Every season for the past few years I’ve pinned a few versions of the slip dress to my mood boards on Pinterest. I love the simple silhouette in street-style photos, dressed up with heels or made casual with sneakers. A slip dress is like the perfect answer for what to wear for date night, or a concert, or an easy happy hour, or any occasion really. I’m loving the sexy skin showing in summer but when it gets cooler I can wear this dress over a t-shirt or sweater and still showcase the style lines of the slip.
So if I love it so much, why then did I wait 2 years after buying this fabric and this pattern to put the two together and finally make this dress?Β
The simple answer is fear.Β
I was afraid of cutting the wrong size out and ruining this beautiful fabric. Then I was afraid that my lack of experience with lightweight crepe and chiffon would lead to janky seams that just want to fall apart. And I was extra afraid of hemming.
I conquered the fear of sewing this dress the same way I face my fear of heights – by signing up for an activity that just forced me to get it done. I told my date I was going to wear something new to a concert the way I’ve agreed to go zip lining. And by gosh I made a dress!
Honestly though, it took 2 more events for me to fully finish and wear this dress. But the the motivation to show up wearing the perfect outfit kicked in all 3 times – ha!
Tell me – how do you conquer your fear to take the first step to start a new project.
Fabric
- Black printed bubble crepe from Metro Textiles, no longer available
- Lining – Polyester Chiffon from Chic Fabrics
Pattern
- Vogue V9278, View B, modified
- Sewing Difficulty – 3/5
- The fabrics take the challenge here but the pattern is simple to sew
- Fit Difficulty – 2/5
- This pattern includes separate pieces for different cup sizes which makes fitting the bodice a lot more simple
- I completely redrafted the skirt because I wanted to highlight my curves more with this look
- I would make this pattern again, but I’m not in a rush to add another slip dress to my wardrobe
Fit & Modifications
- I chose to cut the bodice perpendicular to the skirt since I wouldn’t be able to pattern match the abstract bubble print
- After comparing my measurements to the finished garment measurements, I decided to redraft the skirt to be more fitted through the body instead of the a-line shape:
- Traced the top of the pattern to match the original curve
- Measured down for the waistline on the pattern and added 1.5″ inches in length to hit at my waist
- Followed my measurements for my high hip and full hip to continue the width of the skirt close to my hips
- After the fullest part of my hip, I made a subtle A-line shape and rounded hem by pivoting the measuring tape at 26″ from my bottom
- I made the shoulder straps a few inches longer than the pattern to be sure they would cover the extra length in my upper torso
Tips
- For any pattern pieces that you’re cutting on the fold, pin the fabric through all of the layers close to the cutting line so it does not slip and cause uneven cuts
- Light fabrics require fine needles. I stock on a few sizes of Organ brand needles whenever I’m at Sil Thread in NYC’s Garment district ($2.50 for a pack of 10) because they are much cheaper than Schmetz needles that come in a fancy (and wasteful) plastic case. With a little Googling, I also found this great deal to buy Organ needles in these online.
- If you’ve ever entered the personal hell of trying to turn out a thin fabric tube for shoulder straps or ties, have a try with a loop turner. Once you get the hang of it, it will make your life so, so much easier.
Tutorials That Were Helpful
- Sewing a rolled hem on fine fabrics is very tricky. I studied how to hem with a serger/overlocker and a standard sewing machine
