Break the Color Wheel!

I can't get enough of Ikat Cotton Fabrics! They are so easy to work up and the variety of color combinations are unlimited. Some Ikat patterns are subtle, using the softer colors of the color wheel.  Other patterns are bold and colorful and when combined with vibrant solids, the garment design possibilities are endless.

I loved this new Victory Pattern, the Chloe No. 1005 Dress.  It is an intermediate level project suitable for woven fabrics like Ikat - other cottons or knits would work too.

We wanted to make our Chloe a little edgy by combining Ikat with a complimentary solid woven fabric. I love the combination of purple and green, especially if the hues are a little "off" color. You might think that this combination doesn't occur in nature, but it does. So why not combine these gorgeous olive Ikat prints with a solid purple woven?  Even though the purple does not occur in the Ikat, it doesn't matter.  The purple gives the olive Ikat that pop of color that will make my Chloe dress unique!

And just for grins, let's use purple thread for finishing the seams...after all, isn't the inside of your garment just as important as the outside? (Note that we made a little tacking stitch on the two pockets to keep them in place, facing the center front of the dress.)

We decided not to bind the neckline with the contrasting purple fabric as it might be too cliche - we don't want to be too predictable.  What I love about this Victory pattern are the clear directions for the neckline trim.  It went together so easily.

 Laurel hand sewed the bias facing to the neckline, rather than use the stitch in the ditch method to secure it, but either method works

We chose to use one of the Ikat prints to bind the cap sleeve - the bias facing is applied in the same manner as the neck facing.  For this cap sleeve we want a bound edge with the Ikat showing -  just like the neckline, but a little  more narrow, just to give a hint of the Ikat fabric.

Trim the facing to the exact width that you want the binding to be around the sleeve edge, so that when you turn it toward the wrong side of the sleeve to secure it, you won't have to work so hard to make it even.

We secured the facing with  a simple stitch in the ditch technique.

The "intermediate" part of making this dress kicks in when it's time to set in the sleeves. What makes the Chloe dress a little challenging is that the "sleeve" is really just an extension of the armhole.  To attach the sleeve to the armhole, you are sewing the curved edge of the sleeve on to the inverted curve of the armhole. It gives real meaning to the term "ease". If you make the tiniest of a clip along the bottom of the armhole, it makes it easier to ease in the sleeve. Do go SLOW!!!

So very unique!

And way too cute!  I can't wait for some Summer!!

Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and combine fabrics and colors that you might not normally choose for your next dress.  These details and design elements are what make your wardrobe unique and totally you.  You want everyone to ask "Did you make that?", not because your sewing skills are perfect, but that your garment is something that they can't get in the stores...unless, of course they sew!!!

Creatively Yours,

SuZan