I was pretty excited when I found this dress at my local Goodwill. You may be wondering why, since it is obviously just a big shapeless sack on me. Well, let me tell you: 1. The larger size/longer length means more fabric, 2. It was actually 2(!) whole dresses (the outer tank dress and inner short sleeved one) sewn together at the shoulder seams, which means double fabric, and 3. It had a yellow tag, which just so happened to be that week's 50% off color. SOLD.
Since I had a lot of fabric, I thought this would be the perfect time to jump on the DIY kimono bandwagon (seriously, these things are all over the blogosphere right now). Although my sister (who was shopping with me that day) didn't care for them, I really liked the prints on both of the dresses. I played around with the idea of doing a contrast sleeve or back, but then decided to just make two kimonos. This quickly turned into sewing the two together to create a reversible kimono, and voilà!
You can check out my blog to read more about how I drafted the pieces and constructed the kimono, and also see more pictures. My favorite part of this project was the concept, and then after that it was a pretty rough road. Cutting/sewing the chiffon was a nightmare; it's one of those fabrics that I love to wear, but then I sit down to work with it and it frustrates me to no end. I also didn't have quite enough fabric to make the front pieces as long as I would have liked; it's a little disappointing to put time and effort into something that doesn't end up quite the way you wanted. Although it might not be my most favorite make, I do think it will be great to wear during these transitional fall days.
Now, I'm curious to know, which side do you like better? The one with the circle-y things, or the one that's just lines?
Now, I'm curious to know, which side do you like better? The one with the circle-y things, or the one that's just lines?
3 comments:
These work well as a reversible.
If you use spray starch on chiffon, you can control it a bit better. Some people soak it in liquid starch, let it dry and then work with it. It washes out afterwards.
I like the circles, but I can see where you may want to wear it with something that wants toning down and the lines would work.
Sandy in the UK
I like both of the prints, and I think you did a really good job overall. It'll definitely be a great piece this fall.
I had similar thoughts when I was working on a silk kimono last fall. (Hate, hate, hated it!)
- Elizabeth, EOD
aka The Hungry Octopus
Sandy-- I've seen a lot of people recommend the starch, but I didn't have any on hand so I decided to go on without it. Next time I decide to work with a slippery fabric I am definitely going to give the starch a try though. Thanks for the tip!
Elizabeth-- Thank you for the kind words! I totally feel your pain... I'm hoping with some better preparation my next go-round with such a slippery fabric will be a better experience.
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