Sunday, November 30, 2014

Ruby in Manning

Tomorrow Michael and I have been married for 7 years (we've been together for 12 years). Happy anniversary babe!

To celebrate, I booked in my sister to babysit lunch time next Sunday (she's pretty busy at the moment so no night-time hot dates for us). Then my lovely friend Therese (chooktopia on Instagram), who is also mum to Little M's BFF, asked if Little M could come for a playdate today at her place, and told me and Mike to go out for lunch. As if we would refuse!

In anticipation of next Sunday, I had made myself the new Tessuti pattern, the Ruby Top/Dress to wear on our date. Any excuse for a new frock, I say. I made it in a Liberty Lawn called 'Manning' that I have had in my stash for some time.
 
Tessuti list suitable fabrics as "light to medium weight linens or linen blends, rayons, viscose and silks". I think I am just scraping in using a lawn. I tried on the sample in Tessuti, made of silk crepe de chine and it flowed over my body better. It also sat at the neckline a tad more nicely.

Don't get me wrong - this lawn version is super comfy and I really like the way it looks, but that crepe de chine sample was all sorts of divine.


See how the lawn billows a little? The silk didn't do that.


I made the size 8, grading to a size 10 at the arm-holes (I know there is a more correct term than that, but I'm too tired to google it and find out) only. I do have quite broad shoulders. I also lengthened the dress length by 8cm and used the teeniest baby hem. I have cut out a viscose crepe version to sew at Sewjourn soon and lengthened by 10cm.


I really like the cut-away arms and the key hole back. I do wish there had been information in the instructions on how to make a thread loop though. I had to search around for a tutorial - the one I found was on the Oliver and S website. 

I didn't stitch-in-the-ditch for the binding on the neck and arms. I don't possess that level of finesse in ditch-stitching and love hand-stitching anyway, so I hand-stitched that binding down. Worked a treat and it meant I could control the tension on the binding to. Take note if you make this - you really do need to stretch the binding a little to get it to sit nicely. 


So, there you have it! A Ruby in Manning. I think I'll wear this a lot. It was very cool to wear on this 37 degree day here today. I have cut out a linen version and the viscose crepe I mentioned before - both to sew at Sewjourn. I also think I'll buy some silk crepe de chine in the fabric sales post-Christmas and make another Ruby dress to wear to my sister's hen's night in February. Are you going to make this? I think it is a great basic with an edge. I see many of the tops in my future too.

38 comments:

  1. I really like this in the lawn, but I would wouldn't I. I've been loving all the versions around, I think they are just so flattering, but I'm not really one for no sleeves so will need to consider or start doing some more exercise!

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  2. Lovely Rachel. I wore my Ruby top & it didn't survive it's first (gentle) wash 😕. It tore at the bottom of the back slit. I think my interfacing was too light & I needed to reduce the stitch length when making the opening. I'll definitely be using this pattern again.

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  3. Gorgeous - I adore this print and it looks so perfect for a 37C day! Ruby is such a perfectly timed pattern for summer tops & dresses, I must now try on that silk sample... ;)

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  4. I don't think I could do the Ruby, but it looks great on you. That print is gorgeous and when it's that hot only lawn or voile will do.

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  5. Happy anniversary:) Cute Dress too..

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  6. What a lovely frock - the colours/pattern remind me of a beach scene. Enjoy your anniversary and your date.

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  7. I love the print on that lawn though. What a great dress for Summer! Happy anniversary ;-)

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  8. Happy anniversary to you and Michael. Your dress is lovely - don't be disappointed with the lawn - it is perfect for summer heat I am about to make my 1980s Calvin Klein pattern which is exactly the same draft - :).

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  9. Thank you Maree! What will you make your CK dress from? I think it will look lovely on you.

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  10. Thanks Debbie. The print is great - and it felt lovely to wear yesterday!

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  11. Thank you Maree! What will you make your CK dress from? It is funny how fashions come full circle. I think it will look lovely on you.

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  12. Thanks Joanne. It is a beachy fabric! I pondered making it into a short sleeved collared shirt for my hubby but I didn't have quite enough.

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  13. Thanks Barbara Jane. It is true - lawn is the perfect summer fabric!

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  14. Yes, do go and try it on - it is lovely. Be warned though - you'll want to buy silk after!

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  15. Oh no Anna! How odd. Did you clip to close? That is weird.

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  16. Haha yes you would! I have a thing about my arms too - I have broad shoulders and swimmer's arms. Sometimes it is just way too hot for anything on your arms though - yesterday was 37 with a hot wind.

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  17. Maybe a bit of that too... Off to rebuy fabric so I can make again.

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  18. Happy Anniversary! That dress looks awesome!

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  19. Happy anniversary!!! Hope you had a lovely lunch. Beautiful dress!

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  20. Love this on you! It looks so cool and summery. I bet that silk crepe de chine was amazing, it kind of spoils your for everything else doesn't it? But I really like the way your dress sits in this fabric, it's still very drapey. And happy anniversary!

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  21. Suuuper cool fabric! Happy anniversary!


    As a side note, I have broad shoulders too, and I don't feel like there are a ton of fitting resources out there! Do you have any favorites?

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  22. Thanks Morgan! I too have found this to be a gap in the sewing-fitting literature. I've used 'Fit for Real People' by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto with fairly good results. In saying that, I usually start with my shoulder measurement and try and correspond the pattern to that, and grade back in from my bust down - does that make sense? Sometimes though this does mean I have to reduce the neck measurement of something as otherwise I get gaping.

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  23. Thanks Jillian! Lawn is lovely... but silk crepe de chine is just a little bit more lovely :-)

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  24. Thanks Kat! It was a lovely lunch. We had a very good gelati after.

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  25. I think I need to add that book to my library! I think starting with the shoulders makes a lot of sense. I don't see too many pattern companies listing shoulder measurements - do you just measure the pattern yourself?

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  26. Highly recommend that book - I've used it for other fit issues too. I just measure it myself - and muslin everything. I know a lot of ppl hate wasting fabric on a muslin, but I hate wasting fabric due to poor fit!!

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  27. Happy Anniversary! I think this is my favourite Liberty print ever, it looks great in this colour. The pattern really suits you, the shape of the keyhole is really sleek.

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  28. Such a summer frock win! I can only imagine how decadent the silk version must be!

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  29. Beautiful dress!! I have just printed & taped together my Ruby PDF, hopefully I'll get to it before Xmas! Just out of curiosity, how tall are you? I will need to lengthen my version as well (I'm 176cm tall).

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  30. Hi Lee! I'm 173cm tall - so yep, you'll need to lengthen. Good lucking getting it made!

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  31. Happy Anniversary! Doesn't it suck that you have to go back to zero once you're married? haha. Love the new frock - looks gorgeous. And I can totally see how CDC would take this to a whole new level!

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  32. Hi Rachel,

    Please forgive my leaving this in a comment, I couldn’t find
    an e-mail address for you. I’m making an index of Australian sewing bloggers,
    which you can find here: http://iammsfrizzle.blogspot.com/2014/12/sewists-of-australia.html I hope you don’t mind being on it- just let
    me know if you want to be removed. Thank you!

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  33. No problem at all Maren! Thanks for including me. I'm off to read a few I didn't know about!

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