A Gown for Beth

A few weeks ago a friend from Union contacted me and asked if I could make her a dress.  When she said she had in mind a floorlength, formal gown made out of seersucker I was a bit dubious, but when she sent me the fabric I began to be able to picture it and the more I worked with the dress, the more I loved it!  Also, Beth is tall and blonde and gorgeous; I was excited to make something lovely for such a lovely person!

The pattern is Kwik Sew 3400.  This pattern was nice to work with; it's printed on sturdy paper rather than the usual tissue, and the instructions were clear without insulting the intelligence of the sewer.

The dress is this pretty blue and white seersucker, lined with creamy white.  I used a white-on-white calico for the bust lining, figuring it would give a little extra body as well as being more comfortable next to the skin.  It fastens with a zipper but has a row of pearly buttons sewed down the back for decoration.

Beth wanted a little contrasting band at the top edge to give a little extra interest to the bodice.  I turned the strip on the bias, both so that it could just curve gently around the edge of the bodice, and also to get the detail of the diagonal stripes.

The whole dress is french-seamed for a smooth and lovely finish, and I used lace hem tape to finish the hem.  (The lining just got the double-fold treatment.)

I'm a little bit in love with the drape of the skirt and the train.  I'm also glad I got the chance to really use my dress form!  It was so helpful to have the form which I could dial down to exactly match Beth's measurements, and to check the fit and drape as I went along.

The gown is with Beth now!  I can't wait to see photos of her in it, and if she gives her permission I'll share them with you when I get them :-)

Edit:  I have pictures of Beth in her gown!  She said I could post them, so here you go :-)

Edit:  I have pictures of Beth in her gown!  She said I could post them, so here you go :-)  Isn't she lovely?