Vogue 8900

Carven Spring 2013

vogue 8900

This pattern looks a lot like the Carven spring 2013 dress. I have a thing for racer fronts and a high neckline anyway! I would've loved to make it in a toile du juoy as well, but this was supposed to be for nighttime..so the perfect fabric presented itself to me in the form of this abstract brown and bronze batik which was shiny (and I was hoping, not tacky) from some angles.

 Construction: I cut a straight 10 after measuring the pattern; the envelope indicated that I cut a 12. I shortened the dress at the waistline by an inch. After cutting it out, I felt the fabric was not substantial enough and could do with a lining, but with all the cutouts, I felt intimidated and decided to take the easier way out and underline it with the same fabric. I cut out a whole other set of pattern pieces.. It soon became confusing, but I took my time and basted each dress pattern piece to its underlining first and then did the seams. 

 I also did not like the center front seam so I just cut it on the fold. I finished the neckline and the armholes with  bias tape. I used some bemberg rayon to finish the cut outs, as per the instructions. I did buy some black lace to fill in the cut outs but decided against it after a) my husband said this was good  and b) the instructions for pinning the lace and then finishing it with the lining were frustrating.

a dart to bisect my body :-)

I usually shorten most dresses by 3 inches or more, but this one was the right length for me after the one inch reduction.

The cut outs were in the correct position for me, but there was excess bunching in the middle, between the waist cut outs. I ended up using a dart to fix it.  I don't know what pattern changes would've helped that problem.

These pictures were taken during the day but I wore it for a night event and the dart wasn't obvious. Overall, a winning pattern! (And I received many compliments.)