Avert your eyes if you don't want to see another eBay listing of mine ... It is looking more and more likely that the Dress A Day family is going to have to move house, so I'm releasing several things into the wild, including this dress.
It really pains me to let this one go; I spent hours working on it. It was the first silk dress I made after my son was born. I bought this (very expensive) fabric at Vogue; it's a silk dupioni with a very low slub; the dots are pale green, blue, and lavender. The pattern is vintage, of course (I went looking for it the other day, but I may have put it somewhere "safe" because I can't find a trace of it). The buttons are (I think) from a vintage stash sent to me by a friend in France. The belt buckle is vintage mother-of-pearl. I spent SO long working on it, in fact, what with the wanting-it-to-be-perfect, and the no-time-after-birth-of-child, and the going-back-to-work and all, that I dropped two or more bust sizes between the time I started it and the time I finished it. It's a B40, and I ... am not. Oooooops.
Here's a closeup of the bodice:
And the buttons/fabric:
And, finally, the back:
My weight doesn't fluctuate very much now -- I often wonder where those darn fifteen pounds go on the rare occasions that I kick them out -- but all the same, I try not to embark on any project that I can't finish in a matter of days, not weeks or months, and this dress is the reason!
Pretty! I love the buttons and the front pleats. Alas, B40 is, um, way beyond me.
Posted by: trenabdesigns | 08/02/2006 at 09:07 AM
Oh, honey, that's heartbreaking. Such a gorgeous dress. The buttons! The buckle! And oh gods, those gorgeous pleats on the bodice! I hope it goes to a good home.--Lydia
Posted by: Anonymous | 08/02/2006 at 09:14 AM
Wow! Two gorgeous dresses in a row. The sexiness of the Duro and the sweetness of this one make a nice contrast. The buttons are heartbreakingly perfect with the print, too. Hey, I just saw that the Sartorialist is on a road trip, and is going to be in Chicago! I hope he catches you!
Posted by: Nora | 08/02/2006 at 10:08 AM
What beautiful fabric! You do have an eye, m'dear!
Posted by: Gidget Bananas | 08/02/2006 at 11:28 AM
I'm new to this site, and haven't sewn in years though I'm hoping to get back to it.What's a B40 size? Where's a good resource to look up this type of info?Love Dress a Day!!!
Posted by: Lizzycat | 08/02/2006 at 12:20 PM
B40 just means that the bust measurement is 40 inches. Or that Erin is UB40 fan?
Posted by: Anonymous | 08/02/2006 at 12:26 PM
I love the cut of this dress and you did a beautiful job making it. If I could wear pastels w/out looking terminally ill, I'd buy it.
Posted by: Zazzu | 08/02/2006 at 05:32 PM
I will fight you all to the death for this dress :P
Posted by: Shiny Blue Black | 08/03/2006 at 11:53 AM
Love, love, love, the dress! it is perfect. love your blog. Any chance you can find/sell the pattern?thanks,Maureen
Posted by: Maureen | 08/03/2006 at 07:26 PM
Okay, why can't I ever see most of the pictures??? In this post, I see not one but it's obvious they are there. I use IE, is that it?
Posted by: Kim | 08/07/2006 at 02:10 PM