mind at this rate I will have a wardrobe full of The Vampires Wife dresses by the end of this summer!

Either way imperfect sleeve or not Dress 2 of The Vampires Wife style is happening even if its a little slow.

Have you tried to do this type of pattern cutting and if yes do you have any tips for me please?

Thanks for visiting 

Bracken