31 January 2009

110. Refashion 13: Chanel Knock-Off Dress from Men's Dress Shirt

Is 13 my lucky number?  Hope so, because this 13th refashion project is my entry for the PatternReview.com refashion contest.  I could really pick apart every little thing I wish I'd done differently, but instead I will just plan to work on a second version to incorporate all the lessons I learned from this refashion and fill you in on the details then.  Maybe this could become a video tutorial someday?

The inspiration garment and suggestion came from my dear friend and sewing guru, Shauna, who spied this gem in the January 2009 issue of W (with a flawless Christy Turlington Burns on the cover).  I was three issues behind and would not have found it on my own till April, probably, but she showed it to me in December and suggested it might make a great men's shirt refashion project.  I started deconstructing the shirt right before my Canada trip and felt stumped about those bust pleats -- how much fabric could I eat up in the darts without affecting the a-line shape too much?  I wasn't sure I'd figure it out in time to meet the contest deadline.


It never really becomes clear to me until I start sewing it.  I had to unpick, re-measure, re-draw, and re-sew the bust pleats three times, and I think I will move them again in my next (and hopefully final) version.  But overall I think I got most of it right and it will be interesting to read what the SPR voters think about it!  Not that I want to lobby for votes, but if you're eligible to vote and you like the dress the best of all the entries, please do vote for it!  :)

Here's the review on PatternReview.com.  There's some neat stuff in that refashion contest gallery!

You're wondering about the purse, aren't you?  It is, in fact, a Columbia Lily original in a beautiful, nubby gold shantung.  I was fortunate enough to win it during her Birthday Week of giveaways a few weeks ago, and it is even lovelier in person than in the photos on her blog.  My husband assumed I had bought it and was duly impressed that it is an original design from an independent designer, handmade with love and care and extra attention to detail.  Want one of your own?  Right this way.


Re: the vlogging in my last post... I am sorry the video quality was so low when I finally posted it.  The resolution is very good on the (very large) original video file!  I am sure there are other options for compressing the video and I'll do some more research on that.  If you have any suggestions for Mac users, I'm all ears.  I'm using my iSight camera and it's great that the sound is OK.  There's got to be a simple solution and if it's not simple, sometimes I don't feel motivated.  So I was thinking I would post a vlog tutorial on the empire waist shirt refashion (like #11 or #12).  I will see if I can get that out to you before the end of Feb.

It was so strange to hit that record button.  As soon as I started talking, it felt like I was breaking down a very large wall between the dedicated readers -- my blogging buddies -- and me.  Totally personal, unedited, like the messy house in the background!  Plus it's funny how many things I want to look at as I'm talking -- I can look into the camera but it's distracting to see myself on the computer monitor.  LOL  Hope it wasn't too weird for you.  XD

19 comments:

  1. Wow, that's fantastic! The bow & pockets are just right... now you're making me wish it was spring up here, since that looks like such a great warm weather dress. :-)

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  2. Totally fab refashion.

    Re: Your iSight camera--go to system preference, and click sound, then click input. Crank your input volume as high as it will go. Makes a huge difference. You can adjust the sound levels in iMovie afterward, if you need to... Email me if you need info about compressing, etc, in iMovie.

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  3. Your refashion project is too cute! I love it. I also think your tutorial idea is a great one. Sometimes we know things that we think are simple, but you would be very surprised to find out that there are lots of people who don't know that one simple thing and would greatly appreciate you sharing the info. Keep up the fantastic work.

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  4. Your dress is really adorable! Love the bow!

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  5. the dress is SO CUTE, of course! Beautiful work, as always. And thanks for the linky love....=) I need inspiration to finish something that is supposed to be sent Monday.

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  6. It looks GREAT. I'm sure you see things that we don't (that's always an artist's criticism)...but seriously, it's really cute. I think you did a great job.

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  7. Lovely dress, First time I am seeing this blog, just love it!

    http://vivikas.etsy.com

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  8. Clever. Absolutely clever.

    Guess whose got my vote?

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  9. So cute! You are so talented! I think this is my favorite!

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  10. darling little number, clever girl. I love the bow and the bust darts. super cute!

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  11. This is amazing! I have *got* to pick up some mens' shirts to start experimenting.

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  12. that is a great dress, as well as a great adaptation of the original! the bowis just too cute for words!

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  13. I love your refashion idea and definitely will give it a try when I get my hands on some men shirts. Good luck for the contest !

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  14. Just lovely... Can't wait for the tut!

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  15. What a great idea. I love it. I am now off to unearth my sewing machine from the back of my cupboard.

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  16. I stumbled upon your website and then this dress and I LOVE it (I know it was posted forever ago). Super cute and it looks high end. You've got some great skills! PS I've recently started refashioning (and sewing) and I'm totally gonna steal this idea... I'm intimidated but you've inspired me.

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  17. I also just stumbled upon your blog (today) and have been reading and flipping the whole day (stalkerish eh?) I'm totally new to sewing with machine and wearable things - you and your fellow blogworld friends totally inspired me... used to look at my clothes and think if only i can alter them to what I like them to be (now I have a new vocab too - refashion) My head's spinning around with ideas, I'm so excited! Even when some of my attempts are less than satisfactory (tried to make this beret from sweater tonite, but i think the sweater is too heavyyyy for the project, oh well, you live & learn... better sleep on it and work again tomorrow...)

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  18. Was a tutorial posted for this beautiful dress. I am new to refashioning and my first attempt at refashioning a man's shirt was a total disaster! HELP!!!!!
    Thank you for inspiring me to try again with this great dress.

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    1. Hi there, I didn't post a tutorial for this dress. I sewed it a few years ago, but I remember that it wasn't difficult at all conceptually: I used the biggest long-sleeved men's shirt I could find; I unpicked the collar and took it off, leaving the collar stand (which I topstitched back together); I finished the armholes; I made the front pleats; I sewed the pockets from sleeve fabric; and I'm willing to bet I had to a-line the side seams from the bottom of each armhole to the bottom hem. I also pieced together strips of fabric for the tie. Sorry I can't offer photos of the process -- I had waited till the last minute to enter the competition and did it all in a day, with no documentation. Don't give up! I learned so much from refashioning clothes.

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