I don’t know what else to call it. It’s done – it took forever – I like it……
Introducing the The McVoguerick Tunicbiblicity dress.
It was time for a new black winter dress; an all purpose dress to wear whenever and wherever.
As mentioned in the last post I had it bad for another Oscar de la Renta RTW dress.
I love the way this dress skims the body, but I had no pattern that included all of its features,
so I gathered patterns from my stash that bore any resemblance to the dress and created a muslin.
I used Simplicity 1586 for the bodice. The bodice was similar but frankly, I was sold on the words Amazing Fit . What a great marketing tool.
After cutting the bodice from the pattern, I measured the upper bodice length from Vogue 9047, a pattern I’ve successfully sewn twice. I cut the bodice into an upper and lower bodice at that point. I did not add a seam allowance due to my height. The seam allowance was already built in to the upper bodice, and by eliminating the seam allowance for the lower bodice, the bodice length was automatically shortened.
I tweaked the Upper and Lower Bodice pieces until achieving the fit I was seeking. Sewing an upper and lower bodice allowed me to gain a wonderful fit under the bust (shown in the lightened photo below) and in the mid-back area.
The flounce was cut from McCall’s 6988. It worked out perfectly but I was prepared to use Mary Funt’s incredible Flounce Tutorial if necessary.
I placed the flounce four inches below my hips.
After sewing the bodice muslin I selected the sleeves from The Tunic Bible. I’ve substituted this pattern piece before in other garments.
Mood Fabrics’ Single Wool Crepe was perfect for this dress pattern.
Its pebbly surface creates a gentle texture, and the excellent drape makes it ideal for numerous garments.
The crepe also features a slight give along the crosswise grain.
I lined the dress with Mood’s Black China Silk/Habotai. The lightweight China Silk made for an ideal lining which was drafted from the muslin pieces.
Thank you all so much for your opinions regarding lining the flounce! I was concerned that lining the flounce would affect it’s overall drape and movement, but after learning the flounce was lined in the ODLR dress, I decided to line it, and the lightweight silk did not affect its drape or movement.
Lining the flounce also provided an easy way to hem the dress. The lining and fashion fabric were sewn right sides together, on the lower edge, flipped and then attached to the bodice. FYI – Mood’s China Silk is available in 95 colors!
After justifying how much money I saved by sewing this dress I bought the embroidered boots. It was a weak moment and a big splurge, but just so you know – I did not embroider the boots 
In closing, I am pleased overall with the result, but in seeking perfection, I want to sew it one more time with a few more tweaks!
If you’re wondering what to sew next – think basic black!
Happy Saturday 