In Case I Need To Hide In The Woods

Greetings lovely readers.

Most of the stuff I make is for my adorable kid. But ya know, I think this year
I may just have to make some clothing for moi.

So, may I present a project in the works -- the Socialite Dress by Anna Maria Horner!

When I typed this the first time I wrote "Socialist" instead of Socialite. Haha.

That must be my inner Brit fighting for blog space.

And....with this pattern I GUESS I need a muslin.

Before I show you my muslin fabric - here's the fabric I'm thinking for this dress:

Amy Butler Temple Doors in Fresh Mint from the Soul Blossoms line (available at Whipstitch Fabrics). What do you think - too bright?

I think this dress might be pretty in a lovely textured silk dupioni - but let's not get carried away yet!

I think the loose fit of this dress might work for my weird bodyshape combo. Like most women, my upper body measurements don't match the bottom ones. I don't like to brag but I'm happy to say I have quite a nice derriere. Not too big, slim hips, and quite cute. (blush) Unfortunately my belly makes up for all that backside perkiness by sticking out unattractively and pouchy. (I would blame Delilah but if you saw the chocolate stash in my desk drawer you would know the truth.) Up top I have broad shoulders and a bodacious chest.

Sometimes when I try RTW garments if I get a dress that fits up top, my lower half is lost in a sea of fabric. And if I find something flattering to my slim booty - it just won't go over my lady lumps up top. And if I do find something that fits the top and bottom, that sad pouchy belly sticks out and messes up the whole deal. Sigh. So I find myself thinking I may have to use the large pattern for the top, and somehow draft down to the medium or small at the hips while still allowing some extra ease over the abdomen. So - muslin time.

Now, I am NOT a fan of cheap muslins! I don't want to waste my precious sewing time working on something that has no shot at being worn! But I also don't want to waste my pretty pretty designer fabrics on a garment that will frustratingly not fit. So what to do? The challenge for me is to find some fabric to use as a muslin that I won't mind so much wasting, but if it works out I won't mind so much wearing.

Here's my muslin fabric pick for this dress:

Purchased online from J and O Fabrics.

Yeah CAMO! A friend of mine got me thinking about camo when she wore a camo jacket with some cool bright orange dragon embroidery on it. It was hipster fabulous. Then I saw some pieces by Junya Watanabe made from camo that were just COOL. Dresses and skirts with crazy ruffles and folds. I'm not prepared to layout a cool thousand on one of his awesome camo creations, so this simple Socialite dress will be my version. Perhaps if I can get the thing to fit, then I will add a ruffle at the hem as an homage to Watanabe.

And it's not like camo fabric is going to run out. The designer fabrics come and go, but I can always get more camo, right?!

If it doesn't work? Well, I like to make taggy blankets for little babies as gifts. I never have fabric for boys in my stash but camo would be great for this and I could cut up the wadded muslin and use it. See, no waste.

But hopefully my camo dress will be FABULOUS! Check it out, camo dresses can be so dreamy!

Fabulous camo gown by Gary Harvey made from recycled army jackets. Swoon. (oh click on that link - fabulous dresses to see!)

And Ohhhh, I like this one! Michael Kors , yes yes yes!

Unfortunately, not everyone does camo with so much style. This one is a Balmain. Available for purchase for just over a thousand bucks. Yuck.

I was thrilled that "Don't ask, don't tell" was repealled. But let's not get carried away and put sequins on our camouflage, please.

What do you think of camo? Would you wear a camo dress?

Wish me luck. I'll share my results, good or bad!

Later skaters,

Janimal