Vogue 8972 Out in Yellow Daisies

All the spring showers we’ve been having are destroying the only flowers

I’ve got to plant so far this year.  

We’ve had oodles and oodles of rain in the last few weeks.  It can get a little old after a while, but on a positive note, this means lots of beautiful flowers for summer… provided they survive!  Rain, however, has really been the least of my worries.  I must of jinxed myself or something!  I should have known better than to say “look out 2014, here I come”! It seems like it’s been one thing after another.  The latest attack came about three weeks ago when I came down with a creeping crud that has made me sicker than I have felt in a number of years!  Well… on the bright side, the sun is suppose to shine all this week… so maybe everything is going to start coming up daisies?  My fingers are crossed and since we are talking about daisies, I would like to share with you my latest sewing project(s).

Yep, I’ve  somehow managed to get some sewing time in during this miserable plague, in between the fevers, the fiery sore throat and major coughing fits.  I’m probably not a trooper, but rather an obsessed nut case when it comes to sewing!  Fortunately I was stocked up on sewing supplies I needed since I had visited my local JoAnn fabric store just before this damn crap virus hit me!  On that particular day, it was pouring down raining, as usual but it felt like the sun had started shining when I stumbled upon this fabric… it was beautiful white daisies on a background of sunny yellow, reversible no less and I knew that I just had to have it.

The daisies are about 1 1/4 inches in size.

The really cool thing though was that this fabric looked like maybe it was what was used to make this Vogue 8972 dress.

There are various options in making this dress.   Princess seam sheath style or flared style, no sleeves, little sleeves or 3/4 sleeves and then there is a contrast yoke.

I loved the sheath style shown on the envelope but I’ve always had a fondness for flare because they are so comfortable and allow easy sitting!  I consulted my fashionista assistant, my daughter of course, and after much discussion, I decided to make dress B (sheath style) and dress D/E (flared with contrast).  And… since my sunshine daisy fabric was reversible, I would make both dresses out of it!  This meant another fabric run to Jo Ann’s and fortunately my son, who grew up with a sewing mother, had no fear with doing this favor for me, especially given that I was quarantined!

The pattern instructions are very easy to follow and the design made assembling it quite easy.  Admittedly though, I did swear a few times when putting in the little sleeves.     Trying to match things up was a bit tricky but eventually I had it under control.

Putting the bodice together is a breeze.   There is the front with left and right side fronts that are then sewn to a yoke. The pictures below are dress B on the inside.

The back is attached to a yoke like the front, only there are left and right sides, later connected by a zipper.  The princess seam skirt attaches to the lower edge of the front and back yokes.  All the seams, except for the back and sides, are pressed towards center and then edge-stitched on the outside along the front and back seams.

A fabulous technique incorporated into this Vogue pattern is that in the assembling process, you are instructed to install the zipper before sewing the back to the front.  In this way, the back section gets to remain flat while you are sewing in the zipper.  This is a very important thing in any sewing project you do…  that is, being able to keep whatever pieces you are sewing, flat in the process.  And of course it also helps if you are working on a flat surface rather than letting the fabric hang over the arm of the sewing machine.  Hence, sewing machine tables, or acrylic sewing machine extensions like the one I have.

View A

ViewB

There are little legs under the acrylic extension that can be adjusted so that the table can be aligned to the arm of the sewing machine.  As you can see in the pictures above, I store various tools that I can quickly grab when I’m sewing.  There is a table, a computer table in fact, to the left side of my acrylic extension, creating a continuous flat surface.

I had mentioned earlier that the sleeves challenged me a bit, but this was during the insetting of them.  Before doing this, things went super.  You first have to make a narrow hem along the bottom of the sleeves. I have developed my own tried and true method for a narrow hem  and though it uses extra thread, I think it’s worth it because I avoid headaches later.

The pattern instructions call for a 5/8 inch narrow hem so

1)  I basted a 5/8 inch seam along the bottom of the sleeve.

2) Then pressed up the fabric along the basting.  I pressed carefully so my 5/8 inch hem width was equal along the entire edge.

3) Next, I turned under the edge so that it touched the inside crease of the 5/8 inch fold and pinned it in place all along the hem fold.  I love pins and I use them a lot!

4) With the side that I pinned, facing up, I stitched a 1/4 inch seam along the edge.  *Note:  If  I am worried about how it will look on the outside, I will baste this first a smidge in from where the actual seam will go, remove the pins, and then turn the piece over to the right side and sew in my 1/4 inch seam along the edge, then remove basting.  Extra work, but in the end, it always turns out nice!

Underside and outside of sleeve for Dress B Option …

As I said early, insetting the sleeves tripped me up a little.  They have to fit at the usual marked spots on the armholes while also matching the lining that you have already sewn in and understitched via the neck and lower armholes.  I think the understitch step  was the pest!  But, my fabric was also sort of stretchy which may have also  attributed to some of the problem.  Nonetheless, I weathered the storm and figured it out.

My second dress, option D/E turned out gorgeously lovely and and to think I was worried about it being a little heavy!  My beloved sunshine daisy fabric is a denim and I was concerned when I started.  But I have to admit, I am almost more partial to it than the option B dress!

So here are the twins!

And here they are with me wearing them.

Introducing Vogue 8972 Dress Option B

The back of the skirt has a slit at the hemline.

Here is a close up of the back so you can see the yoke.  I think I was twisting so there is a wrinkle on the left side but it’s just due to the twist!  You may note that I use invisible zippers.  I really love the finished look!

Then… this is Vogue 8972 Dress Option D/E

The back of course!  And there’s that damn twist thing going on again!

A close-up of the yoke in front.  I used the underside of the fabric for the main part of this dress but cut the yoke out on the right side.  Of course, you might say all of this in reverse because it is… reversible fabric!

And one more cuz !

I’m pretty sure I’m on the mend at this point in time.  The doctor said that this goofy stuff hangs on, sometimes for a month!  EWWWW… YUCK!  Well I’ve about logged in my time and looking forward to this weekend.  It’s gonna be a day with the girls… and… Curtis Salgado again!  Thinking about wearing one of my new dresses, unless it starts raining in which case it’s my good old stand by… leather! Ooh la la!

Salute!  Jessica