Sleeveless Butterfly Dress

Last year right at the end of summer I made myself a sleeveless Burda dress out of two chiffon fabrics. The dress was a mash-up out of two patterns - Burda 104 02/2011 with corrections and Deniz skirt by Vikisews.

The summer was then over and I never had the chance to wear the dress. However, we are in the midst of the hot summer days again and I found the little chiffon dress simply priceless, so I made myself another one.

Pattern: Burda #104 02/2011 dress and Deniz skirt by Vikisews

Size: 17 Height: 154 - 160 cm

Fabric: navy chiffon, navy georgette

Time to make: 3 days

The outer fabric is a beautiful georgette and the dress is fully lined with navy chiffon. Interesting, how I loved to wear simple knit-fabric dresses in the summer, but lately I prefer lined viscoses and georgettes.

Based on my notes from the previous dress, I raised the waist 1 cm and cut the semicircle in two parts, so that the straight line would be at the front and at the back, otherwise the pattern is the same. I'm so in love with this little dress, that I plan a few more similar dresses for the summer, both for myself and for Gaby.

Burda Sleeveless Chiffon Dress

I made a new dress - for me. It is sort of a wearable muslin out of two inexpensive chiffon fabrics -  the same black chiffon I used as lining for Gaby's dress and a bit more structured, but still very transparent and flimsy black chiffon with white flowers for the main fabric.

A curious fact about chiffon - because the fabric is very transparent, the color of the lining can totally change the overall color of the dress. In my case the black lining deepens the black of the background and mutes the white of the flowers into grey. I placed the fabric, just for fun, on other chiffon fabrics I have at home and the change with lighter lining was amazing - the color immediately becomes washed out and greyish.

The pattern of the dress is a combination of an old Burda favourite of mine, which I tried to make a few years ago and abandoned  - Burda #104 from 02/2011and the skirt is again the semi-full Deniz skirt. A few notes on my modifications and observations: 

The body is designed to be cut 2 cm under the waist and the suggested skirt is a simple rectangle, gathered at the waist. I don't like such skirts and find them very unflattering, so I added the semi-full Deniz. However, I found that the semi-full skirt should stay exactly on the waist line. I did take off one of the added 2 cm under the waist, but next time I'll cut the upper body exactly at the waistline. I also made a few cm corrections on the width of the neckline at the front and the back, as Burda patterns are wide on me in this area.

Next - the hidden zipper is at the side. This is more comfortable and logical, when a dress is sleeveless. However, the semi-full skirt behaves differently, when it is rotated so, that the straight parts are at the sides - the cross-grain parts at the back and the front pull and stretch and the skirt looks uneven. In the end I had to cut the skirt in an oval form, so that it would actually look circular. Next time I'll definitely place the straight lines at the back and the front and either try to add the zipper on the cross-grain on the side or move it to the back.

A small note for next time - the arm openings are a bit too narrow, I know I am a bit peculiar and prefer wider openings on sleeveless dresses, so I'll widen them just a bit next time - it's not a big deal.

With this dress I tried the burrito method for adding the full lining of a sleeveless body and it is magic - every seam is neatly hidden inside, there are no outer seams around the neck and the arm openings and the dress looks very polished. There are plenty of videos how to add the lining like that and I heartily recommend the method.

 

Pattern: Burda #104 02/2011 dress and Deniz skirt by Vikisews

Size: 17 Height: 154 - 160 cm

Fabric: black chiffon, black chiffon with white flowers

Time to make: 4 days

Gloria Dress for Gaby

My second Gloria dress with Denis skirt, both patterns by the leading Russian pattern company Vikisews. Gaby was very enthusiastic for a feminine georgette dress for herself after I made mine a couple of months ago. I saw the fabric some time ago, sent her a picture, she liked it and it was decided - this was going to be my personal present for her birthday.

The fabric is sort of georgette, but thinner and more see-through than the fabric I used for my dress, so I had to make a lining for the skirt. I cut the lining out of sheer black chiffon and I think it worked perfectly for the fine main fabric of the dress. 

I made the dress with a few small modifications, based on previous experience: I raised the heart neckline by 2.5 cm to make it more covering, as the original is a bit low; I also narrowed the neckline by 2.5 cm both at the front and the back, as I found the original cut a bit loose. I also made most of the seams French seams because of the fine and transparent nature of my main fabric. I small note - Gaby is a bit more broad shouldered than me and I should add just a bit more volume at the sides - probably somewhere in the range of 1.5 - 2 cm total for more comfort, as the dress is a bit tight-fitting as it is. I also added 1 cm to the length of the body, as Gaby is taller than me and it was a needed correction - it fits her body well.

 

Pattern: Gloria dress and Deniz skirt by Vikisews

Size: 36

Height: 154 - 160 cm

Fabric: polyester georgette, black chiffon

Time to make: 3 days

I had very limited time to make the dress before we packed our bags for Greece and I am so, so happy that I managed, with all the challenges the thinner fabric posed. Actually, when I cut both fabrics, I was sure I had bitten more than I could chew - I don't think I had ever sewn such thin fabrics, but the result turned stunning and I am so happy I was able to present this dress to her on her birthday, which we celebrated at the sea-shore :)

Gloria dress and Denis skirt are presently my favourite patterns and I plan at least several more dresses, based on them. It could be a phase I'm going through, but I've been favouring my silk dresses this summer and I need more - I just love it, when I am wearing sophisticated feminine dresses. I've been putting on my Roliz and Gloria dresses by Vikisews on every occasion I could find and I believe Gaby was also impressed by her dress, as she wore it twice during the four days of our sea vacation :)

And might I just add, that she looked absolutely stunning in it :)

And as of today a newly-minted Master of Science from Vienna University!

Viki Sews Gloria Dress

Three years after my Roliz dress by Vikisews, I've made another dress. The inspiration for it comes from a Russian seamstress, who blew my mind with her interpretation of Vikisew's dress and prompted me immediately to log on to the site and buy the two related patterns.

Yes, two patterns, as the upper part of the dress is the Gloria and the skirt is a simple semi-circle skirt, which I lazily chose to buy, instead of drawing it myself.

I've always known that short wide skirts are my thing and when I saw Bogdanchik's version of Gloria, I knew I had found my dream dress pattern :)

Apart from the different skirt, this version of the dress also features a different sleeve - the long shirred lower part of the sleeve is gone and the upper part is gathered with an elastic, inserted in a tunnel.

Although I ordered and made my size 36 and my height, I've noticed a few minor things that I will need to modify in my next dresses, based on this pattern.

The square neck opening of the dress is a bit low for my taste and so I added a little piece of ruffle. Next time I plan simply to raise the neckline by 2.5 cm.

Another issue is the width of the dress in the upper part and at the shoulders. I know I am actually 34 around the bust and the shoulders, so I plan to narrow the cleavage and to add two small darts at the back neck, reducing the front and the back necklines by 2 cm respectively.

 

Pattern: Gloria dress and Deniz skirt by Vikisews

Size: 36

Height: 154 - 160 cm

Fabric: polyester georgette

Time to make: 2 weeks