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Monday, 21 March 2016

Vogue 8805 in Black and White


Vogue 8805
I purchased this pattern in the recent pattern sale at Spotlight and I was keen to try it out. There are loads of positive reviews on Pattern Review so I felt confident that this pattern would work out well.
Vogue 8805 Line Drawing

 I made the long sleeve version with some changes. The fabrics I used were from my stash and had been purchased with other plans in mind, but have worked out well for this pattern. The black fabric is a ponte from Knitwit and the black and white print is a scuba knit from Spotlight. I decided not to follow Vogues order of construction, and construct the back and front of the dress separately so I could sew the side seams last, and adjust the fit as required.

I cut a size 16 which I did think might be a bit big but I wanted to be safe. In hindsight, I could have cut a size 14 as I had to sew 2.5cm seam allowances for the side seams. The back slit opening was eliminated by cutting the yoke on the fold and I removed 2cm from the entire neckline to ensure it would be large enough to fit over my head. I did away with the neckline facing purchased bias binding finish and used a self fabric binding instead.

When cutting out I added 5cm to the length of the lower panels. After trying the dress on during construction I felt that the proportions of the panels were wrong. The middle panels just looked too long. Lucky I had added the extra length to the lower panels, as I was able to remove them, cut 5cm from the length of the middle panels, and reattach the lower panels. The proportions looked so much better with this small change.

The seams joining the contrasting panels were top stitched to hold the seam allowances down nice and flat and add some visual interest. The bust dart worked out in the correct position without any changes. Normally bust darts are too high on my mature figure. Vera was a fabulous help with fitting this dress. She has been such a useful addition to my sewing room and the cost has been quickly forgotten.

This is how I wore the dress to work today. It has been the first real Autumn work day since our late run of summer temperatures. It won't be long before I will be wearing this dress styled with tights, boots and a scarf. Have you started sewing for the new season yet?

 Happy Sewing
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37 comments:

  1. Paola21 March 2016 at 21:41

    I remember fiddling around with the length of the middle and lower panels too when I made this a little while ago. It's worked out well - a smart work dress, with the bonus of being comfortable.
    I was only thinking that I should get cracking with some winter sewing soon if I want to wear my projects this year. I tend to leave winter sewing late which isn't useful with our short winters.

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret23 March 2016 at 19:58

      Thanks Paola. It is a comfortable dress and I know I will wear it a lot. I have big plans for winter sewing but my overlocker has been sent away for a service so that is severely limiting my sewing at the moment.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous21 March 2016 at 23:05

    Lovely fabric combination, the dress looks great on you. The sudden weather change has prompted me to cut out my first ever style arc, barb pants, should be good for work.

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret23 March 2016 at 20:02

      Thanks Barbara. I was pleased with the fabric combination too. Hopefully the black in the middle section is creating a slimming effect. I have two pairs of Style Arc Barb pants, one in navy and one in black. They are my work pants and I love them. I need to make some more.

      Delete
  3. SewCraftyChemist22 March 2016 at 00:08

    I think many of us shortened that middle panel.

    I love, love, love your version. that print is so pretty. This will be a perfect transition dress!!

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret23 March 2016 at 20:05

      Thanks so much Nakisha. I can see myself wearing this a lot in the coming months.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous22 March 2016 at 00:46

    Such an elegant and trendy dress! The style suits you perfectly.

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret23 March 2016 at 20:06

      Such a lovely comment Sue and very much appreciated. Thank you.

      Delete
  5. Ann Brodsky22 March 2016 at 11:20

    Beautiful dress! Your proportions look perfect. Yes, I'm starting to sew for the new season, which of course is opposite of yours!

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret23 March 2016 at 20:10

      Thank you Ann. It is quite amusing seeing all the northern hemiphere sewers getting excited about Spring, when down here we are all over the heat and are looking forward to the cooler weather. At least the change of seasons gives the sewing mojo a boost.

      Delete
  6. Vicki22 March 2016 at 19:14

    Turned out lovely! The proportions look perfect.

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret23 March 2016 at 20:13

      Thank you Vicki. I'm glad you like it. It was amazing how making that small change in the length of the panels, totally transformed the look of the dress.

      Delete
  7. KathyS22 March 2016 at 21:39

    Very smart dress. I love the black and white print with the black. I have this pattern and am yet to make it, so I'm pleased to know about the proportions. I will keep an eye on that.

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret23 March 2016 at 20:15

      Thanks very much Kathy. You should make this up if you have the pattern. It's designed to flatter all figures and it's comfortable to wear too.

      Delete
  8. Unknown23 March 2016 at 07:18

    Looks great, perfect for Autumn

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret23 March 2016 at 20:18

      Thanks Louise. It is a great dress for Autumn and will work well in winter with some tights, boots and a scarf too.

      Delete
  9. Sharon23 March 2016 at 11:18

    Great dress for autumn and will work so well in winter. Your change for the proportions is much better.

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret23 March 2016 at 20:21

      Thank you Sharon. Proportions can make such a difference. It was well worth going back and re doing part of the construction to achieve a better result.

      Delete
  10. Sarah Liz23 March 2016 at 16:59

    What a smart dress. At least a little larger there is room for warm thermals underneath when they are needed. The proportions look good. I suspect it depends on fabric choices and colours,as well as body type, that helps to determine what looks good

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret23 March 2016 at 20:27

      Thanks Sarah Liz. I will be wearing a thermal layer during the winter, for sure. What looks good on one person won't necessarily suit the next person. We are all our individual selves. I seem to be on a never ending quest to discover what colours and styles suit me.

      Delete
  11. Ruth24 March 2016 at 19:24

    Easy to wear yet a very stylish dress. Looks good with your sandals and I'll bet it'll work with boots too.

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret24 March 2016 at 21:27

      Thanks Ruth. I'm looking forward to wearing it with tights and boots.

      Delete
  12. @velvetribbon_sews25 March 2016 at 03:02

    You look so pretty in this pretty dress, Jean. Love the print :)

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret25 March 2016 at 12:22

      Thanks Hana. I was happy with the combination of the solid and the print.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous26 March 2016 at 16:02

    You look absolutely gorgeous in the dress. It really is a pattern with big possibilities. I have made it twice now, and also had to remove the extra length I added to the middle panels. Next one is already on the drawing board. Happy sewing!

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  14. Anonymous26 March 2016 at 16:03

    Sorry, my name is Helen. Not Anonymous!!

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret26 March 2016 at 19:10

      Thanks so much Helen for your lovely comment. I think this is one of those patterns that works for most people, and I'm sure I will make it again sometime.

      Delete
  15. Carolyn27 March 2016 at 02:33

    This looks great on you Jean! Very chic for work and for the weekend too. I like it!
    (btw, sorry to say the phishing warning stll pops up in the link you use for my comments.. sorry! Do you put an "@" in the link, this could be what is causing it)

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret27 March 2016 at 10:03

      Thanks Carolyn. I have been replying using my Google thing. Nobody else has ever mentioned the phishing warning before. Sorry, I'm not very technical when it comes to computers.

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  16. Sum of their Stories28 March 2016 at 21:26

    This is lovely, perfect fabric choice and a lovely fit. That style would be great for all but the hottest days so it would probably be perfect all year round here in the UK!

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret28 March 2016 at 21:46

      Thanks so much for your lovely comment Julia. The scuba knit is quite hot to wear and would be very uncomfortable in our summer temperatures. Perfect for the other seasons though.

      Delete
  17. Anonymous3 April 2016 at 02:04

    Beautiful dress! I'm loving the two colors design. Mary

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret3 April 2016 at 20:45

      Thanks Mary. I thought the two fabrics worked well together. I appreciate your comment.

      Delete
  18. Diana5 April 2016 at 22:36

    Oh I love this jean margaret. There's something about black and white that works isn't there and I've often been tempted to buy that pattern !

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    1. Sew, Jean Margaret6 April 2016 at 07:28

      Thanks so much Diana for your lovely comment. I think this pattern would suit you perfectly and it is so versatile. Suitable for wovens or knits and can be made with long or short sleeves.

      Delete
  19. Diana20 April 2016 at 00:21

    This dress is lovely on you and thanks for sharing the proportions fix. Too often I forget this part and end up with unflattering items.

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  20. Diana20 April 2016 at 00:23

    This dress is lovely on you and thanks for sharing the proportions fix. Too often I forget this part and end up with unflattering items.

    ReplyDelete