Colette Macaron 1001: Macaron dress

 

This poor pattern has been totally hacked and changed from the original this time. I sit a lot in my job and I found the original skirt was quite poofy when I was sitting but I also hated the full circle skirt version I made (I never even wore it after the photos, gave it to the salvos instead). This is maybe a 1/4 circle skirt and it seems to work really well.

I had trouble fitting this dress, it seems the combination of a changing shape and using a knit that has 4 way stretch made it too long. I'd basted it together for a try on and I'm glad I did because I ended up unpicking it more times than I'd like to admit to get it to fit better!
I changed construction order too - so the side seams were the last to be sewn up. This is my new favourite technique, makes it so easy to adjust at a later date.

Pattern details;
Size 12 knit yoke (got the idea from Patty the Snug Bug)
Size 18 bodice with the darts converted into princess seams
Skirt is from Newlook 6390

Fabric details; Sateen is from Spotlight and the knit is from GJ Discount fabrics. I'm slowly sewing through my stash!

Sew weekly reunion: Colette 1001 Macaron dress

The Facts Fabric: Cotton sateen from Spotlight
Notions: None
Pantone Challenge colors: Emerald, Mykonos Blue and Turbulence
Pattern: Colette Macaron dress with a full circle skirt
Year: 2009
Time to complete: Way too long, about 18hours
First worn: Today
Wear again? When the weather warms up!
Total Cost: $20

I became interested in sewing through sewing blogs and read a lot before I actually dusted off my sewing machine. One of my favourite blogs was the Sew Weekly and it inspired me to sew something every week, regardless of how it turned out. I'm a big believer that the best way to get better at something is to do lots of it!

 

Having said that, this dress gave me the fits! This is the third bodice that's been sewn onto the skirt, the first was a NewLook 6048 (like my copy cat dress). The neckline stretched out and looked awful though and the waistband looked all crooked. So that was unpicked and chucked aside. Next version was the bodice from the Tiramisu dress, but I cut it out of a ponte which didn't stretch enough and fit way too tight. For the third and final version I unpicked the original bodice and managed to cut out the macaron top from it, the back is pieced a bit but otherwise it all worked.

 

I did the knit yoke again, like the last couple of versions (here and here ). The skirt is a basic full skirt with the pockets from Simplicity 2588. I do need to remember next time to add a little bit to the length of the front bodice though, I feel like its riding up slightly.
The colour in the pic underneath is more true as well, I've been on a steep learning curve with taking photos in manual and managed to make all my pics a bit too warm and underexposed. The dress is more muted in real life.

It feels like we have been stuck in winter for months lately, the weather is finally starting to warm up (even though its raining at the moment!), bring on spring so I can wear my dresses!

Colette 1001: Macaron Top

 

*Autumn SWAP*

I started making a pendrell blouse as the first top to sew up out of my fashionary sketches, I adjusted the pattern and made a muslin but in the end I just didn't like it on me. I felt really blocky and square in it so I scrapped it and made this top instead!

Same as the dresses - Its a sz18 with the Éclair front bodice and a sz12 knit yoke.

I used the leftover Sateen from my Christmas dress and some of the knit from a garage sale (think its polyester or at least a cotton/poly blend).

I liked the idea of using a peplum but stuck with the pleated skirt this time around.

Heres the completed outfit (Winnie Trousers and Macaron Top);

Colette 1001 Macaron: Christmas dress

I've been loving reading about the Christmas dresses everyone has planned and decided to make one too. I'm still in love with this pattern - I've worn my first version heaps and have been itching to make another one.

Same adjustments as last time - size 12 knit yoke and sz 18 dress with the eclair bodice. I also took a tuck about 1cm out across the bustline as I had some excess on the last version, plus took a wedge out at the lower back to straighten up the hem line.

Fabric is sateen from Spotlight again, this is one of the very few fabrics in my stash that wasn't on clearance, lol, shows how much I love it! I still have about one metre of it left but not sure what I can use it for yet. Knit is an interlock from Lincraft.

I had another Macaron wadder before this one, used a knit that just wasn't stretchy enough, I can't stress enough with this pattern to use the exact same type of knit that you muslin with!

I wore this out tonight for my daughters graduation from year 7 and got asked where I bought it from *grin*, very happy!
I've got a crazy couple of weeks coming up, my works christmas show, street party with my Mum, dinner with the inlaws, christmas lunch bbq with my Dad so this dress will have a few more outings yet!

I took some family pics tonight at the same time and they crack me up. Heres classic family pic

and then the real family pic with the kids being ninja's, lol! We all go to Karate though so I suppose there is some excuse!

Colette 1001: Macaron dress

I'm looking a bit smug in these pics because even though this dress was a beast to fit it is my favourite self made dress of all time! I've worn it all day and I finally get why some women say that a dress is more comfortable than jeans!

So lots of adjustments though;

First muslin  I used a knit yoke in a sz 12 on a sz18 bodice/dress. I got the idea from this dress of Patty the Snug Bug's. I dropped the bust darts and moved them and used a tshirt type knit and lowered the neckline.
Second muslin I used a double knit which didn't stretch as much as the tshirt knit and felt awful to wear.
Third muslin I used a too thin knit which stretched downwards too much and I remembered why I never use darts, I can never get them to shape properly under the bust and get left with excess fabric. This version I also used the skirt from S2176, which I decided didn't look as nice as the patterns straighter skirt.

The final version was just right, lol. The front princess seam bodice pieces are from Colette Eclair, with the yoke in a tshirt knit sz 12 and the rest of the dress in pretty much a straight sz 18. The neckline has been lowered and widened and the sleeves made longer and straighter around the hem. I didn't use facings instead finished the neck and sleeves like a tshirt bands. The skirt I cut with extra wide fitting seams but didn't end up needing the extra at all.

A note on the pockets - they are inset into a slash in the skirt and the instructions have you complete them and then finish the seams, which is nearly impossible. If you cut the slash, sew on the pockets, and serge the slash now, its a lot neater finish and so much easier! (Hope that makes sense, I forgot to take pics while I was doing it)

Because I used a stretch sateen and a knit I got away without a zipper. The fits a little looser than I normally make dresses but this way I can belt it if I want it tighter and unbelted, its perfect size for sitting down all day at work.

Needless to say, I will be making this again!