Miss Esme and the Mummy

 Hello, lovely readers! Hope you're doing well on this fine spring day. What's that you say? It's February, Mary, so it can't be spring no matter which hemisphere you're in? Well, tell that to the weather. Someday, I will write a blog post without mentioning how strange Texas weather is. Today is not that day. Y'all, it's in the eighties. In February! I know we have a reputation for heat, but normally we get a winter, I swear. I shan't complain, however, because...it means more dress-wearing!

My newest creation is The Esme Dress. Last week, The Sew Weekly charged its contributors with the task of recreating a look we loved. I didn't even need to look through my inspiration folder. There was one dress I'd been dying to knock off. If you read vintage fashion blogs, you know of Esme and the Laneway, a slice of retro delight from Down Under. A few weeks ago, the lovely Esme modeled her "Grey Buttons Summer Dress," and I fell in love. With its sweetheart bodice detail, that line of tiny buttons, and - oh, heavens! - the piping, the dress was all my retro-fueled daydreams come true.

Of course, this being a dress Esme had picked up in 2006, I couldn't exactly find one of my own. So, I set off into the wild world of pattern drafting to make it myself...

Obviously, the bodice was the toughest part. After much deliberating, I decided to draft a mash up of two patterns I already had fitted - the Colette Peony and the Colette Macaron. The Peony would be my base, while the Macaron would lend its sweetheart bust and rounded neckline. If anyone is interested, I can do a future post featuring the steps I went through and how the pattern pieces turned out, but I ended up with: a yoke, an inside button placket, and the main bodice. I piped the seam between the yoke and the button placket, then joined the yoke and main bodice with the buttons themselves. It's a pretty great bodice replica, if I do say so myself. The curve of the Macaron was just perfect!

My fabric choice was easy. I've had this lovely pale yellow floral in my stash for a year now, waiting for the perfect project to come along. With its chocolate-outlined white flowers, it had the perfect vintage look that this dress needed. I made coordinating fabric-covered chocolate buttons and piping, just so I knew everything would match perfectly.

 The skirt is directly from the Peony, with a little added width drafted in, since I decided to turn the original gathers into pleats. Thanks to fabric constraints, I couldn't fully pleat the skirt, but I added a few angled pleats on both the front and back. Oh, and piping, of course! During construction, I couldn't decide if I would prefer The Esme Dress belted or plain, so I added more chocolate piping to the waistline. A girl must have her waist definition, after all. Naturally, I've since decided I prefer it belted, so...it's a totally hidden detail. But y'all will appreciate it, right?

 

Well, hello piping! You're sure looking fabulous!

Also, check out that invisible side zipper. I do love when they're actually, you know, invisible.

Onto the All-Important Details... 

 

Things I Love:

•  The silhouette! It's 1960's dreamy. There's something about the buttons mixed with that A-line skirt that is so mod, don't you think?
• The buttons! Of course. The entire reason I made this dress was for that adorable sweetheart row of buttons. They were totally worth it. I'm in dress love.

Things I Would Change, If I Made It Again:

•  The skirt. I really think this bodice style deserves the full box pleats of Esme's original version. Next time, I will use a 4 yard cut of fabric, instead of a 2.5 yard, so I can fit them in.
• The fit. I wish the bodice were just a hair snugger. Because it's fully lined, altering it at this point would just be headache, but my darts will be wider next time around.

Tricky Steps & Suggestions: 

• Piping can be such a bastard, y'all. The best way I've found to do it is to baste the piping in place ahead of time, with your basting line exactly where you want the visible piping to end. Then, when you join the pattern pieces, stitch precisely along your basting line. Voila! Perfect piping!

Notions & Fabric:

• Yellow floral stretch cotton - Gorgeous Fabrics - $9/yard
• Brown cotton poplin for lining - Fabric Mart - $1.99/yard
• White 12-inch invisible zipper
• 15 fabric-covered buttons
• 3 yards handmade chocolate piping

Time to Make:

• 10 hours, thanks to ye olde buttons and piping

Title Explanation:

When originally taking photos of this dress, it was raining. So, I hied myself over to my parents' house to make use of their lovely sunroom. Which, incidentally, is also where one of my mother's favorite things dwells...her mummy, Nefret. Never fear, dear readers, the mummy is completely fake and originally bought from The Martha Stewart Catalog, of all places. We are big Halloween fans in my family, so Nefret was originally displayed for that holiday but...my mother and I are also Egyptology geeks. We just couldn't face putting her in the attic. So, she's become a permanent fixture. For each holiday, Nefret is dressed appropriately, whether in a sequined Santa hat or with her very own Easter basket. Yes, we are a bit ghoulish around these parts...

If it's off-putting to you, don't worry, you're not alone. One of my dearest friends from high school used to refuse to sit with her back turned toward Nefret, for fear of what she might do. Personally, she just makes me wish to reread Crocodile on the Sandbank, whenever I see her.

 Nefret and I

 How does one pose with a mummy? Well, there are options...

Postscript: What do y'all think of the new blog look? I've been dissatisfied with my original efforts for some time, so I updated it in my spare time this week. Something a bit more modern was called for, don't you think?