helen in oz
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Date: 1/21/12 3:12 AM I've been asked by a friend to make her a dress for a formal event at the end of March. She's tall and very slim, but does have a wider pelvic girdle. She has a lovely back and wants to show it off. No need to wear a bra (no bust to speak of).
She wants a 20s/30s look - floor length, bias cut, a bit fitted to about the knee (so the skirt would be a bit trumpet shaped), deep cowl back, front neck to be decided but not too low cut given the lack of bust, no sleeves. Fairly simple design lines - nothing fussy, except for the cowl.
Fabric probably something like poly charmeuse (she's not got a lot of money so not silk). Add some long chains of diamantes from shoulder to shoulder swooping down the back in varying lengths above the line of the back cowl.
My thought was to make her a cowl back gown and build in a low-back nude mesh bodysuit to stop the gown falling off her shoulders.
But before I even get to the underpinnings I need a back cowl gown pattern! I though they'd be a dime a dozen and I'd be able to frankenpattern a couple together, but I've searched all over google and patternreview and can't find anything, even in the antique patterns.
Any pattern suggestions? Is this plan even do-able? Can anyone see any traps for unwary players?
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tourist
 
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Date: 1/21/12 10:23 AM Helen - this sounds like a lovely gown! I have made a cowl back by using a cowl front pattern and morphing it to the top of the back bodice.
Here is a picture of the current one. This is a muslin, but you get the idea.
I have also made a deeper cowl by taking the same pattern piece and exaggerating the lines until it got as deep as I was looking for. Here is a photo. Not the best picture, but the lace overlay was done with that method.
A solution instead of the all mesh back might be to incorporate a faux jewelry element such as a string of rhinestones from shoulder to shoulder or put the visible mesh in the front and attach it at the nape of the neck.
This sounds like a really fun project! ------
http://bgballroom.wordpress.com to follow the progress on my next ballgown. |
helen in oz
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Date: 1/21/12 7:04 PM Thanks so much tourist. The back cowl is intended to go to the waist or even a bit below. (She really does have a lovely back!).
I've done quite a bit of wovens sewing in past years, but my recent experience in in stretch and costuming, and my wovens drafting skills aren't up to doing it by draping on the form and having it done by March, especially considering it's bias! I'll happily frankenpattern, but need a couple of patterns (eg front and back or bodice and skirt) to at least get me started.
At this point I'm thinking that the bodysuit might be cut along the lines of a low back maillot swimsuit so not showing under the dress. After all, if such a swimsuit stays on lounging around the side of a pool, it will presumably stay on standing around with a champagne flute??
Here are some links to some images of what she's thinking of:
Something like this for the front bodice?
Something like this for the back bodice?
Something like this for the skirt?
(edited to add links back)
-- Edited on 1/21/12 8:06 PM
-- Edited on 1/21/12 8:11 PM -- |
stirwatersblue
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Date: 1/21/12 8:10 PM Could you start with a basic backless dress pattern and just add the cowl/drape? It doesn't add any structural support to the gown, so it should be fairly easy to add.
Vogue has several backless gown patterns:
V2965 (which is backless and has a cowl/drape neckline in front), V1047, V2899, V7365 (which truly looks as though it would suit your friend very well already), even kind of V8358.
ETA photo of V2695:
This is the pattern that came to mind immediately when I read what your friend was looking for.
-- Edited on 1/21/12 8:12 PM -- ------
~Gem in the prairie |
helen in oz
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Date: 1/21/12 10:42 PM Thanks so much stirswaterblue - I've picked that link up and sent it on to my friend. The front is just what she wants. If she wants a back cowl as well, I'm thinking it might be a bit awkward to add - the straps joining the back waist "square off" the back neckline edge. Any ideas on what shape pattern piece I'd need to compensate for those corners? (Not sure if I can round off the straps instead.)
My thought, if she goes with this design, would be to build it onto a low back lightweight mesh bodysuit complete with foam bra cups, and attach the dress to the bodysuit at the shoulders and maybe down and around the back opening, to avoid wardrobe malfunctions.
Does everyone think this would work? |
Raye Ann
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In reply to helen in oz
Date: 1/21/12 11:44 PM I don't have the construction skills to offer any help with the bodysuit idea, but wanted to mention another option for keeping a deep, wide backless dress on the shoulders.
I had a dress like this years ago for a pageant. The dress was fully beaded and weighed a lot! It had a clear fishing line attached a one shoulder going right across the top of the back and snapped inside the other shoulder. I was slim, as your friend sounds, so it was neither uncomfortably or unsightly digging into my back. It was a good( and easy) safety net! ------
Raye Ann
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KathleenS
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Date: 1/22/12 0:38 AM I looked around for an old pattern I remember from the 90s probably. I haven't found it yet, but I did find this which perhaps might be useful:
Vogue pattern with low cowl back
ETA: And here's the one I was thinking of:
Vera Wang Vogue pattern
Hope that's useful.
-- Edited on 1/22/12 1:04 AM -- |
Elona
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In reply to KathleenS
Date: 1/22/12 2:25 AM Great suggestions, Kathleen! |
tourist
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Date: 1/22/12 11:53 AM I have this pattern that I got from SheBear. It has an attached drape to give the impression of a cowl back.
And yes, a swim suit pattern is a perfect idea. I just use the leotard pattern from the Kwik Sew Actionwear book as the base for mine when I do a body suit.
Here is the idea of having mesh join in the back to keep the back mostly open. Of course, you are looking at a much bigger back opening.
I am excited to see this gown finished. It will be gorgeous! ------
http://bgballroom.wordpress.com to follow the progress on my next ballgown. |
helen in oz
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Date: 1/22/12 4:24 PM Tourist, that 6222 pattern is the answer for my back cowl I think! (Not to mention it's a nice pattern for me to hold anyway - princess lines are always my friend.) Time to go shop.
I took some charmeuse I had in my stash to meet my friend last night - she loves the fabric type. Her only issue now is that the dress takes so much fabric - we pay *a lot* for fabric in Oz compared to the US (often more than twice the price, for half the choice!), and if I try to buy online it won't arrive by the time I need it to complete the dress. She's a friend so I'm not charging her to make the dress whatever style she picks, but the function deadline is fixed and time is getting away.
So she's thinking about whether to do this style - which she loves but which is really going to cost her in fabric - or more of a traditional 'flapper' style, and will let me know in the next day or so. I'll keep you all posted... |
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