Mondial Tissus gave me the fabrics and notions free of charge for my Kew dress
Enjoying some summer days at last. Summer, sun, friends…and weddings. My wardrobe is really poor in ceremony outfits. The last ceremony dress I had sewn was my golden Asta. So that dates?
So when Mondial Tissus asked if I’d like to choose some poplins in their summer range, I knew exactly what I would sew: Nina Lee’s Kew dress.
Why choosing the Kew dress?
I’ve been following Marie-A Stitching Odyssey for a while now. She sewed this dress last year for a wedding and I found her and her dress beautiful.
I have chubby upper arms so the cold shoulder really is a bonus to visually transform my biceps.
A buttoned front, darts at the bust and waist (front and back) enhance the silhouette.
Muslining the Kew dress
Fitted woven dress screams “Muslin!!!”. According to the size chart and finished garment chart, I was a size 12 in bust and 16 in waist/hips; I cut my pieces in a old cotton sheet…and I felt a bit constricted at the bust; My breast was flattened and I couldn’t really move my arms.
So I cut a bust 14 and a size 16 for the reste and it was what I needed.
Other adjustments were: lowering the bust dart, shortening the front waist dart, and a tiny narrow shoulder adjustment at the back (I had a small gaping near my spine that was solved when I pinned 1/4″ on the half-pattern back piece).
No more gaping at the center back!
Then I cut into my good fabric, the one with the tiny fans. I had just enough for the dress…and I cut my back skirt wrong! I could have cried, but I saved it by reducing the high-low effect.
Cotton poplin has the right weight to gove some body to the skirt.
My first Kew dress
This is my first Kew dress. It is an extremely wearable muslin.
I will show my second Kew dress the late August/early September, after the wedding (and our holidays in Florida!). At least, let me show you the fabric I chose
EDIT: if you’re curious, here’s my other Kew dress!
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2 comments
I don’t usually like the cold-shoulder look, but it fits you very nicely around the shoulders and arms. It’s very pretty. I think the neckline helps a bit too. I also have chubby upper arms!
Thank you. I feel like my upper arms are a bit slimmer visually thanks to the lower part of the sleeve.