A Flowy Fall Dress

I think all little girls want a really flowy dress at some point. I remember that when I was little I desperately wanted a dress just like the one Liesl wore in this scene from The Sound of Music:



Or a dress like the one Grace wore in this scene from Annie:



As an adult I rediscovered this desire when I saw Elizabeth Taylor's white dress in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof:

But I have always heard that working with sheer fabrics is difficult and frustrating. So I have steered clear of them . . . until recently when I found a beautiful paisley that I really could not pass up. I got the last 2 1/2 yards on the bolt for 40% off. Later I matched it up with a pattern I already had (bought on sale for $.99) and bought my favorite lightweight lining in a buff color (with a 40% off coupon). And this is what I came up with after virtually no trouble or frustration, for less than $20 total when you count thread and zipper):

Now, it is certainly not as flowy as the movie dresses, but as my first foray into working with sheer fabrics, it's just flowy enough. I now have absolute confidence that I could make any dress I wanted to with this type of fabric (I see more of these in my future . . . perhaps Summer 2011). This is from a modern pattern, Butterick 4978 and I'll also be making the longer version at some point (though without the sash).

Here's a detail of the gathered bodice (BTW, gathering sheer fabric is a breeze):

The skirt and lining are hemmed with a narrow rolled hem, which looks hard at first glance, but is one of the easiest hems to make.

I got lucky and my mother came over the day I hemmed this dress. She gave me little hints that the pattern did not include. Essentially, you fold over about 1/2 inch (no less) and stitch through both layers of fabric as close to the fold as possible. Using very sharp scissors, carefully trim off most of that 1/2 inch as close to the stitching as possible. Then fold over again, making about a 1/8 inch hem and machine stitch (no hand work on this type of hem) on top of the first stitching. On the inside you will have two lines of stitching, but only one will show on the outside. That's it! No pins, no irons, no fuss!

You can see the narrow hem on the sheer fabric in the photo below.

I happened to have the perfect shoes to go with this dress. I got these suede Laura Ashley pumps this past summer for $4 at the Salvation Army in Grand Rapids.

Check out those gathered tops!

I suppose the last "oh that's so hard to work with" myth I'm due to bust is that of knit fabrics. Are they really hard? Or is it just that they are different and make you learn a couple new skills? And if the latter is the case, what's wrong with that? I learn a new skill with just about every piece of clothing I make! Don't be afraid to try something new. Just because someone else (or even a lot of someones) thinks it's hard doesn't necessarily mean it is. And even if it is difficult, I'm sure with practice you'll get it!