Mortem\’s Tricks or Treats: The Franken-Pattern Dress.

Forever my favorite story and “monster”– the one I so closely identify with and obsesses over.

My latest, though not the only project finished, is my favorite creation to date. It has been an idea that has rattled in the back of my head for years, and it was Mary’s contribution (from Autumn Moon Enchantement –how awesome that her name ties well with the theme of this post) that pounded the last nail in that coffin. She traded me this Pumpkinheads fabric from Michael Miller; I didn’t know such amazing material existed, and it was all too perfect for this dress, I begged her for her scraps and she kindly obliged me haha!

Initially the plan was to make a full dress with some kind of pumpkin material, and the amount that Mary sent me wouldn’t have been enough… but as it turned out, it was destiny that brought my creation together.

So, in the beginning of June a sewing with lace contest was announced for Sewing Pattern Review Online Sewing Community. I love lace, but ironically it’s a material I am rather short on at any given time. Good lace is tough to stash… but I really wanted to enter and give it a shot, and all I really have is novelty laces– this spiderweb lace meeting the criteria as best as my muse could muster. It needed to be a project I could quickly finish, given that I would be losing two weeks on account of my in-laws coming for a visit, rendering my room unreachable for the time being: one week to make the room “livable” and one week for them to reside in.

Funny enough, I wasn’t even sure what I was going to do or what fabric I was going to use. After a day of pulling fabrics and patterns, it hit me like a bolt of lightning– I should make the dress I have been wanting to make! It took a little franken-patterning to reach the design that I so dreamed about: the skirt from Simplicity 1194 and the bodice and midriff of New Look 6146 (ironically one of those ‘mix & match’ patterns). One aspect that I had to figure out on my own was the bat wing collar.

I am no stranger to the bat wing collar (throwback to my bat dress), but I must admit that I wasn’t entirely sure how this would turn out in faux leather; it’s considerably more bulky.

I opted to do one side in the faux leather and the other in cotton, to alleviate the amount of bulk. It worked beautifully.

The skirt used up 4 yards of my spiderweb lace; it’s double layered. It was a touch too long, and from the ensuing fabric I made the sash, which looks to be part of the dress.

But it isn’t. 

I did this purposely, since I love using waist belts… and some of my own design will be starting to see the light of day soon enough.I am still not sure this would meet the criteria for the lace contest, though it says the garment must be 75% lace and this uses 4 yards of “lace” including an accessory against a quarter yard of cotton and a bit of faux leather… seems to me like it should, but we shall see. In any case, I do know it meets it for another contest, a little IG contest for a Halloween box. A Halloween spirit contest hosted by Order of the Thinned Veil– I really dig this particular contest. Even if I don’t win it, I shall endeavor to purchase their All Hallows level. Seems kick-ass.

Lastly, I have to say that I am completely obsessed right now with hemming my skirts with ribbon. I can’t stop doing it, haha! I did it as an afterthought though, as you can tell from these subsequent shots of me wearing this dress without that hem.