A few weeks ago (or has it been months now?) Nicolette and I had an email chat about the clothes we used to sew-and-wear. You see she actually had sewn some of those patterns I posted on this here blog some time back. We both mused about posting photos of the stuff we used to proudly parade around in. Cue in the story of the photo.
I learned to sew clothes at age 16 at Knitwit.....remember those shops? I was making comfy and daggy tracksuit pants and tops. It appears there's only one left in Oz and it's in Perth. Anyhow, I quickly moved on from knitted fabrics to garment fabrics of every sort. I had made to my recollection (between the ages of 17 and 21) around two pairs of trousers, a woollen houndstooth skirt, a cotton cheesecloth blouse, another graphic print top, a single breasted fully lined blazer jacket and the cocktail dress above, which I wore to my Year 12 high school formal (18 years ago, yikes!)......Very Easy Very Vogue, can't remember the pattern number and it wasn't easy! There's probably more, but my mind has blocked the rest out. Thank goodness, I don't have those photos!
I have very fond memories choosing the fabric and putting this dress together. It is by far the most ambitious sewing project I've ever taken on (except for the blazer jacket) and construction wise far beyond my ability or knowledge now. I was fearless back then. Just the outside bodice came in seven pieces. Those puff sleeves with the elasticised shoulders and that asymetrical hem gave me countless panic attacks. The easiest part of it was forming and tacking on the bows....you can hardly see them, but they're on the sleeves.
I'm going to need heaps of practice to do anything remotely similar in time for the bub's high school formal. Ack! I can't even remember how to sew swishy fabric anymore.
I just saw the dress in a box at my mum's the other week and I still love it....even with the angst of making it, the stains and the reek of age. I climbed a very steep learning curve while sewing that dress. And even though I left it behind in that box, it is still my most favourite sewing project.
8 comments:
Gret effort in making your formal dress Jade. Your spot on in saying you have no fear at that age when sewing. Now where did that go?
Great formal dress. I was a bit the same - made my formal dress and my sisters out of some slippery fabric I would never try to sew with now,
You have brought back so many memories for me Jade. I must see if I can dig out some photos of my 21st dress. Well done, that dress is quite an achievement!
Such a shame we loose our fearlessness by aging, the dress looks wonderful Jade! I made my most difficult sewing projects during High School and some years after that. But you know you do this again and even better!!
Wow Jade! It's beautiful -- and how cool that you still have it. I made a formal dress too (a swishy shiny gold fabrid -- holy cow what was I thinking?) but I don't have it anymore. Wish I still did, just for the laugh!
You are a such a picture of sweet innocence! (Also reminds me very much of my formal dress....)
Wow that's amazing, Jade! The garments that you have made. And that dress is amazing. Wish I took more interest in sewing when I was younger. Sewing formal dress for our bubs, now that's something to aspire to :)
Jade, that was a cute dress:-)
lovely photo, too, with your Dad
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