Butterfly Dress, Burda Style 6521

Beautiful butterflies

I loved this fabric as soon as I saw it. It was on the sale rack at Joann's and I took home all that they had left. It is a quilting cotton, but I was planning to use it for a summer dress. The colors are not overly bright though and could easily work into my early fall wardrobe if I wear a cardigan over the dress. This pattern was my first from Burda Style and it recommends using rayon, crepe fabrics, lightweight cottons, or silk. I chose to make view A (no sleeves and a pleated skirt) and cut a size 16.  I did one muslin for the top of this dress, but didn't end up making any changes to the fit.

Muslin front

Muslin back

When sewing the dress together, I used french seams. The fabric has a light colored background and I thought I may have to go back and line it, but it is turned out to not be see-through.

Side seam

The armhole was finished with bias strip and then top-stitched.

Finishing the armhole

There was a lot of fabric used for the skirt and I love the pleats in the back and the front. It took awhile to put these in, but they were marked well and went together smoothly. The zipper was basted in by hand with the hopes that it would be truly hidden. Basting is an extra step, but I find it really does improve the look of my finished zippers.

Lainie helped me baste in the back zipper

The zipper is hidden well even if the fabric pattern doesn't line up

I did not make make a neckband for the muslin, so I was hoping this would work on the first try. When cutting out the neckband I tried to place butterflies strategically for the front. You can see almost two full butterflies at the neckline.

Adding the neckband

Neckband from back

Neckband turned under and finished by hand

The hem on this dress was also finished by hand.  I could have used the machine for this, but I was on a roll with the hand sewing.

Lainie is back to help with the hem

Here is the finished dress.

A butterfly dress for any occasion

The fit at the top looks great

Plenty of room across shoulders and in armscye

Pleats in the bodice 

After lengthening the torso, I would definitely make this dress again.  There is also a version with short sleeves that looks promising. The sleeveless version here does require strategic placement of bra straps or perhaps a strapless bra.

Endless Possibilities

While shopping at flea markets last week in Missouri, I came across this basket full of vintage fabric scraps. A quick scan revealed that there were many different fabrics in medium, small, and tiny pieces. Today I spent about three hours ironing and sorting the basket's contents. I have a pile that will need hand washing, but the rest are ready to go. Now I'm free to dream up any number of projects.

What to sew?

Weaving Inkles

The following is a guest post from Courtney's mother, currently discovering the fun of weaving colored bands. Linda shares a bit about one of her recent weaving projects.

Inkle band inspired by colors in the garden

Pattern detail

 Merriam-Webster defines an inkle as a colored linen tape or braid woven on a vary narrow loom and used for trimming. That definition seems to have expanded to woven bands made from various fibers and on various looms, but it's good to know the basics. Before zippers and buttons, clothing was held on with woven bands. Tapes were used for garters, candle wicks, bag ties, tabs for hanging towels, and countless other necessities. 

I've not yet scratched the surface of the pattern possibilities in my own weaving. So far my bands are all plain weave, but there are so many variations to learn. A good basic resource is Anne Dixon's Inkle Pattern Directory.  

A current go-to resource

The choices on which loom to use can also be overwhelming. I've tried a Schacht inkle loom, a Glimakra band loom and a Gilmore Mini Wave. A nonweaver might ask why there are so many options for weaving a simple band. Ask three weavers the best way to weave just about anything, and you’ll get four or five answers plus a heated discussion as to why a certain method is best. A backstrap weaver incurs very little equipment cost, a loom with foot treadles allows more freedom of hand movement, the Gilmore Wave is the cutest little counterbalance loom imaginable. Since looms have been designed for centuries all over the world, it’s not surprising that the end results are so different. And each so well loved. 

Schacht inkle loom

Glimakra band loom

Gilmore mini wave

Yet to try? Backstrap weaving--the warp is tensioned between a strap around your back and a distant chair or doorknob or whatever is handy. At least a dozen different narrow tape loom designs. Even a regular floor loom--there doesn't have to be a minimum width on any warp there. 

Designing your own pattern is part of the fun. A simple comb/pick will test the colors and pattern in about ten minutes. This particular test showed me that I needed to tweak the pattern just a bit. 

Pattern testing

The band pictured at the top of this post was finished most recently. I used an athletic weight to tension the warp as I wound it on the Mini Wave, and there's a little animal grooming comb tucked in back to spread the threads evenly on the warp beam. 

See the weights across the room?

Perhaps I'll be back in a few months with bands woven using more elaborate techniques. These colorful and useful bands are proving to be a rather deep rabbit hole!