Since I’m still working on my Blue Sonja Dress and don’t have a finished product to reveal yet (I know…what the heck?) I thought I would do a post about the garment that I am most proud of: The Settle Down Dress.
I became quite obsessed with the singer Kimbra last year, and I fell in love with the dress that she wore in her Settle Down music video:
It was fun and flirty, but that sheer panel in the front added just the right amount of sexy sass! Since I wouldn’t have any occasion to wear a dress like that myself, I decided to make it for my friend instead. She was getting married and this seemed like the perfect dress for her to wear to her bachelorette party. A Settle Down dress before she settled down!
I followed Susan Khalje’s Craftsy class – The Couture Dress – in making it. We fitted her in a muslin to make sure it was absolutely perfect.
Since I was making this from a visual inspiration and didn’t have a pattern for the dress, I made what I like to call a hybrid pattern. I took pieces from several patterns and merged them together to get exactly what I wanted. I never could find a good guide for the center illusion panel, so it was a product of experimenting and lots of trial and error before I got it right.
My friend looked spectacular in her dress, and I loved getting to give her a custom garment for her party.
I spent a good part of last year making gifts for others, so I think this year I’m going to be a little more selfish 🙂
