Vietnam, and did I actually wear what I made?

So, it's two weeks since I've returned to reality from what turned out to be a FANTASTIC holiday in Vietnam!  After reading a not-so-positive travel biography before I visited I have to admit I was expecting Vietnam to be terrible, really hard going and not enjoyable. I had the lowest of low expectations and I'm glad they were not met. What an incredible country. Beautiful, hectic, friendly, funny, delicious and joyful. I cannot wait to go back!

I went a bit bonkers sewing for my trip and, along with some items I'd made earlier (just for everyday life), I ended up packing 2 x Mabel Skirts; 3 x Gabby Dresses; and 5 x Marianne Dresses.

Did I wear it all? Yes. And, no!

I only ended up wearing one of my Mabel Skirts - on two separate days with clean t-shirts each day. Vietnam was SO hot so I guess I was saving the second one for another day but just never got around to wearing it. Luckily it was not too hot in Hanoi (relevantly speaking to the rest of the country) so I used some anti-chaffing cream to keep my inner-thighs in good shape (just in case anyone is wondering about skirts, thighs that touch in the middle and hot hot weather).

All of my Gabby Dresses were worn - multiple times actually. All three of them were in quite cool, thin viscose jersey (bar the striped one which was a bit thicker) so did the trick. I wore them with pairs of Dave's long undies underneath to avoid the dreaded chub rub due to the hot hot weather. These dresses were good as they could be worn on the back of a moped or in a cyclo without flashing everyone.

I only wore three of out the five Marianne Dresses I packed. Two were just in a fabric that was too thick and thus too hot for Vietnam. Did I mention it was HOT! Again, Dave's long undies saved the day.

I think I over-packed. I could've left out those two Marianne Dresses that were never worn. Plus I rinsed out clothes as I needed to and we also had an opportunity to to do laundry along the way.  I probably could've left the Mabel Skirts at home -- they weren't very practical in terms of motorbike riding or sitting on low low stools at various eateries.

I would definitely pack a variety of what I've made for another hot-weather holiday. I'm really keen to visit Cambodia and Vietnam (again) in 2017 so I have my wardrobe needs all sorted!

More holiday sewing....

Sewing SIX Gabby Dresses for my holiday and only coming out with two wearable ones means I needed to change tact and pick a new pattern to ensure I have enough clothes for Vietnam in April.

Enter the Marianne Dress, a pattern I've sewn before and like wearing (and that has my shoulders covered which is what I'm going for in my Vietnam wardrobe).

This FANTASTIC fabric is from Spotlight - honestly, they are killing my wallet at the moment. It's a cotton blended with something stretchy (the label didn't say what) and it feels very soft to wear.

The fabric is not overly stretchy so I added a bit to the back fold but probably could've done with a bit more width over the derrière but it will do for the trip. It was pretty easy to sew with -- though a bit curly at times!

I've also whipped up two more Marianne Dresses - no modelled photos as I've not worn them since making them and didn't feel like dressing up for blog photos. Hashtag lazy!

More fabric from Spotlight. This was the end of the role so I think I bought about 2.5m and also got a Mandy Boat Tee from the same fabric. The blue ran a bit into the pink on the first wash, but a second wash seems to have fixed that problem. Things went pear-shaped with my stripe matching which is a mystery as I thought I'd cut everything out perfectly. Oh well! Very comfy to wear and very easy to sew.

And last but not least!  This fabric is from Tessuti and is on sale for $11/pm. It's a lovely quality and was very lovely to sew with -- though the black bands on the neckline/sleeves did get a bit curly. I fought through it though and the result is two thumbs up! The fabric is nice and stretchy and will be comfortable for travelling around in.

So there we have it...my Vietnam holiday wardrobe is complete! I have three Gabby Dresses that I am going to pack and five Marianne Dresses. Other stuff will be coming along with me but this will make up the bulk of what I'll be wearing.

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Pattern: Marianne Dress by Christine Haynes
Size: 18
Modifications: as per other makes I added 2" to the neckband length, added 1" to the length, lowered the neckline all the way around by about 1cm
Fabric: as above
Changes for next time: none for the short sleeved version; but when I made the long sleeved version I need to added some width to the lower sleeve piece.

The double-fronted Marianne Dress

What's wrong with this picture?

Yep...my dress has two front pieces and no back piece. Whoops. I obviously wasn't paying attention when I was cutting out this Marianne Dress is this much-loved fabric that I had bought from Tessuti for a Mandy Boat Tee but decided to use for this dress instead. 

Luckily the front of this dress is not overly low (despite my lowering it quite a bit as the orignal neckline was way too high for me) and it has worked out OK as the back of the dress also. I had thought the wide neckline might meant he dress will fall of my shoulders, but I wore it today and am happy to report that no wardrobe malfunctions occurred. 

This fabric is quite a lightweight Viscose/Elastane. I wasn't sure if it was too thin/light for a dress, but it served me well in today's heatwave (another 38c day here in Sydney). The fabric drapes really well and as a result my sleeve-bands sit quite well. I added clear elastic to the shoulders to ensure they don't stretch out (I also did this for my last make but forgot to mention it).

My silly mistake could have made this dress a total disaster but it has turned out really well. It's lovely and cool to wear and I might even take it with me on my holiday to Vietnam that's coming up in a few months.

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Pattern: Marianne Dress by Christine Haynes
Size: 18
Modifications: added quite a bit to the neckband length to accommodate the larger neckline due to my mistake of cutting two fronts, added 1" to the length
Fabric: "Painted Leaves Nero" from Tessuti (94% Viscose 6% Elastane)
Changes for next time: none for the short sleeved version; but when I made the long sleeved version I need to added some width to the lower sleeve piece.

Another striped Marianne Dress

Now that I've worked out the fit on the Marianne Dress it seemed appropriate to make a summery version as Sydney swelters through yet another heatwave. This weather is AWFUL and every year I find the heat harder and harder to take. It's currently 38c where I live so something cool to wear is definitely in order!

This is the second (and last) piece of fabric I bought with the Tessuti voucher Dave gave me for Christmas. It's a Viscose/Spandex blend that was lovely to sew with and feels nice to wear. The stripes are actually navy and the background is a grey marle but it's is hard to make the colours out in these (or any photos).

I sewed the same size as last time (an 18) but the armholes seemed very big/low so I tweaked that a little. The dress then seems to be slightly tighter around my butt. No idea what's going on!  I finished the arms with a band again as I like the way it looks...mostly.

There seems to be less pooling of fabric above my butt than my last Marianne Dress - no idea why as this one actually feels a bit snugger. Sewing! Who can figure it out....not me.

The fabric has good four-way stretch so I decided to cut the neck and sleeve bands against the grain - I really like the way the neckband looks but I think it's lost a little on the sleeves.

I wore this dress out to lunch today (yes, I left the house voluntarily in this stinking heat) and the dress felt cool and comfortable. I teamed it with a me-made necklace and my Genoa Tote and I felt pretty swish and fashionable I must say. 

I've just cut out another Marianne Dress so watch this space!
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Pattern: Marianne Dress by Christine Haynes
Size: 18
Modifications: added 2" to the neckband length, added 1" to the length, lowered the neckline all the way around by about 1cm
Fabric: "Silver Navy Liner" from Tessuti (viscose/spandex blend)
Changes for next time: none for the short sleeved version; but when I made the long sleeved version I need to added some width to the lower sleeve piece.

B+W Striped Marianne Dress #2

I really loved the idea of my first B+W striped Marianne Dress but the fabric was AWFUL - super hot and sweaty. In an Australian summer I cannot even imagine when it could get worn without me dying from heat stroke!

I've ordered Ponte de Roma from girlcharlee.com in the USA before and liked the softness and drape of the fabric. This was exactly what I wanted for this dress so I bit the bullet and ordered 2 yards. With postage it was about $40 - so not much more than if I bought 2 meters of 'nice' fabric here in Australia. Problem is this is not particularly great fabric - it feels nice but has really poor recovery, I can tell it's going to pill and I lost about 80cm as there was a hole in the fabric (for which I've received a small in-store credit for). With some fabric tetris I was able to cut out my size 18 dress and have enough for neckband and sleeve bands.

So...problems aside, I'm pretty happy with what I've ended up with.

Apart from terrible fabric for my last Marianne Dress I also couldn't cope with the small neckline. This time I cut off 1cm from the pattern piece - from the shoulders all the way around. This coupled with the small amount I lowered the neckline last time has given me something I'm comfortable with. I'm pretty pleased with how good the neckband and top-stitching look too!

Back view -- fabric pooling above my butt as usual, but like I always say - I can't see it so the problem doesn't exist! My butt has definitely gotten bigger as fabric pools more there now.

Like last time I decided to use bands to finish the sleeves rather than turn them under and stitch. The more drapey fabric means they don't stick out quite as much. Due to the fabric I also reinforced the shoulders with clear elastic as they definitely would stretch out otherwise...I don't always do this on this type of shoulder depending on fabric quality/recovery.

All in all I'm pretty happy with this dress. During my "sewing career" finding a dress pattern than fits/works for me as been a struggle. I don't really have this problem with RTW so I'm not sure what's going on. The Casual Lady Dress did work for me - but the last few I've made have failed (too tight as I suppose my weight gain has caused this). I also make the Tessuti Gaby Dress in a knit. I'm glad I have another dress pattern to add to the mix. I'm keen to try the Cashmerette Turner Dress this year as I'd love a fit and flare dress that works for me.
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Pattern: Marianne Dress by Christine Haynes
Size: 18
Modifications: added 2" to the neckband length, added 1" to the length, lowered the neckline all the way around by about 1cm
Fabric: Ponte de Roma from girlcharlee.com
Changes for next time: none for the short sleeved version; but when I made the long sleeved version I need to added some width to the lower sleeve piece.

When dresses become mediocre Mabels

I've made two Marianne Dresses lately -- neither of which were quite right due to the high neckline and funkiness going on with the sleeves. Rather than just pop the dresses into the charity bag like I usually do I thought I should try and rescue them and upcycle them in to Mabel Skirts.

Like the dress, this fabric looks great in photos; and the garments look great on the hanger. As soon as the fabric hits my body though - blergh! The colours look awful on me...and the skirt is WAY too small so it's not a keeper.

This dress would probably be wearable if the fabric wasn't pure sweatiness - ugh, get off my body. I did drop the neckline a bit, but the stiffness of the fabric made the sleeves look like I was in some 80s band...hello shoulders! As the skirt above was WAY too small I added 1.5cm to the centre fold of the back and front pieces -- 6cm overall. This fabric has hardly any stretch so it's still a bit snug...but wearable if I suck my gut in and think skinny. It's a keeper. For now.

And here's my attempt at rescuing a RTW dress that must've shrunk in the wash (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). It's not bad as a skirt, but the shape is not as pegged as I would like. It's comfy though and I'm still deciding if it will get worn.

So, some success and some fails - my typical sewing story. My overlocker and sewing machine really fought me on these makes...skipped stiches and the like. Sigh.

I'm glad I have these three projects out of the way though as they've been my roadblock to embarking on any new projects...

Experimental Marianne Dress #2

For my second Marianne Dress I've left off the sleeves in an attempt to make a more summery dress...only problem is that this thick, polyester-esque fabric from Spotlight is not very summery at all. I was busy chatting at the time of purchase so didn't spend enough time concentrating on the feel/drape of the fabric nor the fabric content. This stuff feels like it's made from garbage bags. Oooff.

Fabric choices aside, whilst I think this version is "ok" it's not particulary comfortable. Despite dropping the front neckline a little I still find it too high -- and it's too high up on my shoulders -- so I feel claustrophobic in it. A bit more fiddling needs to be done before it's wearable for me (I'm thinking of copying the neckline of the Casual Lady Dress as that's a better fit on me at the neckline).

I've added an inch to the length which is a good decision as now it hits right on the knees - a good length for me. I finished the arms with a band, but the fabric is too stiff so they stick up. I cannot decide if I need to make the armholes smaller or just find a more floppy fabric (I'm thinking the later).

I really love the stripey fabric and am desperate to find something more drapey...I think I'm going to buy the bullet and buy some from girlcharlee.com as the ponti from them seems to be more...soft. Let's hope the exchange rate is being kind!
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Pattern: Marianne Dress by Christine Haynes
Size: 18
Modifications: added 2" to the neckband
Fabric: ponti-like fabric from Spotlight
Changes for next time: have a bit of a play with the neckline -- make it less...suffocating!

A test run of the Marianne Dress

I have had this pattern in my stash for AGES...bought when Christine Haynes was having a sale. I snapped it up and it sat unused for about a year. I guess I was having my love affair with the Gaby Dress (sewn in a knit) so this got pushed to the back.

Initially I was going to sew the Maria Denmark Kimono Tee as a dress, but them remembered this pattern is similar in shape, just slightly more flared, and with a sleeve option. The fabric is a thin ponti-like fabric, bought for $7/m from a store in Cabramatta. I decided to add the sleeves this time around, even though for summer it'll be sans sleeves.

Overall this dress is not bad although it is going to get cut up and made into a Mabel Skirt.

The dress fits which is always my number 1 criteria for success. I did find the sleeve piece required a little bit of stretching to attach to the cap sleeve which I think has created some pulling/stretching on the sleeve piece making it not very comfortable. Next time I would add a bit to the sleeve piece so I don't have to stretch it to make it fit. I might also add 1" to the length...cover those knees up. The neckline is WAY to high for my liking and have already made an alteration to the pattern piece to drop it down I bit. I actually added 2" to the neckband and if I hadn't the neck would've been even smaller *chokes*.

I'm sure this dress looks OK in the photos (minus my standard fabirc-pooling-above-the-butt-thing) but in real life the colouring of the fabric does not suit me at all....I think it's all that beige up near my face. It will make a nice skirt though worn with a grey marle tee for summer.

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Pattern: Marianne Dress by Christine Haynes
Size: 18
Modifications: added 2" to the neckband
Fabric: thin ponti-like fabric from Cabramatta
Changes for next time: add 1" to the hem line; add about 1cm to the sleeve piece (at the highest point); lower neckline, add at least 2" to the neckband.