I'm seriously in love with this fabric. And, in keeping with my pledge, I'm gonna be honest with myself and say there's a 3% chance of wearing it as-is. And how is it, you ask? If you didn't swing by the Mood Sewing Network yesterday, it is thus:
I call this pose "reflections on how I can hack this up the minute I get inside."
Trying to style this was a bit of a letdown after the joy of sewing up this silk chiffon. Did I say joy and silk chiffon in the same sentence? YES, JOY. Because it had a secret weapon in it: LYCRA. I was shocked to find supreme stretch in my hands when I gave it a tug pre-sewing! Months ago, I had bookmarked this cacophony in my Mood online portfolio, heart beating wildly over the crazy animals. When the lovely Joshua led me to the silk chiffon shelves where it lived IRL, we simply cut away, I never touched the bolt or looked at the content. Turns out it has a healthy dose of le lycra in it (marked clearly everywhere, and even lovingly mentioned in the beautiful wee blurb on the site, but again: CRAZYANIMALS).
I have come to the conclusion that the lycra is what made this fabric a walk in the park. I had left it languishing on my desk, looking at it occasionally in terror, remembering just how careful I had to be on my last go round with silk chiffon–but this li’l piece of insanity was a piece of cake (by which I mean technicolor diabetes inducing frosting). No seam rippling, no slippage…
no center back seam on the very no-fancy-pants pattern…
But yes pockets. We have pockets. Which are EXCEEDINGLY HARD TO FIND, as they're cut all-in-one with the skirt panels. The pesky pockets are probably the most exciting detail of this very meh pattern, vintage Butterick 3100 sundress. Basically two rectangles with elastic. I thought the gathers would be fun, hiding and revealing my animal friends, but whaddayaknow, there aren’t as many gathers as I expected.
Honestly, I wish I'd chose something a little more involved for this print, maybe some very wide leg flared lounge pants, but there was the matter of (unnecessary) fear of fabric, and the tres tricky print. All too possible to end up with a leopard on one's ass. And, I didn’t get near enough to allow for careful pattern placement. Something to think about, yo! Always buy extra when you’re buying insanity on a roll!
My seam ripper is itching for some work. What do you think it oughta be reborn as??? The absolute cylon proportion of Burdastyle Laurels going on has my trigger finger twitching...
this sack was made, quite unfortunately, using my monthly fabric "allowance" as part of the Mood Sewing Network.
I have no ideas on what to make that fabric into--probably why even though I'm coveting it I haven't purchased any...well that, and my fabric budget is currently in the red...
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see it re-birthed! :-)
i will do my best to enable vicarious fabric shopping & rebirthing!
DeleteIs that a butterfly riding a wild cat? Ker-razy!
ReplyDeleteit is a wild cat WITH BUTTERFLY WINGS. there is also an armadillo with a parrot head.
DeleteTHAT is brilliant!
DeleteMy 2 cents: You already know that I think the fabric is bananas awesome. And the pattern you sewed was perfect for it on paper (loose drapey dress + bold print chiffon should = win.) But it seems like maybe the lycra negates the flowiness/airiness you would expect in a silk chiffon? Something more fitted instead of loose and drapey would probably do wonders for the fabric. A figure skimming Laurel would be awesome (did you see Sonia's? It's crazy good) or a Shaheen inspired dress. Also, for a crazy campy print, the way to make it look high end rather than H&M is to go a bit more detailed and fitted, at least IMHO. Hope that helps!
ReplyDeleteah, i googled shaheen inspired and came up with janice of she's in fashion, in her brilliant turquoise sarong dress!
Deletemost excellent advice, i agree on all of it. methinks i'm going either laurel (ish, i have a vintage pattern, and i LURVE sonja's) or shaheen. only i may need more fabric to pull the shaheen off. ah well. one must do what one must do. oooh.... what about a shaheen inspired sarong ish , but maxi length??
I actually like it as is. Okay, slap me now. Because the print is so wild and colorful, the silhouette should be simple. It's like doing a smokey eye with red lipstick. When applying make-up - dress up the eye or the lips but not both. Feel me?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Maddy, the print is amazedly fun and the style is summer ready. Ibizza dress I say!
DeleteI love this on you and always you look fantastic.
ReplyDelete:)) tee, and hee.
DeleteThis print is amazing! If you had more it would make a gorgeous maxi dress. Or a wrap dress? That's probably not very helpful though.
ReplyDeleteI really like the print paired with the pattern!
ReplyDeleteFake Laurel! As we've learned, a shift is perfect for showing off fabric that has too many colors (is there really such a thing?) and lots of animals.
ReplyDeleteThis is some fantabulouse fabric! I agree with Maddy, I kind of like it as it is...
ReplyDeleteThat print is SO MUCH FUN! No clue what it should be reborn as. Maybe something a touch more fitted? That sucks and I'm sure you'll come up with something a million times better. Can't wait to see it!
ReplyDeleteI like it as is and it looks nice and loose for when it gets really hot out!
ReplyDeleteit's loose, oh yeah. i feel like frump city in it!!
DeleteI have an idea - if you shirred the back bodice so it didn't blouse out, I reckon the dress would look just fab. I rather like it as it is, but if the alternative is a Laurelesque rendition then that is worth waiting to see! :)
ReplyDeletei thought about that, but i don't know if it'll solve the not so great skirt portion...
DeleteGorgeous fabric! Love the Shaheen idea. Maybe a 40s swing dress like the ones made from wartime rayon? Like this one: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/550x/6f/c6/05/6fc605d36ed8ba743f4bbd200006a850.jpg
ReplyDeletewhoah, that's GORGEOUS. those sleeves! i'd need more fabric..
DeleteWhat a bummer, because that fabric is awesome awesome to the third degree. What about a short shift dress? It would be pretty easy to convert what you've already done into one.
ReplyDeletei'm heading that way, but.... there is a seam at waistline. SUPER short shift dress.
DeleteButterfly cat. Holy crap, this is the best thing ever.
ReplyDeleteNo words except butterfly cat.
Whaaa a leopard with butterfly wings? That's a bunch of awesome! I like this as is but after seeing Ginger's Laurel with that wild dinosaur print and how sweet that turned out I think this would look pretty sweet as a Laurel too!
ReplyDeleteIt defeats the purpose of the lycra, but I could see this being a flowy maxi-skirt. Of course, that still raises the question of whether you would wear it...
ReplyDeletei would if i had the yardage!
DeleteLeopard with butterfly wings! Love anything you make out of this(it looks good now, too.)
ReplyDeleteI love this pattern. I don't care what you make it into, as long as it is awesome and you love it!
ReplyDeleteYYYEEESSSSS!! Fantastic! How about a simpler (sort of) re-make- Remove the elastic, Add a zip and slim down the back, Pinch out darts front and back as needed. More power to you if you get a 2-HEADED parrot-leopard-armadillo-zebra-butterfly on your ass. Apparently You can do anything!
ReplyDeletehmm.... i'm gonna have to look at those seams, that might be a frontrunner...
DeleteI say make the Burda Moto jacket. Zippers and flying tigers go hand in paw. Rock on,
ReplyDeleteCoco
oh. my. GOD.
Deletemy brain just froze at the awesomeness of that.
A LEOPARD WITH BUTTERFLY WINGS??? That is hands down one of the most awesome things I've seen this week, so I really hope you manage to make it work! I like several of the suggestions above - a shirred back might make it more figure-hugging, but still comfy enough for summer.
ReplyDeleteeek, thanks! but i think you mean the fabric itself, right? :)))!
DeleteThat fabric is brilliant. I googled shaheen dress, and you would totally rock one of those!!
ReplyDeleteI'm SO happy you bought this fabric!! This stuff looks so amazing I just might buy fabric on-line for the first time *lol* I also agree that Colette's Laurel pattern (simple shift dress) would be terrific for this...but my dear, you can rock pretty much anything you do!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Mugsy
Love this fabric!! I think the beauty of the laurel is that it doesn't require much fabric - perfect for a hack-job!!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I love that print. It's fun. A super cute maxi skirt?
ReplyDeletehehee this fabric is frigging nuts! love your new dress sis! that cheetah with butterfly wings deserves much more than 3% chance to be worn
ReplyDeleteIf you're going to seam rip it, I say make it into a maxi skirt - because it's a marvelous print, and the large panels let it shine :)
ReplyDeletemy kingdom for more yardage!!
DeleteGah! Crazyanimals awesomeness!!! I vote for a remake as a Laurel, too!
ReplyDeleteThis fabric is way too awesome to leave it with a 3% chance. A Shaheen-style sarong dress seems perfect for this fabric but, a Laurel would show off more of that crazy awesome print...ah, can't decide which to vote for.
ReplyDeleteIf this were to join the other Laurel cylons, it would definitely be the tall blonde. Just saying.
ReplyDeleteMy vote is for a maxi dress, though. Let that flowy fabric shine in all it's cheetah-licious glory!
HA. yeah it would!!
DeleteThe fabric is wonderful but you are right that the style of the dress is so not Oona being a bit on the boring side which Oona is definitely not.
ReplyDeleteThat fabric is SO you!!! I think the simplicity of the dress is perfect for the print. Heaven forbid a design element in the garment take away even an ounce of glory from that fantastic fabric. Leave the crazy animal dress be! It's perfect as is.
ReplyDeleteI bought this too and made a really simple dolman sleeve t-shirt! I love it! I want to get some more and make something else, maybe a tank dress!
ReplyDeleteit sticks in your craw, don't it!
DeleteLove love love this! That fabric is killer! I kinda wanna see a ruffle a la '70's sundresses above the bust, no idea why! But if you won't wear this dress, definitely chop it up because this fabric deserves to be worn!
ReplyDeletethe pattern DID have a ruffle. you haz superpowers.
DeleteI dub the fabulous hybrid creature a butterfleopard. And now I want them to exist in real life.
ReplyDeleteAs for what to make, the fabric needs to show off, but the dress as-is is far too relaxed/casual. I'm not sure what it should be, but whatever it is needs to scream LOOK AT MY BUTTERFLEOPARDS! I don't know, maybe a one-sleeve off-the-shoulder dress?
BUTTERFLEOPARDS. absolutely rolls off the tongue. PERFECT.
Deleteone shoulder.... i may look a little tarzana of the jungle.....which is not necessarily a bad thing...
Oh, I don't know... It looks great to me as is. Maybe experiment with different accessories before you start un-making. Although... I can picture Pam's off the shoulder idea looking really good.
ReplyDeleteI just read the Mood description for this fabric, where it touts the "subtle orange background". And then I laughed:)
ReplyDeleteright? who knew Tang Orange could be the most subtle thing about a fabric?
DeleteFantastic taste. This fabric has been sitting in my stash for a few months now waiting for the perfect pattern. In fact, this was used on a top at Anthropologie a while back so when I first saw it in the wild I pounced. ;)
ReplyDeleteThis is their version http://images.anthropologie.com/is/image/Anthropologie/20224929_079_b?$redesign-openLarger$
ah, broken link! i'd love to see what they did with it. and YOU too!
DeleteLoving this breezy summer dress and that fabric, fabulous. A jumpsuit would be cute too, or short shorts with a little top? Picturing it with high heels and lots of stacked gold bangles....
ReplyDelete