Liberty of London Bea

Remember this dress?

Well, it went into the “remake it pile” when I purged my closet. I initially cut it apart with the intention of making another dress, but that went out the window once I’d laid out all the pieces and realized only the skirt was really going to be salvageable. So I traced off this little sleeveless number from Burda’s 2012 FW Classics issue. There was just enough to squeeze it out, although I did end up piecing some of the facing.

I lengthened the back by an extra 4cm, hemming it with right-angle corners instead of grading it to meet the front length. It means I can tuck it in securely at the back, or, when it is left untucked, have sufficient coverage when I sit or bend over.

I’m quite happy with this little top, especially the collar. And quite happy that I have a garment which will see more wear than the dress ever did.

I’ve not been that interested in sewing lately, it being September and all. Trying to get into the new school and extra-curricular activities routine for the coming year has been taking up most of my time, thoughts and energy. I’ve been doing a little mental planning and thinking for the fall, but I’ve not done much in the way of actually having something to show for myself. The UFOs on my sewing table are nagging at me, and I have three garments that need to be tweaked or altered for fall. So, in my usual procrastinating style, enter Vogue 8722.

I’ve been looking at this pattern for a while, wanting to make up one of these with the tie from my Bea dress because I just don’t like it tied in a bow, tied in a knot with the long ends dangling around, or wrapped around my waist (how I’ve been wearing it). I wanted something else. I put the dress on my dress form and played around with different styles, but always ended up with the same problem: the pattern is just too busy to make up a belt for this particular dress. I needed a complementary fabric. And then I got an idea! Why not make two: one in red silk taffeta (perfect for my Bea dress) and one in dark brown twill from my remnant box.What do you think? The belt is quite simple to put together. It consists of two bias bands of equal size crisscrossed over each other and stitched into firmly interfaced ends that are secured at the centre back with hooks and eyes. The twill worked brilliantly because of its heavier weight and sturdy weave. The pattern actually calls for leather if you have it, but I’m trying to raid my stash instead of purchasing new fabric all the time. I did not glue the edges down as suggested in the instructions. I used a small catch stitch for the twill. One end of each bias piece is gathered into the extension; the other is pleated at attached to a piece of elastic about 3 1/2 inches in length. One of each end is secured into the extension, with the seam enclosed in a small piece of lining.I faced the red silk with identically cut bias pieces to enclose the edges nicely and have an extra layer of fabric for stability. I did not interface or underline the silk, and although it’s lightweight, it is taffeta and holds up well to wearing.