Given that I will not be making curtains out of it, what should I do with this fabric? It is 100% cotton, woven, in pink with a little square print. I have 5 yards– enough to make any garment in my size. I can combine it with another color, perhaps a solid or complementary print, as well. Simplicity has many basic patterns to choose from.
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Pink squares fabric I have 5 yards of this. |
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Pink squares: closeup This is the print on the fabric. 100% woven cotton. |
10 Comments
I prefer Butterick’s designs and construction techniques to Simplicity’s. What do you think of this?
http://store.sewingtoday.com/cgi-bin/butterick/shop.cgi?s.item.B4063=x&TI=10002&page=6
I have no particular preference for one brand over another, but that particular pattern…. well, high-waisted stuff tends to look wrong on me, at least when I’m overweight. It’s like the only thing I have going for me is the curve from my bustline towards my waist, and high-waisted/empire cuts take that away.
A dress, very summery with short sleeves in a 1950s sort of style.
I’ve an hourglass figure as well. If you look at the seaming and shaping on that dress, you’ll see that one major seam cuts underneath your bust (unlike an empire, which is simply at your bust) which, with a decent bra, will emphasize your bust and add to the hourglass shaping. Below that seam it doesn’t fall out in a straight up-and-down, as in a traditional empire (which just makes anybody, including Elizabeth Bennett, look pregnant). Instead it’s a very, very shaped A-line: well-fitted to the waistline and then flaring out to the hemline. I make and buy dresses with this silhouette often, and they are incredibly flattering on anyone with a decent bra and a waist.
I think a 3/4 sleeve would be much more flattering.
What do you think about this pattern? It’s got the princess cut on the bust, which is a good cut for me, and a fuller skirt, which I like. I saw from your other comment that you are familiar with the “upper arm anxiety,” so you already know my pick would include the sleeve caps.
You’re actually better off going sleeveless than the sleeve caps, because the caps would cut across the widest part of your upper arms and just emphasize them that much more. I’m also a bit concerned about stopping the line of the dress at the waist. It cuts you in two. One long single line makes you look taller and leaner. If you could find something with a princess line that goes all the way down, I think it would work far better for you.
This is more what I had in mind.
I like this one for a somewhat more professional look.
And if you wanted to go vintage…
See, and I already have this pattern from Simplicity, which is a pretty basic princess cut. I think I like the princess-with-skirt from Butterick, though, even with the line at the waist– I think it’ll look better with that print. That print is a LOT of print to hang on a big body– it kind of needs a break here and there.
You could always pair it with a bolero made from pima in the lighter shade of the print.
My first thought was, not a whole dress; that print in that color should be an accent somewhere rather than an entire outfit. Although I quite like the idea of a jacket / cardigan / shrug or something in a coordinating solid to break it up.
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