Vogue 8813

Back bodice and skirt

That Tilton Dress is finished. I liked the muslin which sometimes means I'm bored and won't go on to finish the actual piece. But this time I did. And I like the result.

Great fabric (maybe from Gorgeous Fabrics), Fabulous directions. Fun piece.

The fabric is what I would call polished cotton, though it is not overly crisp. Don't know if it is visible in these pictures, but the designer's name - Oqust - appears throughout the print. I think this references Katherine Oqust from the 1970's.

It was a border print with no symmetry at all. You can see what happened when I tried to match the pattern in the center back skirt seam. You might think, well just turn one of those pieces upside down, but the positioning of the print on the fabric meant that it was not possible to mirror across the two back skirt pieces.

Bodice gathers

Anyway I like it unmatched. An opportunity for striped piping, always a favorite of mine. I used the striped cotton as a binding on the sleeves too. I added a little black sashiko to the edges of the pockets to mimic the trim and the overall geometry of the fabric.

Speaking of geometry, the pockets are a wonder of solid geometry. They were interesting to sew and are nice to use.

The skirt hem is quite straight across though when it is on, it appears as if the center panel is shorter. On purpose. More to like about this pattern.

Those Pockets

Initially I thought I might add some gathers in the back near the waist. Given the bold pattern on the fabric and the added piping, I decided against that. In a solid color, a few gathers across the back would be nice.

The front is pretty low, but with all the gathers it fills in nicely and I don't feel exposed. Good thing since there is little there to expose.

I really like the knit versions of this dress I've seen online, but I think one is enough for me. You should make it though, even if it is only to enjoy making those cool pockets.