5.23.2012

ikat, youkat

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okay, so this one may not be for everyone. but i'm okay with that.

internet, meet my blanket dress. this is the dress i'm not really sure how i've lived without for this long. blanket dress, you complete me...

i'm sure i've mentioned on here before how much i love a dramatic silhouette. i'm not especially shy of volume. once when i was at a coffee shop in philly wearing a particularly voluminous skirt, a fabulous grey haired lady, herself draped in copious amounts of fabric, came up to me and told me how much she loved my volume. thats what she said, "honey, i love all your volume".  i've long been convinced that the woman was my future self, come back to encourage me to pump up the volume...

note taken, future self. note taken.

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this is mccalls 6553 made up in a lovely ikat fabric from b&j fabrics online.  the pattern was ridiculously easy to sew. the sizing is very generous - i made the smallest size, and i'm pretty sure it could accommodate a wide range of figures in its generous folds. i even think it could double as a maternity dress, should i ever decide to go that route (no, mom, don't get your hope up!)

i used leftover silk from the lining of my birthday dress to make the facings and pockets. and rather than try to fiddle with gathering the fabric for the assymetric hem i just serged it and left it raw. i rather like the way it looks. it adds to its overall blankety-ness.  it also closes in the back with a single button. i made a covered button with one of those dritz kits. it looked like it would fall apart in two seconds, but surprisingly it held quite nicely, and adds an extra little upholstery flair.

the pattern came with a wide sash which would help to reign it in, but, call me crazy, i rather liked it billowing free!

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also, i can't believe that its been almost 10 months since we've been living in galveston and i've been blogging regularly and this is the first time i moseyed on down to the beach to take pictures! what took me so long?

i don't have too much more to say about this dress! i might be a kook - but i love it and i'm 100% positive that it will be getting lots of love and wear. i'm also pretty happy with this pattern, so I think I'll make it up again.  maybe in a drapey jersey...

xx

44 comments:

  1. 100% not a kook - looks fantastic!

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  2. Your dress is adorable and I love the beach setting it was the perfect choice to show of your dress.  Something I would never make for me as I have learnt that volume and me don't go together at all.  At 6'2 volume and no body defining shape makes me look like as we say in oz a Mallee Bull or a brick shithouse ;-) 

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  3. It does look very pretty and comfortable.  It made me go look at the line drawings, which I really like.  I hadn't bothered because I didn't like the cover art looks.  Great job.

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  4. I'm not afraid of volume either. I think a dramatic silhouette can almost always be flattering. I love your dress and I love that you a dramatic print with such a dramatic style. Bravo!

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  5. Haha great post, love the story about the old lady. I can appreciate this dress and all it's volume and beautiful fabric as well. You look splendid, though I reckon you could probably drape yourself in a garbage bag and we'd all still applaud!

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  6. I LOVE it!  Yet another Sallieoh success!  I'm so in love with this ikat, and your styling and scenery complement the dress perfectly!

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  7. heheh nice! I love beach shots. A friend of ours lives next to the beach (Torquay so it's far enough from Melbourne for the d*ckhead: beachsters ratio to be fairly low) and it's fun taking pics there. I like this dress if you're making it from jersey though, make sure to reinforce the shoulders with transparent lingerie elastic (on the back of the seam, just stretch the elastic slightly as you go) so the weight of it doesn't cause droop.

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    1. My kind of dress! I love it!! Always have been a big fan of volume!! Lately I'm hoping it hides MY volume underneath! Can't beat it for comfort either! Great job!

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  8. gorgeous photos of a gorgeous dress!

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  9. I don't know how it took ten months but I hope we get to see more of it from now on -- I heart the beach!!

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  10. Oh this is divine...so breezy and elegant! And you can certainly pull off the volume as you have such a lovely lean figure (the idea that your future self stopped by to encourage you is brilliant..hehe)! And your photoshoot is fantastic...I'm green with envy now ;o)

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  11. You look devine, it suits you perfectly. Love the ikat print.

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  12. Neeno from SewMeLove.comMay 24, 2012 at 4:36 AM

    Looks great on u!!!!

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  13. Oh Sis!  I ADORE it!  100% fabulous!  I agree with the no sash too - the sash with too much fabric never lays flat anyway and seems to defeat the purpose.  Oh my fingers are itching to send you cash to make me one!  There are so many things l love! The blue and white print is SO summer (reminds me of that tiled red white and blue number I had from Anthro a while back -) but the drape is more flattering.  Great movement and of course, most excellent volume.  It's a keeper! Hugs and well done!

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  14. This look definitely suits you! I don't think I could pull it off, but you look like a model, especially with the beautiful beach backdrop. :)

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  15. Love this ikat dress Sallie. MUST look into that McCalls pattern...I've overlooked that one!

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  16. walking around in a printed silk cloud?  YES AND YES.

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  17. Its definitely one that looks more promising in the line drawings. I haven't seen too many makes around the internet - one on burdastyle a bit ago.  If you don't mind (or revel in) a loose dress with lots of fabric than this is one for you! Also - when its not being blown about by the wind - it has a pretty trapeze shape when it just hangs.

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  18. Haha! Thanks! It is ALOT of dress - especially with the allover print and copious amount of yardage.

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  19. Gonna send you a link - pick out some fabric. It'll be an uber belated birthday present ;)

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  20. WHAT. I recently spent about two weeks typing "blue ikat" in every online store, Google,  Etsy and eBay search box and not finding a damned one I like. But THIS, what you used, is exactly what I was looking for. Are ya kidding me? Is it plagiarism if I swipe some yardage for myself? 

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  21. Thanks Marie! The dress covers up the "non lean" parts of my figure - its all an illusion! One of the reasons I love the dress ;)

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  22. HA!  Family perk!  WOO to the HOO!!!!

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  23. Great suggestion - thanks! I've been on the lookout for some of that lingerie elastic for awhile now - can't find it at any local stores - any online suggestions?

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  24. Thanks! It was such a quick make. I love the ikat - on second thought though I probably could have played more with directional placement on the dress to break it up a bit, but whatever! And yes - the dress was calling for the beach!

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  25. Ha! Thanks! I'll take note of that if I ever decide to unleash my inner bag-lady....

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  26. Thanks Maddie! You also pull off volume with aplomb! I did have second thoughts about the pattern/style combo after I was about 3/4 of the way through the dress, but then I thought "nah - its my dress and I like it!"

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  27. Comfortable indeed! Like wearing a bed sheet!

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  28. Ikat is the best! I love this print, I'm gonna go see if they have any left... Your dress looks so light and airy & I love the volume compliment, what a great thing to have someone say to you. :)

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  29. I love it.  Your volume rocks.

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  30. I didn't like this pattern because the envelope shows it in solid colors and it looks very overwhelming. However, after seeing yours in a print, I love it!

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  31. You had me at ikat (see what I did there with the Jerry Maguire reference? It's like reference tennis over here in the comments section). This looks ssssssssssoooooooooo sssssilky and sssssumery. The perfect thing for when it's so hot you want to punch anything that touches your skin. I skipped that pattern when it came out because the blah fabric they had it in wasn't particularly appealing but white and blue ikat blankety goodness? Super pleasing. Also, you have a figure for volume. It looks modern and fresh as opposed to shapeless and dumpy on say, me.

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  32. No! Absolutely not! Head on over to B&J - it wasn't cheap - but its a beautiful, breathable, surprisingly drapey cotton ikat! I think there ikat fabrics are listed under cottons...they have a ton!

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  33. I think the big 4 need to hire a new stylist...

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  34. Muahahahaha! "You had me at ikat" 
    Its actually cotton - but no matter, its still perfect and drapey and - numero uno on my list - breathable as f***!
    Those pattern envelopes are deceiving - thats why we need bloggers! I cannot even count the number of times I've seen something on someone's blog and have been like, "HUH?!? THAT's that pattern? The one I thought was totally fugly?? Who woulda thought...."
    They should really start paying us...

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  35. I get all my transparent elastic from this lady. I know it's evil bay but she's very quick (with responses to questiona as well as sending the actual product) and the stuff always comes neatly packaged. My experiences with her have been good.

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  36. That is a beautiful dress!
    I ignored that pattern, terrible fabric choice on the envelope picture, but it looks great in your fabric. I think I might have to try it out myself.

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  37. Love this dress!! Looks like the perfect summertime garment...may have to copy you!

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  38. Love love love this dress and so beachy worthy.    I've been trying to find some good apparel weight Ikat fabric, but it's so hard to find. 

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  39. What a pretty dress! The fabric is fantastic!

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  40. You would look gorgeous in a potato sack. But luckily for you this dress is a beautiful print. Those photos are just stunning.

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  41. WAHHH I LOVE this dress!! I want to float around in it all day and eat as many doughnuts as I please! I want to wear it with my big floppy hat and disregard the terrible weather in my part of the country! Perfect!

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  42. Perfect! I have this pattern and have been trying to gain some inspiration as to what fabrics to make this in. I wanted something light weight and summery and this has given me the perfect inspiration! Think I will be cutting this one out tonight!!! 

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