The "Sultry" Sundress

Well, that title will turn a few heads. My latest sewing project is a variation on the Sultry Sheath from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing. Except instead of a fitted pencil skirt, it has a nice, full dirndl. Excellent for brunching on warm days when you want to eat copious amounts of french toast and scrambled eggs without anyone being the wiser. Or for frolicking about forests just before a thunderstorm.

I am quite fond of this one. The neckline has a really great shape to it that makes it interesting and worth sewing to me. Although, I can't seem to remember where I got this fabric. I think I might have purchased it on a trip, maybe in New Orleans? At any rate, I got more than enough, and had some leftover to make a matching belt. 

I started with my sloper to get the fit right, and I keep forgetting to lower those darned darts on my sloper, so these are a little high. It's actually a double dart, making four total at the bust, which is a nice design and fitting feature, but hard to discern on these stripes. 

Construction overall was pretty straightforward. I did a lapped zipper  and serged the seams. I wanted a chunkier hem on this one, so I did a 2" hem, handstitched. I also did tucks rather than darts on my lining, which I find makes fitted dresses more movable and comfortable.  

Owing to all my extra fabric, I decided to use it as a lining on the bodice as well. I've done that once before, and I found it worked all right as long as your fabric is pretty lightweight. It can cause you to get all turned around, so I just stick a little painters tape on my lining side to keep me straight as I'm sewing (that way I don't do something silly like understitch the outside!). 

Since the lining and my fashion fabric are the same, you'll have to look closely at the guts pictures this time!

Happy sewing (and brunching)!