BWOF 06/09 #115: That Dress With the Hole in Back

My daughter wearing this dress she spied in the June issue of Burda World of Fashion and declared "I want that!"

I know the way to get the next generation of young women hooked on sewing: Get them all copies of the June issue of BWOF. There are so many pieces in this issue that really appeal to teens and twenty-somethings, much more so than anything they've seen from Simplicity's Project Runway or McCall's Hilary Duff lines. I showed it to the teenage sisters I mentor and they both found several things they want to make right away, including this dress.

BWOF 06/09, #115

Sewing Details

First off, a very easy dress to make. It's basically a tank dress with two back darts and a keyhole that you can sew in a weekend.

• Fabric: A navy cotton lycra knit from Spandex House. This is not a flimsy little jersey or ribbing, which I thought wouldn't adequately support the darts and hole in the back; this has some weight and coverage to it.

• Tissue-fit before you cut. One, the hole in the back is much larger than it appears in the model shot. I reduced the circumference by about two inches and still look how big it is! Your bra straps will show if you do not make it smaller. I also raised the front neckline by about two inches. Two, based on my daughter who is an A cup, I think this pattern runs a little big in the bust area. You may want to make a muslin first.

• BWOF recommends stabilizing the hole, neck and arm area with Vilene tape, which is not available here in the U.S. Nancy K advised me to bind the neck and arm area, which I did using self-binding, and to cut a piece of fusible interfacing (on the crossgrain) in the shape of a ring. I took the piece of fabric that dropped out when I cut the circle out—the donut hole, if you will—traced around it and then traced again 1/4-inch on the outside, giving me a big ring of interfacing. I fused this ring around the hole, turned the fabric under about 3/8 inches and machine-stitched 1/4-inch from the edge. Nice and stable.
  

Design Details

I had to argue with my client to get to add this white topstitching detail to the dress. "Ew, Mom, it will be too nautical," she said.
"Please allow me to fulfill my design vision," I insisted. "Do you want this dress to look like something you bought at American Eagle Outfitters or at a chic little boutique in Soho?" Snob appeal gets her every time. Using white topstitching thread, I did a simple running stitch by hand around the circle, neck and arms. I wanted to outline the back darts in this same running stitch but DD put her foot down. (You have to let them win some of the time.)

End Result

A slim-fitting dress that DD plans to wear as a beach coverup and on hot summer days. She loves it. I know my efforts have been worth it when she puts on a piece I've made without me having to nag and say something like "when are you going to wear that dress I made you?" My kids will not believe this, but I actually don't enjoy nagging them. Well, sometimes I do….

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How BWOF Works

A number of readers have emailed me or asked in comments how exactly Burda World of Fashion works, so here's a quick explanation: BWOF is a monthly magazine that you subscribe to. It looks like a glossy fashion magazine but it has patterns in it. In the center of each issue are directions and pattern layouts for each pattern. You need to trace the patterns you want to sew. It takes a little time to trace the patterns and to make sense of BWOF's instructions, which occasionally can be a little confusing, but BWOF lovers agree the stylish results make it all worth it. I recommend you buy a few issues before you decide if you want to subscribe. You can sometimes find single copies at the newsstand, PatternReview or elsewhere on the Internet, or through dealer GLP.

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Weekend Plans

Friday night I am meeting some friends in NYC for dinner and I am very excited about this; Saturday I am getting my hair done and running various errands; Sunday I am relaxing and maybe, just maybe I might get started on my summer faux-Chanel jacket. I bought five yards of navy petersham ribbon for the trim and I need to visit M&J Trims to see what contrasting trim I can layer on top of the ribbon. I'd like to have this jacket done by the Fourth of July. Have a great weekend everyone!