Tent dress with dagger collar in Liberty crepe-de-chine
TOTAL TIME COMMITMENT: 16 hours
Cut out & transfer all pattern markings: 3.5 hours
Main construction: 7.5 hours
Lining construction: none
Finishings (buttons, hem): 5 hours
ADDITIONAL SEAM FINISHING, CONSTRUCTION NOTES & EXTRAS
Interior seams - stitch-and-pink
No buttonholes (didn’t want to risk it on the crepe-de-chine!) Went with faux buttons, with press-studs underneath.
VERDICT & LESSONS LEARNT
This was one of those ‘scary projects’ for me. This is my first attempt using crepe-de-chine and it was a gift to boot, so the fear about getting it wrong felt real enough to put me off getting it made for a long time - too long. The trigger was reading this great article from Closet Core Patterns, which really cut through and reminded me that I won’t learn anything unless I just get on with it.
What greatly helped, was using a pattern that a. I know I love, b. I know fits me, and c. is quite a simple design. I think it could have gone poorly if I’d attempted to make something in this more difficult fabric whilst also grappling with a new or more challenging pattern. I set myself up with success being a strong possibility.
My main learning was the application of crepe-de-chine needs considering, and some design elements need changing when using it. For example, I don’t think garments made from crepe-de-chine should have pockets. Part of the appeal in this fabric is its featherlightness when wearing, and when you have a pocket, you put something in it….weighing down that airy fluidity you (probably paid so much) to wear. So, the lesson for me is: if I’m intending to make something from crepe-de-chine, skip any pockets on the pattern.
I actually found the cutting out, not the sewing, to be the most challenging aspect of using this fabric. I don’t own a cutting mat or rotary cutter, so it was good old fashioned pins and scissors and this fabric definitely shrinks away from the scissors very readily. While the sewing wasn’t dreamy, it being a matte fabric, it was actually fairly grippy and steady under the machine, more than I expected it to be.
Last learning point was the stitch-and-pink method for finishing interior seams works a treat. OK, not necessarily the sort of finish you get on designer or ready-to-wear, but straight-foward to sew, reliable, and crucially adds no bulk. Its a finish I will use again on this fabric.
In terms of the result, I. Am. Thrilled. I feel like a flipping goddess wearing this garment, and it’s turned out to be a compliment-fetcher too. It’s the epitome of effortless chic, and has me wafting about with the air of a woman who knows what she’s about.
Similar Makes
Cotton tent dress
Made July 2021
Navy blue quilters cotton from Painter’s Palette