Japanese print dress

Attempt #2 at this post. I apologize to the earlier readers who could not see the photographs. No, I did not take them down, they were just invisible to everyone except me for some mysterious reason of Picasa or Blogger. I do not think I did anything differently from previous posts, but hope these photos via an alternative route are showing up now.



I finally finished this dress, but not the earlier test version. I don't think it has ever taken me so long to put in 2 zips and do a couple of hems. I am blaming the end of year school events (I finished off a sock at senior speech night last night).

Although I love the print, it is a real departure for me. I tend to wear very plain neutrals, with occasional florals and small inconspicuous prints (ie rather dowdy when I miss classic). I wore this dress to work in the shop today and have already received compliments, very nice, but I think the dress might be wearing me. I will see if I get used to it. I keep reminding myself that I live in Queensland, and this is rather a tame print for the local dress style.

Vicki suggested dark piping. You can see here that I have used a deep purple for the trim. It is a silk cotton from Gorgeous Fabrics, and really too nice for mere piping, but I only stole a little bit (on the bias) from my yardage. It is the perfect colour IMO, and has a little sheen that I like. I hope I am not cursing myself in a few months when I go to make up something from the purple.

I used a tab for the button, inspired by this smart finish on QuiltSewSue's skirt. I do not have much success with wearing hooks and eyes, they dig in, so I usually use a small button and a thread loop to finish the tops of invisible zips, but I think this tab looks better from the outside.

I can now show you the machine embroidered hem on my lovely olive green cotton voile lining (Oh Sew Fabrics, Noosaville). I have used a blind hem for the outer fabric, and you can see this here too, but only if you look closely. I am quite pleased with how it turned out.

Inspired by Mary Nanna, I will attempt a cost analysis of my Japanese print dress
1. Japanese Fabric - around 11 hours of knitting horrible scratchy icky green scarves - $11,000 :))) and cheap at the price. More realistically, $0. A gift.
2. 1.5m of cotton voile lining, $12 per metre, about $18, but I have large scraps
3. Piping from silk cotton fabric at ? -I can't remember the exchange rate at the time, nor am I exactly sure how much fabric I used, + DMC perle cotton for the insides - maybe $5 all up, but I have a lot of piping left over
4. Very old pattern used frequently before, so must be free by now $0
5. Button from my button tin of left over/retrieved from worn out garments fastenings - $0
6. 2 reels of 100m gutermann poly thread, around $6. This bit always surprises me, but I don't like cheap thread.
7. Invisible zip, $3

$32 to make up my beautiful present into a lined dress.

I am pleased that this is less expensive than a dress from the shops (probably still less expensive even if I included the retail cost of 1.5m or so of Japanese print) - unless I count labour. I am never sure if sewing really does save me money, I think you have to like doing it, or the labour would make it really, really expensive. Minimum adult casual wage is around $18 per hour in Australia. (I just looked it up,$14.31 x 1.25 for casual workers, $17.89 per hour) I am sure I enjoyed making this dress at a higher rate than that, so I am in credit. It makes up for the horrible knitting :). Next time I will just count cost of materials, all the other costs are too tricky for me.