THE BurdaStyle LOUISA DROP-WAIST DRESS

A few days ago I reviewed the new BurdaStyle book "Sewing Vintage Modern". When the author Jamie Lau asked me to make a dress using one of the patterns from the book, I had a brainstorm. Despite the over-the-top insanity of my Toddler in Tiara costume this Halloween, I loved the dropped waist and realized it's a style I've never really rocked before. The Louisa Dropped Waist dress from the book is a classic 1920's silhouette, but unfortunately for a lady with my birthing hips, flapper dresses are not always the most flattering - but give me a waist and we can talk.

The dropped waist has been back this season in a big way (check out this beauty and these beautiful babies) and I couldn't help but wonder what the BurdaStyle flapper dress would look like with a bit of a modern spin. I wanted a red ponte knit, but Mood was backlogged with orders post-Sandy. I ended up settling for one on fabric.com. When it arrived I almost cried; so rough and acrylic and completely unwearable (we need a fabric feeling app on our iphones ladies). Thankfully I ended up finding a beautifully soft double knit while fabric shopping with Sarah in Toronto. It wasn't quite the shade of neon red I had in mind, but it would do.

In the spirit of the book, which gloriously celebrates pattern modification, I made a muslin out of the icky combustible ponte acrylic nightmare and fiddled and twiddled until I came up with a fit that I liked. I added a boat neckline, took in a lot at the waist, and added a few darts in the back to prevent the fabric from pooling in unsightly ways. Rather than doing multi tiers as the original pattern called for, I added one gathered tier.

Because jersey is very clingy, I thought it wise to line the entire dress with more of the double knit to minimize the old "belly button shadow" issue (am I the only one who notices this in tight fitting dresses?!) The tier was also doubled, so the entire dress has some heft to it. It is practically reversible! I wish the tier was a little fuller at the hips like in some of the links I shared above, but I think you would need a less drapey fabric to achieve that poofiness. I had purchased some big beautiful gold zippers in Toronto as well and intended to do one of my classic exposed zip moves, but this lady in red is so stretchy I didn't even need it! It's so comfortable. It's basically the dress equivalent of jogging pants!

She had her debut at my best friend's 40th and was much complimented; I also wore her to my staff party this week. It's turning out to be the perfect holiday dress - lots of stretch for when you overdo it on Christmas cookies.

I thought I would share how I styled it for a Montreal winter night out.

Thankfully it has been pretty mild the past week so I could still pull off wearing my cape! I haven't felt this sophisticated since I accidentally ordered a vodka martini and had to pretend I could drink straight alcohol without whimpering.

So there we have it. My take on a 20's flapper dress. I am so happy I managed to take a silhouette I've always loved and make it work for my body. You should take a minute and check out Amy's version; it's jaw dropping and she looks fabulous in it!

Big love to BurdaStyle and Jamie Lau for asking me to participate! I love the book and I love my dress!

BOOK REVIEW: BURDASTYLE'S SEWING VINTAGE MODERN

Who among us does not love BurdaStyle? They made the brilliant decision to create a thriving social network for all us home sewist's and it was one of the first places I turned to when I started learning how to make my own clothes. It's been a great place to get feedback and share information, and I was honored to be a featured member in October. You can read the interview here.

I got the first BurdaStyle book last year; great projects and a wonderful resource when I was learning the ropes. Needless to say, I was thrilled when Jamie Lau contacted me to make a project from the new Burdastyle book she co-wrote with Nora Abousteit, Sewing Vintage Modern.

I was sent an advance copy and thought I would share my thoughts on this new addition to our sewing book library.

Like the first BurdaStyle book, it includes information on the basic equipment needed to produce the included projects, along with a primer on making pattern modifications. However, it does not include lengthy chapters on sewing basics, which I think was wise. That information can get repetitive for anyone who is not an absolute beginner. Instead the focus is on  summarizing vintage periods by decade and creating iconic garments from each period in a modern way. For this reason I consider this new book a companion to the original rather than another primer on how to learn to sew.

The book includes 5 base patterns that can be modified to create 19 different projects. There are excellent instructions on how to adapt the basic slopers into different garments and I think is a really great introduction on how to modify patterns, which can be intimidating if you haven't done it before.

Here is a good example of the clear instructions provided to convert one of the basic dress blocks into a strapless dress:

For vintage aficionados, the basic introduction to the styles of each decade (notable designers, key accessories etc.) may not be fresh news, but it is a good summary of how fashion has evolved since the 20's. Each decade is represented by one or more iconic looks.

 The classic 20's flapper "Louisa" drop-waist dress is the dress I chose to work on.

Here are a few of my favourite projects:

A traditional 50's full skirted silhouette, along with a petticoat pattern:

A classic 60's shift:

I especially loved the 70's patterns (maybe my favourite vintage era). I adore this cotton blouse. So Laurel Canyon:

A full sleeved blouse with bow neck is so romantic in this sheer fabric:

A bohemian maxi evening dress:

The 80's is not my favourite period of fashion but the projects included for this era are actually fun and wearable. Really love this 80's prom bustier dress:

Overall, I was really happy with this book. I liked the fresh, modern take on sewing vintage garments and think the styling is lovely, approachable and not too "period". It's vintage style for today.

The instructions are incredibly clear and well written and the projects provide a great entry into the world of pattern modification. It's nice to be reminded that we are only limited by our imaginations; it's pretty amazing what you can do to a basic sloper and I'm inspired to start approaching all my sewing projects with the same attitude.

I  certainly made a few modifications to my flapper dress! I'll be sharing that with you shortly. Hope you all had a lovely weekend and enjoyed this sneak peek into the BurdaStyle Sewing Vintage Modern book. It is quite the steal on Amazon right now and would be a fun gift to unwrap on Christmas morning.

IN PROGRESS

Guys, it's so FREAKING COLD in Montreal right now. I forgot what it feels like to walk home late at night shivering in a coat that is not appropriate for -15 degree weather (for my Fahrenheit friends, the temperature conversion on that is "oh god oh god oh god why why why why"). I had my first official slapstick ass plant the other day. It turns out wearing high heeled boots with no traction on icy sidewalks is really not a good idea. So tempted to take all my shoes to the cobbler and get ice picks grafted to the soles.

So, to spite the coming 5 months of shivers, I've been working on this:

That there is one slaved over white silk blouse. All that is left is to sew some buttonholes, but I've put that on hold to tackle another project.

I was recently asked by Jamie Lau at BurdaStyle if I wanted to modify one of the basic patterns in their new "Sewing Vintage Modern" book. I leapt at the opportunity to put a modern twist on a classic 20's flapper dress; hoping to debut the dress next week at the 40th birthday party of one of my best friends. Today I'll be finetuning my musin and hope to finish it by tomorrow night.

I also have a stack of refashions I pounded through last night.... all this to say that I have a number of new projects to share in the coming weeks. Winter is really conducive to hibernating with my Singer, it turns out. Thankfully the rest of you seem to agree. I am super excited to participate in the Bra-Making Sewalong with Amy and the Charlotte Skirt Sewalong with my ladies at By Hand London. TAKE THAT WINTER!